Mountain Lake FFA Chapter takes part in Region VI Summer Ag Tour
From June 8 to June 10, students from the Mountain Lake Public High School FFA Chapter participated in the Region VI Summer Ag Tour to Chicago, Illinois – known as the “Windy City.” According to Lindsey Brown, one of the FFA advisors and ag instructors at Mountain Lake Public High School, “FFA members experience a lot in just a few days, starting with meeting and getting to know fellow FFA members from the region, including Sleepy Eye, Springfield and Russell/Tyler/Ruthton.” Additional FFA advisors, Stephen Funk and Tom Appel, also accompanied members on the trip.
The group’s first stop was Forestville State Park and Mystery Cave. During the guided tour of the cave, the group learned how caves form, change over time and their importance.
After that underground learning lesson, the group continued on to Chicago. The welcoming activity to the city was an evening boat ride of Lake Michigan. During the boat tour, students were able to learn a bit of history of Chicago, including information on the different types of building architecture throughout the city.
Early the following morning, headed into downtown Chicago, checked out some local landmarks and made a visit to the inside world of crop and grain wheeling-and-dealing – the Chicago Board of Trade. There the students not only learned some economics, but also how the trading world has changed due to the advances in technology. Students were also privy to trading “in action.”
The group reached new heights on their next stop – the “Skydeck” at the former Sears Tower – for a bird’s-eye view of the city.
The Chicago Shedd Aquarium stop gave those making the trip to study marine, reptile and amphibian life, including the opportunity to touch sting rays, seeing almost every species of Jellyfish there is in the world, learning and seeing how animals are trained for the Aquatic Show – and meeting a very large boa constrictor up-close-and-personal.
At the Chicago Science Museum, group members were able to stand (or try to stand) in a tornado, travel back in time (without really leaving 2014), learn how sound waves work, travel into space (without leaving the earth behind) and viewing “D-Day; The Movie” in the Omnimax Theater.
After a day filled with events, the return trip to Minnesota included a stop at the Wisconsin Dells, and a time of recuperation for the final leg of the trip.
That last day began early in the morning once again, with group setting their sights on the Cedar Grove Cheese Factory. The lessons there included how cheese is made, the factory’s greenhouse that recycles water – and to live life for a few minutes as a cheese-tasting connoisseur.
The trip back home also included the opportunity to view one of the very few water buffalo farms in the United States.
After all the educational activities that were central to the trip, group members did get the chance to relax at the Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park before traveling the final miles home.
Mountain Lake FFA participants were Caitlin Brandt, Logan Johnson, Nick Menken, Chanah Brandt, Alex Dunker, Carly Fast, Annie Hanson, Dylan Hanson. Alexa Heffele, Taylor Kass, Ashley McNeal, Liana Blomgren, Katherine Hofmann, Karen Soutthivong and Jack Wendt.
