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Picking carrots, running beans in the combine and feeding hogs may be all in a day’s work for Hardin County farmers, but for the county commissioner, sheriff and director of travel and tourism it was something completely new. Hardin County Farm Bureau organized "Shadow a Farmer for a Day" for local leaders.

Jerry Cross, county commissioner, visited the Wilcox Brothers’ Farm where he learned about new farm machinery and learned how to change the setup for the combine from soybeans to corn. "I grew up working on farms, but it’s been a long time since I’ve done anything. The new technology is amazing. The inside of that combine is so high-tech," Cross said.

Michelle Hall, the new director of the Hardin County Tourist and Convention Bureau, was amazed to see all that Hardin County farmers had to offer. She made stops at the Rohr’s family farm, where they produce carrots, and the Althauser Farm, where they make honey and raise pumpkins. "The history of agriculture is so rich here in Hardin County. Agriculture is the number one resource in the county," Hall said. "John (Rohr) said that they raise 600 acres of carrots, and 21 percent of the carrots in DelMonte’s mixed vegetables come from his farm. That’s amazing to me. They serve eight different companies in eight states."

Other county leaders who took part in the shadow day were Hardin County Sheriff Craig Leeth, who went to Tim Holbrook’s pig nursery; Hardin County Prosecutor Terry Hord, who toured the DeBries’ dairy; and school superintendent Doug Roberts, who went to Dave Sherman’s grain and hog farm.

Organization Director Alex Beard said it was a good afternoon, and after the farm visits, many of those involved met up for lunch and discussed the day’s activities. "We hope to continue this program in the future and make it an annual event. It was great for community leaders to interact with farmers and talk about the issues concerning agriculture in Hardin County," Beard said.