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Nearly 3,000 visitors stopped at 10 agricultural operations for Ashland County’s Drive-It-Yourself tour. According to Organization Director John Fitzpatrick, the tour is a three-day event. The Friday before the Saturday/Sunday tour, school children are invited to visit some of the stops. This year, they visited U-Dean Dairy Farms, owned by Eugene, Esther, Mike, Randy and Ryan Welch, and Hoof Print Farm, operated by Bill and Denise Burrow.

"We work with the schools to give them an introduction to agriculture. We set up various stations where children can learn about safety, nutrition and basic level marketing. We think this is good exposure," he said.

The tour started in 1972, and Esther Welch was the first chairperson. Each year, the tour rotates among northern, central and southern parts of the county. This year focused on northern Ashland County. Stops included a fish farm, dairy, orchard, cattle farm, hog farm and an exhibit on antique power.

Caption 1: Children interact with a dairy calf at U-Dean Dairy Farms in Ashland County.

Caption 2: Approximately 240 children from Ashland County schools participated in a preview of the county’s Drive-It-Yourself tour. Hoof Print Farm was one of the stops.