Growing up in agriculture I, like many others, tend to become tunnel focused in the agricultural area I worked in. As I grew older I quickly realized that there were other facets of the industry and how important it is to know about them.
I’ve always been impressed with how Oklahoma promotes and educates the public about agriculture. Everywhere I go I always see new ways the public is learning about how agriculture works and why it is vital for survival.
In this week’s video blog, we hop on a bus and take a look at Oklahoma’s Agritourism. From peaches to vineyards, the agriculture industry in Oklahoma is more diverse than one would think.
Andy Barth
Wine production was a significant component of the Oklahoma agricultural economy in the 1920s. The industry was destroyed by the Dust Bowl of the 1930s and the introduction of Prohibition in the United States. But vineyards and wineries are making a come-back.
I have gone on a number of Agritourism bus tours and many of them have included either a vineyard, a winery, or both. Each time it’s evident that the people on the bus enjoy their wine. Now most people think of wine tasting as something you do in California or France, but you can taste wine right here in Oklahoma. And let me tell you, some of it is quite good. Some people even hop in a limo and “tour” the local wineries to get a taste of Oklahoma wines without the problem of who the designated driver is. Sounds like a good idea to me.
Oklahoma currently has about 52 wineries. In this week’s video blog, get a taste of the success Whispering Meadows Winery has as a one stop shop for any wine connoisseur.
Alisa Hines
I remember back when I was a kid, my mother would bundle all of us kids up in long sleeve shirts and then spray us all over with bug spray. It was an annual ritual each year right at blackberry picking time. There was a spot near a lake by our house that had wild blackberries and every year we would go pick that dark fruit so mom could make jelly.
Now this wasn’t a ritual I really wanted to do as a kid. It was hot, especially with the long sleeves we had to wear to protect our arms. Bugs would swarm around our heads and it seemed like even though we had bug spray on, they still were biting us (I think the bug spray has gotten stronger since then). But while I may have been miserable and don’t even like blackberries, it was still something I did with my family and we always had a good time.
So this week’s video blog really brings back memories of my childhood picking blackberries with my family.
