FARM TO TABLE

We are really enjoying our time here in Boardman, Oregon even if it is really hot every day.  This morning after breakfast the three of us sat outside under a shady tree in our lounge chairs.  Well, I wasn't actually in a lounge chair myself, but the grass felt so cool under my tummy that I fell asleep.We watched the tug boats pushing barges up and down the river to the Port of Morrow.

Kathe and Jim went to the SAGE center, an interactive learning visitors center where they learned all about the technology that takes place at the Port of Morrow.  SAGE stands for sustainable agriculture and energy, and there were exhibits on all the industries that are located in Eastern Oregon.

They had some really great exhibits, like driving a virtual tractor and milking a cow with an electronic milking machine. Kathe did okay on the tractor and Jim managed to get a few gallons of virtual milk out of cow #244. They had a lot of fun learning about all of the things that are grown and processed in this area.

The area is known for growing wheat, onions, melons, beans, potatoes, bean, barley, mint, mustard, and canola.  They had a great exhibit showing how potatoes are processed into curly fries here at a plant in Boardman.  And did you know that the potato waste from those fries is fed to dairy cows. There are thousands of dairy and cattle farms in this area as well.  The Port of Morrow also processes milk for the Tillamook cheese plant.

They learned about the irrigation and energy that is needed to produce the food we eat. They even took a virtual hot air balloon ride above the county and saw 30,000 poplar trees that are being farmed just down the highway from our RV Park.