Wexford, Benzie-Manistee collaborate on apple industry deep dive

Members of the Wexford County’s Young Farmer group recently teamed up with Wilbur-Ellis, Storage Control Systems, Materne and its parent BEL Group to provide an unforgettable, hands-on learning experience for 40 FFA students and teachers from the Wexford-Missaukee FFA Chapter.

This collaborative effort between Wexford, Benzie-Manistee and other county Farm Bureaus highlighted the power of partnership in bringing real-world agriculture to life for the next generation.

Hosted Oct. 10 at my family’s WestWind Orchards, students spent the day exploring what it truly means to take crops from farm to table. From apple picking in the orchard to conducting starch and oxygen tests in the storage facility, each stop connected classroom learning to real-world agricultural science.

Alongside Wexford’s Young Farmers, several industry partners shared insights on high-density growing, grafted trees, sustainability and agronomy careers. The hands-on format encouraged students to ask questions, make connections and see how agronomy expertise supports every step of production.

Contributing partners included Wilbur-Ellis reps Dennis Devitt and Dalton Miner, Madison Schaefer from SCS, Gratiot County Farm Bureau member Carrie Fitzpatrick and Oceana County member Megan Herrygers. 

This event was more than just a field day; it was a testament to the strength of collaboration across county lines. By pooling resources, relationships and expertise, we created an experience that was both educational and inspiring. Students left with a deeper appreciation for agriculture’s complexity and the community of professionals who make it thrive.

Special thanks go to Benzie-Manistee Farm Bureau member John Halverson and BEL Group’s Materne, who sent each student home with a case of GoGo SqueeZ — a delicious reminder of how Michigan growers and partners like Wilbur-Ellis and SCS contribute to products found in lunch boxes across the country.

Thanks also to Wexford-Missaukee FFA Educator Mark Johnson.

Events like this reinforce the mission of Farm Bureau’s Young Farmer program: to build bridges between education, industry and the farm community, one learning experience at a time.