Feedlot gives students look at farm production

Every few years, students at Howells Community Catholic School in Howells get a day at CTC Farms, a feedlot, corn and soybean operation run by the Coufal family of St. John Nepomucene Parish, also in Howells.

A hayrack ride and tour are among the highlights of offering fourth- through sixth-graders a close look at farm production that often gets lost even in rural areas of the archdiocese, said Carol Vogel, principal. This spring, 23 students paid a visit.

“Lots of kids live in town, and our culture as a whole is losing the connection of where our food comes from,” said Vogel, explaining the visit’s significance.

Ron Coufal, past president of the Cuming County Livestock Feeders Association, said he wants to keep students fully informed – particularly as they leave rural areas for other opportunities.

“I want people to take that to the cities, to know how and where our food comes from,” he said.