Guidelines for Writing Reflections

These are the elements that the class determined should be a part of reflective writing after each field trip:

Name:

Date:

Title & Location:

Name of contact or people we met:

• What was learned
• How does what we learned tie back to STEM?
• What was most interesting to me and why?
• Any history or background that helps with an understanding of the STEM.
• How the STEM from the field trip might personally impact me?
• Did I learn something that could be used in an Ag is STEM lesson or Ag is STEM infographic?
• Summary statement of the activity
• Photos that were taken on the field trip.

Agri-Service

Alexis O'Connell

9/28/2017

Agri-Service

Cody Searle, Levi, Rick Stimpson

Our field trip to agri service we got to get up in the Terra Gator and learn how everything worked, Levi showed up how you could apply fertilizer to fields and how they can use GPS in farm equipment for efficiency on how much fertilizer and other things to lay down.

We went inside for a slide show where he just went through everything and told us how much everything has changed, Cody told us that with all the new GPS stuff farmers can save a lot of money.

We got to go see the challenger tractor where we actually got to get in it and drive it. it is really touchy and moves really easy. While we were driving the tractor he was going over everything with us and telling us how it worked.

There was a lot of science and math involved in this field trip.

Juan Aguilar

9/28/2017

Agri-Service

On our field trip to Agri-Service we got a chance to see some of the tractors they had there and also how they functioned. They talked to us about how the Terra Gator worked and we also had a chance to go inside it and see all the things the GPS does. It was very entertaining and a new learning experience for sure. He told us that if anything wrong happened to the GPS the whole thing could stop working. We also got to drive a tractor around which was something new for me since i have never been inside one better yet ride one.

Jessica Hunt

9/28/2017

Agri-Service

On our field trip to Agri-Service I first got to see a Terra Gator. Levi Bird explained to us how they work and what they are used for. I was then able to get up in the cab of the Terra Gator and he showed me all the technology involved in running it and applying dry fertilizer to fields.

Then I got to go over to a Challenger tractor with Rick Stimpson. He had us each get up in the cab and learn to drive it. He showed me all the technology they have and explained how a farmer applies it out in the field.

After the tractor, Cody Searle explained about GPS and Precision Farming. He explained how they use all the technologies, and showed us how much farming has advanced over the years. This was my favorite part of the field trip, the science of it fascinates me.

Mireya Soto

GNED 101

02 October 2017

Reflections on Agri-Service

Thursday September 14, 2017 we visited Agri-Service for a field trip. We met with Rick, Cody and Levi. Rick demonstrated the Challenger tractor and how far technology has advanced and it’s precision in its development. Cody explained the precision and Mathematics behind it. Which results in efficiency and savings. What interested me is the advancement in technology and the new and innovative ideas that have advanced farming.

Joesie Deaville

20 September 2017

Agri-Service, Heyburn, Idaho

Rick Stimpson

On this field trip we were able to learn and interact with farm equipment and the most advanced technology on the market. This field trip hit all of the STEM points. We were able to see the science and math that went into GPSs and spraying technology as well as the advanced technology and engineering in the equipment. To me the most interesting part is the math and science that go into the sprayer technology. I had no clue how much work went into accurately spraying a field. The presenter of this also gave us a background on the problems they had which helped developed such technology.

The STEM I learned on this field trip that may effect me is the fact that it puts food on my plate daily thanks to many hard working farmers around the world. I may also find myself in the driver's seat of one of the pieces of equipment as a part of my job.

I learn a ton and have notes as well as pictures from the trip that can be used in an Ag is STEM lesson or Ag is STEM infographic.

This field trip gave us the entire STEM experience.

Izack Samson

Agri-Service

On our trip to Agri-Service I learned a lot more than I thought I would. It really opened my eyes to the science that went into agriculture. I learned more about what I can do with the knowledge and skills that I am going to get down the road.

Saul Martinez

Date: 9-14-17

Location: Agri-service

Reflection of field trip

Agri-service was a pretty interesting place, its been a while since I've riding a tractor. I defiantly noticed a lot of difference from a John Deere 4020 tractor that I drove back in High School to the new MT 775. the technology these tractor carry are outstanding. using GPS in tractors are helping farm planning, field mapping, soil guidance, fertilizer rate applications. The technology in agriculture is now changing the way farmers view the land from which they reap their profits.

