Chapter Activity Reports

Visit to the Fulper Family Farmstead

Visit to the Fulper Family Farmstead

Originally Posted By Halli M. James

On November 13th, a few members of the Cook AZ chapter visited Fulper Family Farmstead in Lambertville, NJ. The Fulper Farm is a family owned and operated dairy farm that still uses most of their original farm equipment. It’s a relatively small function, so we talked a lot about being able to keep up with larger commercial dairies. Fulper uses other aspects of the business such as cheese making and tourism to make up for not being as large as other dairies. Another interesting ...
Thursday, February 27, 2014/Author: Alpha Zeta/Number of views (3729)/Comments (0)/
Categories: Chapter Activity Report Blog
Visit to Readington River Buffalo Company

Visit to Readington River Buffalo Company

Originally Posted By Halli M. James

On November 6th, several members of the Cook AZ Chapter visited Erick Doyle’s bison farm in Readington, NJ. We learned about the difficulties of managing an animal operation where the farmer is not able to have much contact with the animals due to their lack of domestication. We talked about silage making and bison nutrition and how to make the best of the resources available to you. Erick gets a lot of the milk he feeds to his calves from a nearby dairy that donates product they ...
Thursday, February 27, 2014/Author: Alpha Zeta/Number of views (3688)/Comments (0)/
Categories: Chapter Activity Report Blog
Visit to Ocean Spray Receiving Plant

Visit to Ocean Spray Receiving Plant

Originally Posted By Halli M. James

Cook AZ visited the Ocean Spray receiving plant in Chatsworth, NJ on October 16. We were able to tour the facilities and learn about cranberry processing as well as visit one of their experimental breeding sites and a bog. We learned about breeding for genetic resistance to pests as opposed to using pesticides and maintaining genetic diversity while running a monocultural facility. We were able to watch a harvest from the bog and discussed the different machinery developed ...
Thursday, February 27, 2014/Author: Alpha Zeta/Number of views (3523)/Comments (0)/
Categories: Chapter Activity Report Blog
Visit to Viking Village Fishery

Visit to Viking Village Fishery

Originally posted by Halli M. James

On September 25, Cook AZ visited the Viking Village fishery in Barnegat, NJ. We learned about the different kinds of sea life they fish and talked about the effects of Sandy and other natural disasters on the fishing community. We were able to watch them pull several large fish off a recently returned fishing boat for evaluation. We learned about the different grades of fish and other factors, such as sharks, that can affect the quality of the product they are able to produce. They are also working on research using Confined Animal Feeding Operations that we were able to look at and discuss.
Sunday, October 27, 2013/Author: Alpha Zeta/Number of views (3698)/Comments (0)/
Categories: Chapter Activity Report Blog
Visit to Bob Muth's Farm

Visit to Bob Muth's Farm

Originally posted by Halli M. James

On October 9, Cook AZ visited Bob Muth’s personal farm in South Jersey. Bob Muth is most well known for his sustainable use of leaves collected from the surrounding areas to improve the nutrient content of his soil. Bob focuses heavily on rotational use of his fields. He is paid to take fallen leaves collected by the town that would otherwise be put into a landfill or otherwise disposed of and spreads them on his resting fields on a rotation to improve the nutrient content of his soil. He also utilizes crops such as vetch to up the nitrogen in his soil during resting periods...
Sunday, October 27, 2013/Author: Alpha Zeta/Number of views (3408)/Comments (0)/
Categories: Chapter Activity Report Blog
New Brunswick Urban Garden

New Brunswick Urban Garden

Originally posted by Halli M. James

On October 2, Cook AZ visited the New Brunswick Community Urban Garden and learned about the social aspect of sustainability. We discussed the issues of efficiency, resource conservation, and benefits of urban farming with a focus on using it as a tool for educating the public on agriculture. The NB garden offers plots for community families to grow plants including tomatoes and chrysanthemums. They are doing many experimental projects including vertically growing miniature watermelons to solve issues with urban farming such as available space....
Sunday, October 27, 2013/Author: Alpha Zeta/Number of views (3347)/Comments (0)/
Categories: Chapter Activity Report Blog
Working Dog Winery

Working Dog Winery

Originally posted by Halli M. James

On September 18, Cook AZ visited Working Dog Winery in East Windsor, NJ. We took a tour of the vineyards led by one of the owners, Mark Carduner. We learned about many of the factors important in successful grape production including sun exposure, brix levels, strategic leaf pruning, and protection from predators. We discussed the relationship between ag operations and the surrounding communities and the importance of having the support of surrounding residents. We also talked about the social aspects of agriculture, such as using the vineyard for events like weddings and jazz nights to help boost profits and community exposure.
Thursday, October 24, 2013/Author: Alpha Zeta/Number of views (3222)/Comments (0)/
Categories: Chapter Activity Report Blog
Visit to Snyder Research and Extension Farm

Visit to Snyder Research and Extension Farm

Originally posted by Halli M. James

On September 11, several members of the Cook AZ chapter visited the Snyder Farm in Pittstown, NJ, which is part of the Rutgers research extension. The Snyder Farm serves as the Rutgers center for sustainable agriculture. While here, we learned about the many different crops they grow and some of the research they are doing to help educate and provide resources for NJ farmers on the topics of changing markets, politics, economics, and environmental impact.
Thursday, October 24, 2013/Author: Alpha Zeta/Number of views (3115)/Comments (0)/
Categories: Chapter Activity Report Blog
NC Sends 16 Brothers to NALC

NC Sends 16 Brothers to NALC

Originally posted by Ashley J. Kirby

The North Carolina Chapter enjoyed another National Agricultural Leadership Conference on April 7th-9th in Ithaca, New York at Cornell University.  Rebekah Ray began organizing fundraising efforts as soon as she was appointed NALC committee chair. She and her committee sent letters out to alumni or organizations, helped our chapter receive a CHS grant, and made it possible for alumni to make online donations. The night before leaving, brothers gathered to decorate our banner with the "Locally Grown, Nationally Known” theme...
Tuesday, April 16, 2013/Author: Alpha Zeta/Number of views (3575)/Comments (0)/
Categories: Chapter Activity Report Blog
NC Farm Tour

NC Farm Tour

Originally posted by Ashley J. Kirby

On November 17th, a brother led five fellow brothers on a tour of Kornegay Farms, Inc. John Mitchell Kornegay, a graduating senior in Agriculture Business Management and Animal Science invited the chapter to visit his family’s farm in Mount Olive, North Carolina. The leadership committee planned the visit to begin with a campout including a bonfire Friday evening and a farm tour the following morning. Brothers brought food, sleeping bags and tents, however due to weather brothers slept inside. This fellowship time was a great opportunity for brothers to relax away from Raleigh...
Saturday, December 1, 2012/Author: Alpha Zeta/Number of views (3441)/Comments (0)/
Categories: Chapter Activity Report Blog
RSS