By: Brent Mitchell
Middletown, Ohio
Environmental Science
Sophomore

Experiencing a second writing course may include you to write in a very different manner depending what you want to write, and who you are writing to. Especially in my class AGR COMM 2367. This class has you writing to different audiences with very different ways of writing. For instance the way you write to your mother and the way you write to your boss completely turns the tide of your writing style. Here are some things to keep in mind when taking this course; consider your audience, purpose, ideas, and feelings of the paper.

This course will have you thinking on many different things like; what to think during a crisis situation, and how to tell your audience not to freak out about the situation at hand. Since in that situation communicating is key to either be aware of the situation, or to help with donation in this certain situation.

There is one assignment that has you write about all five senses on agri-tourism or agri-tainment like in the picture above, I went to a family farm to write my experience. The taste of the air, the smell of crops and straw, the laughing and playing of children, the touch of grass, and the sight of a hayride. All this was put into the assignment; it was a fun, exciting experience.

The class does have you think about real agriculture issues today and how they are facing those issues. What is your opinion on GMO labeling? This question came to me while I was sitting in my class, and I had never really thought about it before. I considered my options; positive which will promote GMO, negative which will put consumer in more of and unaware situation, or neutral promote GMO but it may do it in a negative way. I was at a standstill at the time I was asked that question. I really did not have a stance of the issue, since I had not thought of it until it was brought up in this class.

This class has many things wrapped in one big blanket of experiences to tell all of my stories would ruin everything for you. So I suggest you take this class and experience the class for yourself. I would like to thank the teachers for the tips and experience, fellow peers for opinions, and of course you the reader.

By: Flo Smith
Centerburg, Ohio
AgriScience Education
Sophomore

Every third weekend in September, Centerburg, Ohio shuts down.  The village of 1,920 people closes up the bakery and local pizza places to host the Oldtime Farming Festival.  The annual event lasts two days and dominates the local park.  Most of the people in town visit at least once.

The festival consists of a tractor show, parade, games tent, kids’ corner, horticulture show, and art competition. The main walkway leads through the food trucks and local groups selling their food as a fundraiser. The well-known root beer stand stands tall at the head of the festival, and it is a main attraction. After getting your dollar root beer or cream soda, you can continue walking through the shops of handmade items from local talents.

Walk along the creek to the kids’ corner to watch the magician or see the children dig for coins in the hay or sand.  Look past the contests and games tent to see the square dancing tractors on the softball field. Then, turn into the tent to compete in a variety of farm-themed games. Throw a rolling pin or wrench, spit watermelon seeds, or test your math skills for the chance to win prizes – including cash.  Many contests allow partners, so sign up with a friend to have a laugh and a memory.

But, the best part of the festival is the people.  Many of the people have been going to this festival since it started.  They grew up in Centerburg, with agricultural backgrounds that they passed to their children.  They make the festival worth it when they stop you to ask about the letters FFA on your back and tell you it was different back in their days.  They keep the history of the village alive and continue to bring it back to us every year.

By: Adam Kaddoura
Yorba Linda, California
Evolution and Ecology
Junior

Agricultural tourism can establish the foundations to understand the world of agriculture. Opening a whole new world to growing individuals, and allowing them to determine the importance of a business, a business that has been at the foundation of society since the beginning of man. As the members in the agriculture sector the responsibility to spread this knowledge to our youth across the country, falls directly on our shoulders. No longer can we have children grow up and not understand the duties of a farmer; no longer can we allow children to sit down at the dinner table and not wonder where their food came from; no longer can we allow a society that shrugs off the work of the local farmers.

Growing up in California, I was emerged in a society that was supposed to be an agricultural power house for the United States. Despite living in a state with great agricultural power, I was tucked away from ever understanding the duties that my local farmers performed on a daily basis to provide food for my family.  Day in and day out, I was part of a world I had no idea I was a part of. Consuming the food provided for me by the thousands of people that make up the agricultural sector of my community. I didn’t know nor did I care of the world that was secretly the biggest part of my life.

Spreading agricultural tourism across the nation will allow all children to become exposed to the world which runs their lives. In doing so, we will generate a population that is willing to increase the power and status of agriculture.

By: Jessica Little
Jeffersonville, Ohio
Food Science and Technology
Sophomore

Are you involved in agriculture? Do you enjoy learning about hot topics that affect our daily lives? Maybe you just want to learn more about the agriculture industry. Or you’re just in need of a second writing credit. If any of these apply to you, then here’s a class for your next semester.

Agriculture Communication 2367 is a second level writing course. In this course, the focus is centered on issues in agriculture in modern day society. Some topics include GMOs, water quality, fracking, crisis communications, and many more. Not only do you get to learn about these topics, but you get to hear firsthand experiences from professionals in these fields.

One subject for a lecture was GMO’s. Jennifer Coleman was our guest speaker from the Ohio Soybean Council and she spoke with us about what GMO’s actually were and how the public perceives the use of GMO’s in our foods. It was very interesting to hear firsthand from an expert in the field what foods were actually GMO and the public fears behind GMO’s. As someone who doesn’t have much agricultural background, it was a great way for me to learn about such a controversial topic.