Samantha Jarolimek

Agri-Service Field Trip

This field trip was a great learning experience. I learned a lot about what the technology has become in the tractors. I am use to tractors having no computers or air conditioning either. The way people have brought the world of agriculture really amazes me. Some things that I learned is TerraGator Sprayers are high tech. The operator can program when and where certain amount of fertilizer go where and how much. TerraGators also could remember if there was an obstacle in the middle of the field. The first time the operator will have to go around it manually then after that the computer will remember where it was at and go around the next time. I also learned that track tractors are very touchy. If I barley turned the wheel, the tractor would have turned a 360 turn. Another thing I learned was about the technology that tractors are going to be in just a few short years. Soon farmers might not have to have a hired hand inside the equipment, but only a computer doing all the work for them. There is so much more that technology is doing for the agriculture world. The most interesting thing I learned was that a quad track tractor doesn’t pull as well as the MT 865E challenger. This was way cool to know because why do farmers need the big quads.

The technology is something that is a part of STEM in agriculture. Tractors and any equipment for that matter are getting more and more technology inside the cab. This is a huge part of what make agriculture today. Looking at what equipment used to be helps me to understand how we might need the technology to help the future farmers. The use of technology and how it makes better yields for farmers is something I believe would make a great lesson or even an infographic. More people should know what is put into the equipment to make it work the best it can. The STEM that impacted me most is how the computers inside the tractor will help to get more yield out for consumers. The more food Americans have the happier they might be.

Agri-Service is helping to bring the upcoming farmers into the next century with the technology and equipment.

Agri Service

Angelina Garza

We went to the Agri-Service and we had three groups the first thing my group did was learn about a tractor. He showed us what the tractor did and what it was used for, then he let us drive it. It was very touchy on turning but it was really fun. Then the next thing we did was go inside and he showed us a slide show of what it is all about. We learned what precision farming is and that tractors are starting to be made where you don't have to drive them no more. Then the last thing we did was look at more tractors and the inside of them. A lot of the tractors are way better than my car you can put WiFi in them and jut relax because some can drive them self.

Danny Farfan

Date: 9/28/2017

Title & Location: Agri-Service Burley, Idaho

Name of contact or people we met: Cody Searle and Rick Stimpson

At Agri-Service we had the opportunity to learn about how farming, and how machinery is operated. This was applied with how technology has evolved over the years than what it was like back then. I find the most interesting thing that I learned about the field trip is what is now used in the different kind of machinery like gps is now being used on the equipment. I did not know that machinery was now being operated by other technologies. I feel that this could impact someone by how someone can look at something from a different perspective rather than just with what is seen. I learned now that I can see the different ways of how the technology is from one point to the other points, and so on. During the field trip we learned how the technology is being used, and what the different kinds of technology is used in agriculture, and also how to operate the kinds of machinery and see how it works.

Tara Crandall Kenner

Date: 9-14-17

Location: Agri-service, Burley, I'D

Reflection of field trip

We learned how far equipment has evolved over time and how it has had a positive impact. I found the data processing Machine most interesting. The math and science behind it is awesome. They have created a machine that can scan the earth and tell us exactly what is needed in all areas of the field. Which in the end is very cost effective to farmers. I also learned about the engineering of the equipment and how it has helped to make farming faster with less physical labor, and more efficient.. I enjoyed the field trip and seeing the STEM that is applied to farming.

Greg Darrington

Aug 14, 2017

Agri-Service

Cody Searle, Kyle

For me the most interesting part of it was probably the GPS because I'm least familiar with that than the other two machines. I loved the explanation that Cody gave about how he figures a farmer can justify buying a GPS system. On getting more rows in a field; less concern on the farmer, and the less seed or chemical being used. All have a major impact with stem. The technology that these tractors have now is incredible. Being able to drive a tractor without anyone in the cab in crazy. I'm not sure I trust it that much yet, but the technology in the Ag industry is changing rapidly and I have to learn to change with it. I think I could feel comfortable talking a lot about the GPS and how that is using stem, especially how much that changes the way agriculture is done.

Elizabeth Tellez

September 14, 2017

Agri-Service, Burley, ID

Reflection On Agri-Service Field Trip

On this field trip I learned how the new and improved tractors is mostly used in the Agriculture Services and how it affects the way we plant our soil and our vegetables. I found out that there are a lot of new technology installed in these tractors while roaming around the shop. It was really interesting when they informed us that how much it really improved their jobs on farming. And how you can type in the amount you want to plant and it does it all for you. I’ve seen that they use math to calculate the soil that's needed to be planted or fertilized. But I can see real clearly how Agriculture takes part in STEM, it was a great field trip, I really learned a lot from it.

