WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Learn about innovative farm management strategies, new technologies for improving efficiency and productivity, ways to help ensure a successful transition of your operation to the next generation and more at the annual Purdue Farm Management Tour, July 19-20.
Purdue University’s Center for Commercial Agriculture and Purdue Extension sponsor the tour, which includes stops at three farms in Tipton and Clinton counties. Farms are chosen based on successful business management practices or farm managers’ unique perspective on farm business management.
“The Purdue Farm Management Tour brings together some of Indiana’s best farm business managers, making it a fantastic opportunity for farmers to learn from others’ experiences and discover new principles to apply on their own farms in order to maximize innovation and success,” said James Mintert, director of the Purdue Center for Commercial Agriculture.
Each tour includes an interview session where farm operators provide an overview of their farms. Host farmers will also share successful farm management tips, discuss how the management of their operations is changing in response to the agricultural economy and evolving family circumstances, and share reasons behind their recent innovations in production practices and adoption of new technology.
The tour is free and open to the public. Visit purdue.ag/farmtour or call 765-494-7004 to register (required).
Tour Schedule — All times are listed in Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
12:30 p.m., July 19 — M&K Henderson Family Farm/Henderson Ag Advantage: Monty and Austin Henderson are the fifth and sixth generations of their family to farm in Tipton County. Monty currently serves as regional director of the Hoosier Heartland Indiana Small Business Development Center, and Austin’s enterprise, Henderson Ag Advantage, provides customers with a variety of crop inputs. M&K Henderson Family Farm farming operation emphasizes improving soil health using a combination of no-till, strip-till and cover crops. At this tour stop, you’ll learn more about how the Hendersons have combined farming with their pursuit of entrepreneurial opportunities to help ensure a successful farm transition.
8:30 a.m., July 20 — Orr Farms: Clint and Marianne Orr started their farming operation with just 200 acres under cultivation in the late 1980s. Lacking a large land base at a single location encouraged the Orrs to take advantage of existing facilities scattered across several owned and rented locations. Recently they’ve built a new stand-alone grain facility with a Grain Handler continuous mixed-flow dryer, which provides the capacity to store 100% of the seed beans, waxy corn and white corn their farm produces. Staying up to date on new technology is important to them, and their new 2022 model corn and soybean planters will both be on display at this tour stop.
1:30 p.m., July 20 — Stafford Farms: Tim Stafford along with sons Jarren and Jordan raise corn, soybeans and hogs. Jarren and Jordan, who provide leadership on technology adoption and implementation, joined the farm full time in the early 2000s, and the family has implemented a plan to move major assets from father to sons over time. The Staffords raise seed corn and have been installing pattern tile using their own equipment. In 2022, a new state-of-the-art farm shop was completed, which will also be featured at this tour stop.
Indiana Prairie Farmer Master Farmer Reception and Panel Discussion
The Indiana Prairie Farmer Master Farmer Reception and Panel Discussion will be held July 19 at 3:30 p.m. in conjunction with the Farm Management Tour to honor the 2022 Master Farmers. This year’s award recipients will discuss keys to success during the course of their long farming careers. The reception will take place at Beck’s Hybrids on Tuesday, July 19, at 6767 N. 276th St., Atlanta, Indiana. The Master Farmer Program is a long-standing tradition that honors individuals who have contributed considerably to Hoosier agriculture and demonstrated success in farming efficiency, stewardship of natural resources and community service. There is no cost to attend; visit purdue.ag/farmtour to register (required). The Indiana Master Farmer program is sponsored by Purdue University’s College of Agriculture and Indiana Prairie Farmer.