During our visits to the UD Ag Farm we were fortunate enough to visits a variety amount of sites, such as where cows are milked, where the calfes are housed, horse barn, sheep barn, cattle pen, followed by a delicious treat at the UD Creamery. Scott Hopkins, the head director for UD’s Ag farm on the newark farm was who led us throughout the day, explaining in great detail at every stop we made. Some interesting facts about the farm include such things as the farm be 350 acres, 80-85 cows, calf’s are housed in small little houses for a certain amount of time, and also all the ice cream comes from the farm. After finishing the tour you could really sense that Scott is very passionate about what he does and that he cares about teaching young people, us, which is our country’s future. One of the best parts of the trip was the creamery, which was the best ice cream ive ever had, and I definitely intend on stopping in again.
Category Archives: Field Trips-Tours
Fifer Orchards
Our trip to fifer orchards was a blast and defenently one to remember. We were greeted by Bobby Fifer, the man who makes Fifers what it is. When visiting, we were shown the the fields where some of th crops are grown, the apple orchard, the packing house, and then followed finally by Fifer’s General store. The apple orchard was amazing, with a variety amount of apples as well as an abundant amount as well which were all pick you own. Also during the trip we were able to meet with Kurt, in charge of sales. He said that sometimes trucks with go all the way to florida and if something happens on the way down or the product, it’ll be sent back and they have to figure out what to do with all that product, which is worth thousands. The most exciting part of the trip was visisting the store, where i was able to purchase amazing ice cream and apple cider.
Newark Research Farm Fieldtrip
On Saturday our class took the last field trip to the research farm at Newark. Scott Hopkins gave us a tour of the farm which had livestock such as cows, sheep, and horses, and also fields for vegetable production. He explained how they have a section they grow basically organic so that students can experience how much more work it is to produce organic crops. It was amazing to see how the cows were trained to eat at the same place everyday and all the tests they did on them. The horse barn was also interesting because they built it to make the horses feel more comfortable. The farm is roughly 350 acres split between all the different sections, it was very well maintained and pretty. Despite the very chilly and windy weather, it was a great experience. Mr. Hopkins was very passionate about his job and easily connected with the students. He had so much knowledge about so many topics and was so easy to talk to. This field trip was a great way to end.
UD farm
On Saturday, last field trip was in UD farm. Scott Hopkins gave us a tour of the UD farm! There are crop fields, livestock industry, greenhouses, and wetland creation site.
We went to visited dairy cows and young dairy cows first. There are milking room, feeding room, and young dairy cow living area. Scott Hopkins did a brief introduction about how milking and feeding progress. The cows were trained to eat in their own food box, which surprised me a lot. 
That way is much easier to check how much they eat and their health situation. Milking room is very clean, which is very important for a livestock industry. There is an anti-bacterial spray in the middle of the milking room for workers use. There are much more cows than what I thought.
In the young cows living area, everyone has their own house and berries around the door of the house to avoid they come out. Those cows just like big dogs. They are very friendly and nice to people. They just like a puppy, like to put everything into their mouth. What a puppy do is chew, but they like suck.
What is more, I think the wetland site is a very peaceful area for people to walk through. It enjoyed this trip a lot!
Newark Farm Tour
This previous Saturday, I spent time at the University of Delaware farm. I was so intrigued to see how this farm is able to teach students hands-on techniques in a manner that is safe and understandable. I was so amazed at the fact that dairy cows are taught where they are to feed and they are smart enough to retain that information and store it in their memories. I also really enjoyed how honest the farm manager was. He didn’t sugar-coat any type of information that we should know and made sure we knew to hold ourselves accountable for our actions. Walking through the farm was such a different experience than being on main campus. Everything is so calm, whereas main campus is always bustling. Seeing the mini versions of the chicken houses was also interesting, especially because we got to compare it to the full size version at Georgie’s farm. Overall, I very much enjoyed this field trip, especially the UDairy!
