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The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation board took some time recently to tour sites in northeastern Ohio that focus on value-added opportunities and facilitate advances in farming.

Board members took part in three farm tours. They visited Hartzler Dairy Farm and Hartzler Dairy Processing in Wayne County. The Hartzler family has run the dairy since the early 1950s. In 1964, the family made the decision to discontinue the use of herbicides and pesticides. The processing plant and ice cream shop was opened in the mid-1990s, and Hartzler Dairy products are sold in many stores throughout northeast Ohio. The milk is pasteurized but not homogenized and sold in glass containers.

Killbuck Valley Mushrooms Ltd. was another tour stop. It is owned by Tom and Wendy Wiandt, who gave up careers in engineering and medical technology to produce gourmet mushrooms on the Wiandt family farm. They work with many chefs in the Akron/Cleveland area to market their product.

"Value-added farming is becoming more and more important to the welfare of our members. This trip was a learning opportunity to see how these farmers took the initiative to make their farms more profitable," said Jack Fisher, OFBF executive vice president.

Producers Cooperative in Mt. Hope was another stop on the tour. It was started in 1995 as a result of several growers’ desire to provide a local outlet for their products and capture more value-added dollars. The market operates from mid-April to mid-November on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The board also took part in guided tours around the Ohio Agriculture and Research and Development Center (OARDC) and Ohio State’s Agricultural Technical Institute (ATI). Members of the OARDC and ATI staff explained new studies and advancements to the board. The tour included the Molecular and Cellular Imaging Center, presentations from the horticulture and crop science and beef production projects, Secrest Aboretum, and poultry research facilities.

"ATI is so important to the youth who want to be involved in Ohio’s agriculture. They are given so many opportunities to learn-by-doing here," Fisher said. "OARDC has given so much to the world of farming through its extensive research and development."