Agricultural Reality participants discuss what programs are available with Southern Ohio Agricultural & Community Development Foundation

Courtesy of Kathy A. Bruynis

Sixty-eight Hillsboro, Lynchburg, Leesburg, Whiteoak, Eastern Brown, Ohio Valley Career Tech Center and Peebles FFA Students Participate in OSU Extension Agricultural Reality Program on December 7 and December 14, 2012.

Agricultural Business students from Hillsboro, Lynchburg, Leesburg, Whiteoak, Eastern Brown, Ohio Valley Career Technical Center and Peebles FFA chapters practiced real-life situations during the Agricultural Reality Program.

A simulation activity was conducted where students were assigned a 300-acre farm to manage and were awarded start-up capital based upon their grade point averages. They were required to purchase inputs necessary to manage their farm and show a profit.

Students interacted with representatives from local businesses to help them evaluate production costs utilizing current prices for inputs such as livestock, equipment, land, and chemicals and to make decisions about what type of farming activities were to be a part of their 300-acre farm.

Towards the end of the event on December 7, Brad Williams, Rick Williams Auction Company simulated an equipment and livestock auction so the students would have an opportunity to purchase used equipment for their farms.

Prior to the Agricultural Reality Store simulation, the Farm Service Agency presented a lesson in the classroom for the Agricultural Business students so they would be prepared to participate in the event.

To make the simulation realistic and educational, students were able to interact with local businesses such as: Five Points Implement, ADM/Grain Market, Auditor/Bill Fawley, Farm Credit Services, Fussnecker & Sons Tractor, Highland Soil & Water District, Holbrook Farms Seeds & Chemical Sales, Master Feed Mill, Merchants Bank, National Bank & Trust, NCB Bank, SOACDF, State Farm Insurance, Union Stockyards, United Producers, USDA/FSA, USDA/NRCS, Winchester Ag/Cherry Fork Farm Supply, Farm Credit Mid America, Ohio Division of Forestry, First State Bank, Farmers Mutual Insurance, Tom Pitzer Trucking, LLC, Brown County Motors, Cahall Brothers, Cherry Fork Farm Supply, Master Feed Mill as well as OSU Extension Educators from Highland, Brown, Adams, Clermont and Ross counties.