Since this is a writing course, you should expect to write some papers. Luckily, most of the papers that you will have to write about are topics that you go over in class. This makes it very easy to get informed on the subject beforehand and makes doing the writing assignments a breeze. There is also a research paper that is due at the end of the semester. While this may seem troublesome, there is a lot of class time spent on making sure that your paper will go smoothly and lots of help from the professor and TA’s.

If you’re looking for a class that’s focused on expanding your knowledge in agriculture and not destroying your GPA, then Agricultural Communication 2367 is the class for you! With great professors, interesting topics, and the development of stronger writing skills, this class is perfect for filling your second level writing GE and learning about interesting topics in agriculture.

Jessica wrote this blog post as part of an in class assignment for the agricultural communication 2367 class. All opinions are her own.

Lindsay Schiavone
Oregon, Ohio
Animal Science, Biosciences
Sophomore

This semester I am in the Agricultural Issues in Contemporary Society course (AgrComm 2367) here at Ohio State. One of our recent assignments was to visit a site of agritourism/agritainment, which is a location centered on agriculture that invites in the public for the experience. My site of choice was my local pumpkin patch: Fleitz Pumpkin Farm, located in Oregon, OH. I was going home for the weekend and thought that this would be the perfect place to write about, considering they offer so many family traditions and fun activities.

This particular pumpkin farm has been one of our personal family traditions, as well as many other families’. People will travel from out of town just to visit the Fleitz Pumpkin Farm every Halloween season. There was an array of choices of pumpkins that range from the size of a small child to the size that can fit in the palm of your hand. It really was a cool sight to see all of the friends, families, and children running around trying to find their favorite pumpkin to take home and carve. Both my sister and I picked out our own favorite pumpkins to carve later that evening.

Fleitz Pumpkin Farm also offers hayrides, goat feeding, corn mazes, and a snack shack that serves their famous homemade donuts and cider. First, our family participated in the larger of the two corn mazes that they had and after a bit of confusion and running in circles, we finally made our way out of the maze!

Next, we just had to get our share of donuts and cider. At this point, the line was backed up quite a bit, but that was not going to stop us. After waiting for 40 minutes, we finally got our donuts and cider. These particular donuts have been and always will be by far the best donuts that I have ever had, and everyone else in my hometown would agree with that as well. This time around we bought a whole dozen and took some home to have them later too!

My experience at the pumpkin patch meant a little bit more to me this year. I am an Animal Sciences major and not an Agriculture based major. Because of this Agricultural Communications course, I was able to actually think about the hard work, planning, and thought that went into the agriculture behind the family friendly experience. There is a lot of work that goes into a business like Fleitz’ and I definitely got a chance to appreciate it more this year.

Lindsay wrote this post as an in class assignment for the Agricultural Communication 2367 course. All opinions are her own.

By: Camille Ackerman
Columbus
Sustainable Plant Systems, Horticulture
Senior

My recent trip to Circle “S” Farm was one of the most enjoyable fall experiences I have had so far this year.  This farm offers a wide range of activities and could be considered a good example of agri-tainment (a topic of discussion in a recent session of AgComm 2367).  Circle “S” is not too far from Columbus, and the drive can be a scenic one if visitors choose the right route to get there (“the back way”).  For those looking to connect with a local farm and incorporate a fun autumn theme, Circle “S” Farm is a good venue to visit.

If you arrive at the farm hungry, just visit the Circle “S” store for some refreshments.  There are a lot of choices, but most people seemed to be selecting some of the freshly made donuts!  There are several different flavors with various toppings, and other fall favorites like caramel apples.

I took a picture of the pumpkin flavored donuts that I purchased during my visit.  I also acquired a gallon of sweet local apple cider to go along with those donuts.  Both were delicious!  Other options include light snacks, soups, sandwiches, and hot dogs.  Drinks can also be purchased, along with many canned goods and dry mixes.

Some of the attractions at Circle “S” Farm include: hayride, fun barn, petting zoo, corn/sunflower maze(s), hay bale cave, and photo op spots.  If you want to take home a pumpkin, you can upgrade your ticket for just a few dollars more.  The hayride takes visitors out to the pumpkin patch where they can choose their favorite pumpkin from the various sizes and shapes available.  The fun barn is really great for kids; there are lots of hay bales and slides for playing.  The petting zoo has some really cute goats that seem to enjoy the attention from guests.  A trip through either of the mazes is good for immersing oneself in a puzzle made from plants.  The hay bale cave seemed fun for the children to explore.  Let’s not forget about the photo ops!  There are lots of sites to snap photos, such as with the giant pumpkins, the “put-your-face-in-the-hole” spots, and near the tractor or the duck pond.

If you are in the fall mood and want to support local agriculture, you should consider a visit to Circle “S” Farms!  Please visit: http://www.circlesfarm.com for more information.

Camille submitted this blog post as part of an in class assignment for the agricultural communication 2367 course. All opinions are her own.