Newark Farm Tour
Not only was this past Saturdays weather very cool, so was our field trip around the Newark farm. Scott Hopkins, the University of Delaware farm superintendent gave us a fascinating tour of the Webb Farm.
We were fortunate enough to see the milking parlor and learn that dairy cows are the most challenging animal to care for on the farm. Growing up on my families dairy operation I was able to see and experience first hand how labor extensive taking care of dairy cows can be and understood greatly what Scott Hopkins was explaining.
Not only did we see the dairy operation but we saw the beef, sheep and equine facilities. The equine facility was rather new with a large classroom that was very versatile and could also be used a spot for more hands on learning such as artificial insemination, collecting semen or even having the option to do some horse therapy and therapeutic riding. We also learned about the extensive research projects being conducted, Mr. Hopkins favorite being forage research.
We ended our trip with a stop at UDairy creamery. This was for sure one of my favorite field trips because of all the research being done in such close proximity.
Moo-ve out of the way crops, livestock is here to stay!
This past Saturday (the 4th of November) was our last field trip, though I must say it was also my favorite. I think it was because it hits so close to home – we received a tour of our very own University of Delaware Newark farm led by the farm superintendent himself, Scott Hopkins!
After waiting for a good 15-20 minutes for our bus to arrive, Scott took matters into his own hands and started the tour on foot. We first went to the dairy farm and got to see the milking parlor, the cow feeding area and the building where the cows are kept, as well as a sneak peek at the baby cows! We received a brief rundown of the whole dairy operation – how the milking works, how the cows are fed, studies that are sometimes done on the cows, and a general overview on how the University of Delaware raises their livestock.
Eventually the bus caught up with us and took us down Farm lane to Webb farm. On the way there, we took a detour past the poultry houses where we learned what kind of research is done relating to chickens, and drove past the entomology center before arriving at our destination. We were then taken into the equine building, which is mostly used for equine science labs, but also doubles as a pretty convenient teaching room. One thing he told us while we were in the equine building that stood out to me was that horses have the ability to put their birthing on hold – if they are somehow uncomfortable or startled (whether it be from a class happening in the building or a train passing down the road) they can pause the process until they’re more relaxed and then continue as if nothing had happened! He told stories of students coming in to check on the horses, leaving for less than an hour, then coming back to a newborn foal! After this we took a brief look at the composting operation, then saw the barn where sheep are held. Mr. Hopkins briefly vented his frustrations about student workers who couldn’t seem to remember something as simple as closing a gate to make sure no animals got out, but quickly got back on track and told us all about sheep mating, using their wool for blankets, and the general care of the sheep. Last, but certainly not least, we were brought to the barn that houses the angus beef cattle. I never realized how curious animal’s cows are – while he was giving us an overview of their beef operation a cute group of three or four young cows made their way over to use to check us out and see what we were up to.
The trip ended back on south campus where Dr. Isaacs treated everyone in the class to their choice of sweets from UDairy, the University of Delaware’s creamery. Considering it didn’t get up past 50 degrees, many of us decided to get a comforting cup of hot chocolate or apple cider – myself included! This field trip was by far the most interesting one to me, mostly because many people don’t realize how much actual farming is done in the middle of Newark, DE, and being able to see it firsthand reinforced my decision of pursuing agriculture.
Hoobers Inc Field Trip Experience
The picute above is my classmates and myself on one of the tractors we were able to opperate
Being able to understand todays agriculture and how we get our food from farms to markets is an unbelieveable experience. The technology we have today, helps us further agriculture along with being able to feed over seven billion people! One of the main ways that agriculture has become easier for farmers is GPS systems. WIth this power farmers are able to use drones to scope out either the issues that are in their crop so they can make adjustments for the next set of crops. While at Hoobers we got the opportunity to see two different drones. One of the drones had the power to fly over an hour and has differnt cameras to show drout in crops! The other drone was able to fly for about thirty minutes but was able to fly by the users phone. The technologyg used today is not only invested in drones; tractors have the capibility to have automatic stearing and can be positioned by satalites to keep in a very precise line and cause little to no errors with the spacing in the crops!Technology is beyong incredibe and will continue to grow and imrpove the world around us.
