School Tours

From 1986 to 2006 we conducted school tours on a daily basis during the fall months. As each succeeding generation becomes further removed from direct contact with agricultural production, the need for children to learn about modern agriculture and the vital role it plays in their lives, becomes exceedingly important. We decided, therefore, in 2017 to gradually reintroduce tours to our farm. Our tours offer students and their parents the opportunity to experience a large commercial family farm up close, to learn about crop production, and to understand how farmers care for their land.

In the upstairs great room of our 1857 Homestead Barn visitors to our farm will hear a brief history of the humble beginnings of Howell Farms and its transformation into a 21st century family farming operation now spanning two generations. We explain the importance of agriculture to the global economy and to each student as an individual. In the rock-walled, lower level of the barn, visitors will view a short video of daily activity on the farm and see an on-going slide presentation of crop life cycles. In this setting we also introduce a direct connection with the crops that we produce along with their daily food and non-food uses.

Our guests then are treated to an escorted and narrated wagon ride through the headquarters of our modern farming operations across the road and a trip down the lane to our hillside pumpkin patch. Students will learn about the growth process of the pumpkins including pollination – and may even learn to do the “bee dance”! Each visitor then will select their own full-sized Jack-O-Lantern pumpkin to take home.

For groups with time for lunch before departing, a former corn crib and chicken house which have been converted to picnic areas are available along with gently sloping green space for games. Anyone interested in knowing more about or scheduling a tour may may call us at (765) 748-1163, email us at mary@howellfarms.com, or visit our Facebook page. Our goal is to provide a highly educational, yet fun, experience which upgrades and updates our visitors’ knowledge about the agriculture industry.