Chad Starnes, an official with Circle S Feed Mill near Richburg, discussed the
manufacturing of feed at the facility for their poultry farms in South Carolina and North Carolina.
CHESTER HOSTS SC YOUNG FARMER-AGRIBUSINESS TOUR
The Chester County Young Farmer and Agribusiness Chapter hosted the annual educational tour for members and guests of the SC Young Farmer and Agribusiness Association, July 20-21, according to John W. Parris, state director of public affairs for the organization.
Kip Beam, Agricultural Education Instructor at the Chester County Career Center, coordinated the event and Lee Petitgout, an officer in the chapter, chaired the arrangements committee.
Tour stops included impressive agribusinesses, interesting historic sites, and outstanding farming operations.
The Lowrys Community Center served as the gathering place for dinner with live entertainment, lunch and an excellent display of antique farm equipment.
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Kevin Taylor (left), an official with the Scotts-Hyponex Company, shows off some of the modern equipment in the plant to Allen Williams, Agricultural Education Instructor at Wagener-Salley High School, and Ricky McDaniel, a past president of the SC Young Farmer-Agribusiness Association, from Sumter. |
Kip Beam (left), Agricultural Education Instructor and Young Farmer-Agribusiness Chapter Advisor in Chester, and Blake Wisher, owner and manager of the Chester Livestock Market, join tour participants in the Sales Arena. |
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| Peter Wilson (left) and JEB Wilson with their father, Jeff Wilson, observing their Agri-tourism enterprise which is a growing part of their successful farming operation. |
John Taylor demonstrates the shaping of Christmas trees on his farm near Lowrys as tour participants look on. |
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The attractive sign marks the entrance to the Stephenson Dairy Farm, the second largest dairy in South Carolina, with over 1450 dairy animals. |
JEB Wilson (left) and Peter Wilson display some of their top quality drip-irrigated tomatoes which are among the many items sold at their Farm Market. |
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| Joey Wilson of Lowrys operates a successful diversified agribusiness including row crop production, cattle, a feed and seed store, and custom application. He discussed ultra narrow-row cotton production as the tour participants listened with great interest. | Ronnie Stephenson, owner of Stephenson Dairy Farm, is the only South Carolinian to be named the Outstanding Farmer in the South by the Sunbelt Ag Expo and the Progressive Farmer magazine. He discussed the dairy industry as he addressed the tour participants from inside the modern milking parlor used to milk more than 700 cows twice each day |
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Bobby Lee is shown with a 1937 model Allis Chalmers crawler tractor with scraper attached which was one of his many restored tractors and other farm equipment displayed for the enjoyment of the tour participants. |