By Joe Foster,
 ShowMe Times Contributing Reporter

PORTAGEVILLE - Richland's Future Farmers of America organization went on an annual trip to visit the University of Missouri Extension’s Delta Center Field Day in Portageville.

First, all the students would go around and learn about various agricultural-related topics at six different stations; most dealing with renewable energy.

Among the several topics discussed some were biofuels, solar energy, wind turbines, GPS and their relations to farming, and of course why you should consider University of Missouri for your college education.

The first we discussed was solar power, and how the prices are estimated to steadily decrease to a competitive level with energy providers like Ameren U.E.  in the next two or three years. We even learned that diesel motors can run solely on any alcohol you would buy for consumption. 

When I spoke to instructor Van Arhes about the event, he said, “The biggest thing we try to get out is to the students is that agriculture is a broad subject. It’s not just farming or horses and cattle; it’s a summary of different things.  We live in an area of the United States were there’s a tremendous amount of agricultural production and that there are a lot of job opportunities for the students.”

After the stations were completed, we went to eat.  Gary Wyman, Richland FFA sponsor and Agriculture teacher, then took the students to show them some of the research equipment that the center experiments with.  The trip concluded with a brief visit to the Mississippi River.