Hoober’s Field Trip
Although I was not able to attend the field trip to Hoober’s for various reasons, I was able to do some research and get some feedback from my friends. Hoober’s offers a wide variety of services and technology in precision agriculture, from their UpTime Service to drones and combines. They have come a long way since the 1940’s when they began. They are able to help many more people, as they have locations in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. This allows for a lot more and better agricultural production. Their most popular piece of equipment are the sprayers and planters. These have huge value as they are very important for agriculture and “feeding the world.” But after hearing about riding tractors, I can’t help but think that’s the best of them all, as I’ve been doing that since I was little. I think it is important to realize that these machines aren’t only something that has utility, but something that can be of sentimental value and great fun, whether that’s enjoying being outside operating a machine, or being pulled by a tractor while sitting in a wagon full of hay. From this I think there can be a lot learned in a fun and purposeful manner.
Wonderful Trip to Fifer’s Orchard
On the September 23 in 2017, I experienced a wonderful field trip in the Fifer’s Orchard. Fifer’s Orchard is a family farm that has been developing since 1900s. Until today, It is fourth generation who operates farm very successfully. I went to a vineyard 5 years ago. Compared with the vineyard I saw, Fifer’s Orchard really has lots of improvements in terms of technology and varieties of products.
The farm grows lots of fruits and crops, such as cauliflower, sweet corn, apples, strawberries and kale. When we took the bus through the farm, I learned how planting bed and drip tube irrigation system to ensure crops are watered sufficiently and reduce the rate of diseases. Also, I saw tomatoes were planted in the high tunnel that are composed of special plastic to maintain a cool temperature. Besides, I learned about CSA club that provides fresh fruits to local store cooperates with the Fifer’s Orchard.
Finally, the most exciting experience was that there was a store to sell fresh fruits, baked cakes and verity of jams to the consumers. I would say the apple cider is really nice! I hope I will go to the store another time before Halloween.
Trip to Fifers
Last Saturday, I took a trip to Fifers Orchard. I was thoroughly impressed at the size of their production. I had been previously under the impression that Fifers was a small little produce stand with only a couple acres of land. I very much enjoyed seeing the different types of crops they grew and I was very surprised to learn that their were many different types of one specific crop, such as orange, green, and purple cauliflower. Being able to look at the type of distribution center, I was so excited to see how things worked within the company. Speaking to the family members was also extremely interesting because I never realized how important it was that each person had their own specific job and made sure that their job was completed with great competence. I was also interested in the idea that you were able to buy not only fruits and vegetables, but other types of homemade products such as jams, pies, and seasonings. Seeing this type of production system was extremely important to my understanding about how family farms are run and to see them work cohesively and produce the best products for their consumers. 
Fifer Orchards
This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to tour and see all of the behind scenes of a local orchard and farming operation in Camden, Delaware. While here, Bobby Fifer gave us the run down of their operations, how technology has a played a huge role in production and how produce gets from field to store. It was really interesting to learn about how apples were packaged and shipped off. Bobby said that apples are hand harvested from the field and then brought to the packing warehouse where they are fed through piece of equipment that can sort around 10 apples per second, all based off of a picture that it takes. The apples are then fed to the assembly line where they are packaged into boxes that will be sent all up and down the East Coast. Curt Fifer then chimed in and shared with us some food for thought. With recent storm events, getting their products to the consumers has not only become extremely difficult due to the lack of refrigerated trucks available, but also very expensive – costs more than doubled just to ship a truck load to Florida. It was really interesting learning about about the processing and shipping side of their operations. Many things that Curt and Bobby discussed and shared were eye opening – a lot of crucial factors to their business are behind scenes that go unnoticed or thought about by the consumer. Fifer Orchards was truly an amazing operation.
