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South central Indiana farmers to be featured during Purdue Farm Management Tour

Farm management strategies, new technologies, and other ways to successfully transition an operation to the next generation will be discussed during the Purdue Farm Management Tour on July 11 in Washington and Jackson counties in Indiana.  

Jim Mintert, director of the Center for Commercial Agriculture, says the tour allows farmers to gain insight from others’ experiences and develop ideas to implement on their own farms.

The tour will start at 9 a.m. on July 11 at the Hackman Family Farm Market.

The Hackmans raise corn and soybeans and augment their row-crop operation with produce, including sweet corn, watermelons, cantaloupes and several other produce crops. The produce operation expanded in recent years when daughters Megan; Jacquelyn and her husband, Klayton; along with son Victor, returned to the farm. The family supplies several major retailers with watermelons and markets directly to consumers.

Participants will learn about the value of diversification, how to develop new enterprises to facilitate bringing the next generation into the farm operation and navigating food safety issues.

The next stop will take place at Rowland Farms at 1 p.m. in Washington County. The Rowland’s crop operation is focused on soybeans and non-GMO popcorn. The family is passionate about improving soil health via cover crops to boost their farm’s long-term productivity. In 2018, the Rowland’s son Jacob joined the operation and recently put into operation a new commercial scale cage-free layer house. The operation features a manure storage system that helps ensure the family achieves maximum value from the poultry litter applied to their cropland.

Both families will discuss diversifying the operation or adding a new enterprise to allow the next generation to return to the farm.  

The event is free, but registration is required. Visit purdue.ag/farmtour or call 765-494-7004.

Purdue University’s Center for Commercial Agriculture and Purdue Extension sponsor the tour.

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