Where does the time go?

It's hard to believe nearly a month has gone by since we last "blogged". The Leaders for Tomorrow students were intended to use this to post comments but, apparently they are WAY too busy to find the time to keep you posted. So, alas... it's on me! The Leaders for Tomorrow's Community Introduction class spent a wet day learning about the agricultural industry in the Hood River Valley. We spent time with the folks at the Mid-Columbia Agriculture Research and Education Center learning about trees and the fruit they bear. We talked about mold, disease and pests and got to check out some fairly cool insects that are used to control all kinds of "bad guys" in the orchards.

We also got to bond with alpacas - moms and cria (the babies). Good Fortune Farms Alpacas hosted us for feeding time. We learned a lot about alpaca fleece/wool/fiber... it's incredibly soft, warm and resilient. It's used for all kinds of clothing AND it's a renewable resource... one thing alpacas have is lots of fleece!

We went on a mini-hayride because it was rainy and kinda cold! Kiyokawa Orchards hooked us up with apples and pears for an awesome healthy snack and talked with us about why he (Randy Kiyokawa) decided to open his fruit stand rather than marketing through one of the major packinghouses. He has the largest variety of Asian pears in the valley and more than 80 different kinds of pears and apples!

After a quick trip through Pumpkin Funland and the famous Rasmussen Farms Corn Maze, we headed to the Apple Valley Country Store for some DELICIOUS,hot and fresh pear dumplings! It was a special treat and much appreciated after a chilly day out! Stay tuned for photos and (hopefully) some comments from the kids!