Santa Rosa County Farm Tour - Evolving Through the Years
Extension Education
Matthew Lollar
Commercial Horticulture Agent
University of Florida
Milton
Abstract
The Santa Rosa County Farm Tour started in 1966 as an innovative idea to display technical advances in agricultural to a rural community. Sixty years later the farm tour is still demonstrating agricultural ingenuity, but to a much more suburban audience. The purpose of the tour has shifted more toward agriculture awareness with the same goal of advancing agriculture. The focus of more recent tours has been farm diversification and sustainable practices. Innovations in farming technology on cotton and peanut farms have been featured as well as nutrient management strategies in horticultural crops. Traditionally the tour was held in July to highlight the various row crops grown in the county, but since 2014 the tour has either been held in the spring or fall to show different growth stages of these crops and feature the diversity of crops grown in the county. School buses were once utilized to transport participants, but have since been sidelined for chartered buses with air conditioning. During social distancing times, the tour went virtual then self-guided for a stint. Just like with the weather, the farming community has adapted to keep up with change. The farmers of Santa Rosa County have welcomed visitors for 60 years and continue to offer open and honest communication with the community for the advancement of agriculture.
Poster has NOT been presented at any previous NACAA AM/PIC
This poster is being submitted only for display at AM/PIC. Poster is not to be judged, but the abstract will be published in the proceedings.
A poster file has not been provided
Authors: Matthew Lollar, Prudence Caskey
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Lollar, M. Commercial Horticulture Agent, University of Florida/IFAS Extension - Santa Rosa County, Florida, 32570
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Caskey, P. 4-H Agent, University of Florida/IFAS Extension - Santa Rosa County, Florida, 32570