By way of Iowa’s Waterloo and Davis County
Earlier in June, 11 members of the Mountain Lake Area (MLA) FFA Chapter were off to St. Louis, Missouri – the “Gateway to the West,” by way of Waterloo, Iowa and the state’s Davis County.
The group were participants in the annual Region IV Summer Ag Education Tour.
The tour kicked off early Monday morning, June 8, with the first stop the John Deere factory in Waterloo, Iowa where tractors are assembled. The FFAers toured the factory by riding in trams. The entire process of the tractor assembly was explained and the students saw first-hand the huge role that technology plays in plant operations.
After “running with the Deere,” headed to Davis County, Iowa for a tour of the county and one of its Amish family farms. At the farm, the students saw the training of horses for national shows and competitions.
The evening ended at the county fairgrounds and a pit stop at Bailey’s Barbeque for some BBQ sandwiches.
Destination – St. Louis – was next on the agenda, the group arriving in the city late that night.
Grant’s Farm was first up on Tuesday morning, June 9. The farm is the facility at which the Budweiser Clydesdale horses that are used in parades and television commercials are trained. The horses used for such events have very specific requirements based on size and looks – and go through extensive training. Each animal spends about four-to-five years at this farm. When they retire, they return to the facility to live out their remaining years.
The St. Louis Cathedral Basilica followed on the tour loop. The mosaics inside the church were burn in 1912 – and were not completed until 1988. Their detail was amazing, and the history, fascinating.
Then it was time to see why St. Louis is the “Gateway to the West” with a stop at the 630-foot high St. Louis Arch. The arch is clad in stainless steel and is the world’s tallest arch. It was built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States. The group members took trams to the top of the arch – which was an adventure ride in itself. From the top, they saw a far-and-wide view of St. Louis.
To end the second day of the trip, a dinner stop was at Steak n’ Shake, where the MLA Chapter members had the opportunity to greet and meet fellow FFA members from surrounding schools who were also on the tour.
Wednesday morning, June 10, was Monsanto morning. The tour guides at the Monsanto facility in St. Louis demonstrated the critical necessity of technology and how science is impacting agriculture each day.
The Butterfly House was next on Wednesday’s tour agenda. At the Butterfly House, the FFAers were able to walk among numerous different types of butterflies – and watch as they landed on them.
A stop at the City Museum in St. Louis was like a stop at a glorified jungle gym – rather than a museum. The entire structure was made by one person and is 11 stories tall. Although group members enjoyed exploring the museum, they also took time to sit back and take in the art, craftsmanship and vision of this one individual to create such an amazing place.
Next up was a visit to the Cahokia Mounds, coined as, “One of the greatest cities in the world. Cahokia was larger than London, England in 1250 AD. The Mississippians who lived there were accomplished builders who constructed a wide variety of structures. In addition, the students climbed to the top of the largest mound.
That evening’s meal was provided by Pappy’s Smokehouse, a classic southern BBQ restaurant.
After the meal, a bus ride through the night returned the students to Mountain Lake.
For the chapter members attending, it was great trip in which to learn, explore, meet new people and gain new experiences.
Below is a photo gallery from the tour:
