A ranch visit and a farm visit, all in one day!  The kids must sleep well after these field trips!  This one included apple pressing, tree house climbing, horseback riding and learning everything they could want to know about local agriculture.  Even I checked out this tree house, the coolest one I’ve ever seen.  I want one!

Then patient teachers and parents took kids for rides around the barn, again and again, on three very patient horses, who I had a nice chat with before they were saddled up and put to work.  Another gorgeous place to wait with my book and my camera.

Then on to a very big farm.  This farm in on my bus route, so I was glad to learn something about what goes on here.   I sent pictures of grain bins a few weeks ago and those are on the same property.

We learned that cattle forage grown here consists of peas, wheat and barley.  They ship 115 million pounds of potatoes a year – yikes – that’s a lot of potatoes!  And they turn on their big irrigating systems with their cell phones – high-tech farming!

During my lunch and reading time, enjoying the view from my bus, I was kept company by this big fella, a chukar, an introduced game bird.  It’s the first one I’ve seen!  He’s pretty smart, there’s spilled grain all over the place!