Wonderful Family-Owned Orchard
This past Saturday, we had a great opportunity to tour a huge family-owned orchard named Fifer Orchard in Camden Wyoming, DE. With about 2,800 acres of farmland, you can only imagine how much time, energy, money, and manpower goes into running this orchard. Luckily for the Fifer family, it has been in the family for 4 generations. Bobby Fifer said he learned to farm at a very young age. He started us off with a tour to some of their fields to show us different irrigation systems like center pivot and drip irrigation, which is used for crops like strawberries with a raised bed. I thought it was interesting they had trial crops like cauliflower because there is a ready market for it.
They grow and watch the crop for about 3 years to see if it is worth it. Like cauliflower, kale was also a trial crop that needs to be hand-picked. It is very hard to find people that want to do labor that intensive, so Fifer Orchard participates in an awesome program called H2A that gives nonimmigrant foreigners, who are willing to work, the opportunity to work for them. They get a work visa and Fifer provides transportation and housing for them to work for a period of time hand-picking the crops. Without hand labor, Bobby said they would not be in business. A big challenge they see in the future is being able to use robotics for harvesting every crop instead of hand-picking, but is it possible to pick strawberries or pumpkins with a machine? With them being in business for so long and technology constantly improving I have no doubt they will continue to thrive for many more generations regardless of the constantly changing regulations and market.
Fifer Orchards
“To grow and sell high quality produce, while preserving the environment, serving the community and maintaining family values.”
In its fourth generation, Fifer Orchards located in Camden-Wyoming, DE exemplifies every aspect of their mission statement. Despite it being the first week of their annual Fall Fest, Bobby Fifer and his brother Curt Fifer took the time to give my class and I an in depth tour of the their farm. Starting out with a trip out to the fields, we got a little taste of what Bobby Fifer has been doing for 25 years. He talked to us about their harvesting practices, improved technology and challenges him and his family constantly face.
With the consumer trend these days leaning towards local grown produce and environmentally safe practices, I was really interested in what role they play in the community. The Community Supported Agriculture club is something that the Fifer family started to get their produce out to consumers all over Delaware who may not be able to make it to their family farm in Dover, or secondary location in Dewey Beach. Each week they deliver handpicked produce to 10 different locations across Delaware and into Maryland. This is so awesome!! Not only are they getting their product out there and bringing in revenue but it is also giving families the opportunity to support local farmers and eat healthy, a win-win for both parties.
Fifer Orchards preserves the environment with modern harvesting techniques, serves the community with various events and programs, and sells high quality produce, to which I can personally attest to after trying their peach pie! There is no other way I would have wanted to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Fifer Orchards farm
At September twenty-third, 2017, we went to the Fifer Orchards farm, which is located in Camden Wyoming, DE, one hour drive from the University of Delaware. It is a family farm and the fourth generation. What is more, It is the season of apples and pumpkins. We went to the apple picking area where tourist also can go to pick up apples by themselves. The field, next to it, is a huge area of the strawberry field. In the past, I thought the way to water them is rotating sprinklers on pipes. What I saw in the field is drip irrigation. Pipes are put inside of the soil and the soil is covered by black plastic materials. Drip irrigation is a slow process to provide water and fertilizer to plant roots. Because it is on the inside of the soil, it does well on keeping the perfect moisture and keeping the plant surface dry which saves water resource and reduces disease and pest problems.
Since they plant the variety of vegetable and fruit in different time of the seasons, there must be a most profitable one, which is the sweet corn. When we think about farm markets, we may think there may be a competition between the weekly farmer markets located across the state and the Fifer Orchards farm, but the fact is the Fifer Orchards farm sell products to them. In the end, we arrived their market shopping area. All kinds of delicious apples and pretty pumpkins. I am really glad I got the chance to visit here with my professors and classmates.