Angela Mcguire

Date: 9-14-10

Title & Location: Agri-Service, Burley ID

Name of contact or people we met: I have a really bad memory but there were three very helpful men that took the time to tell us about their jobs.

Reflections on Field Trip

● What was learned,

We learned how the modern farm equipment involved in agriculture fits into STEM

● How does what we learned tie back to STEM?

The Science involved in using different chemicals for fertilization and pesticides is very precise.

The technology involved in the modern equipment is amazing in that it can tell inside of an inch how to best utilize the field.

The engineering of building the large equipment tailored to be more efficient than ever before.

Math that is involved with agriculture is never ending; cost of equipment, seed, water and workforce, every aspect has to be traced and studied to have a successful year.

● What was most interesting to me and why?

The GPS systems are awesome! And the idea of unmanned tractors is a great idea to increase production, with the shortage of willing manpower.

● Any history or background that helps with an understanding of the STEM.

Before the year 2000 farmers were unable to use GPS systems, now the use of it has made farming more productive than ever before.

● How the STEM from the field trip might personally impact me.

I have a better idea of how massive farm equipment can be and how they work.

● Did I learn something that could be used in an Ag is STEM lesson or Ag is STEM infographic?

Of course I learned a lot that could be used for many different infographics.

● Summary statement of the activity

After being seperated into smaller groups, we were given the grand tour of Agri-Science. The class was even alowed to test drive the equiptment. During the tour we were given the information that we needed to relate everything back to STEM.

Alex Wogan

September 13, 2017

Agri-Service

Cody Searle, Rick Stimpson, Levi Bird

Agri-Service

Throughout the duration of our time spent at Agri-Service, we were split into three groups in order to get the best out of our field trip. The first stop my group made was driving a Challenger track-tractor MT775E directed by Rick Stimpson. The technology within just one of those machines is incredible! For example, within one of machines there is a GPS system and data-gathering sensors that help to manage a farm or acreage. The next station my group attended was the presentation aspect of the field trip, which was led by Cody Searle. Cody currently works for Vantage Northwest, which is Agri-Service’s technology department. His presentation was very informative, and it explained many different aspects of how STEM plays a role in Ag. For example, Cody talked about variable rate technology. This is a piece of technology within a piece of farm equipment that prescribes exactly what the field needs in a precise area. He also talked about telematics, which is a technology that captures data from farm equipment operating in a field and transfers the data to the internet in real time. Most agricultural equipment companies are developing telematics systems. It is incredible that farmers now have the option to remotely collect and manage information from their field equipment by using telematics technology. The third station was led by Levi Bird. He showed us a Challenger sprayer. The technology within this piece of equipment is quite similar to the track-tractor that I drove with Rick Stimpson. I never realized the vast amount of technology that is placed within one of these machines.

Southern Field Welding

Saul Martinez

Sept 21, 2017

Southern Field Welding

I actually never knew who southern field welding were, until I joined the class. Neil started the company in 1998, in his garage. now owns 4 shops and has 90 employees.It is actually pretty amazing what they can do. Building machines for big companies and shipping all over the world is pretty cool. They had a lot of high tech machines like the water jet, being able to cut precise. They can pretty much design and build any food processing machine in their shops. In the pictures Neil (owner) showed us how to find the angles measurement In pipes. also They fabricate stirrups.

Angelina Garza

Southern Field Welding

First we all got a pair of safety glasses and we went into their room they use for meetings. and Neil Justesen talked about the company and how it started. It was first found in April 1988. Then he showed us how he does piping and the measuring. After he took us to the different parts of the company and where the cuts the parts and to where they start putting the things together. Also shows us the things there are working on.

Izack Samson

Southern Field Welding

Here I learned a way to measure piping. I also learned a lot about the type of work that goes into making some of the farm equipment that farmers use today.

Angela Mcguire

9-21-17

The STEM at Southern Field Welding

Neil Justensen, Owner

Reflections on Field Trip

● What was learned?

On this trip we learned how STEM is an important factor to Southern Field Welding.

● How does what we learned tie back to STEM?

The science involved in just the the powder coating bays is extensive which is only a small part of what SFW can do. Powder coating is a process of coating metal with a plastic finish applied in powder form and baked to a fluid state to bond it to the metal surface.

Technology and engineering go hand and hand at SFW. They have electronic blueprints of their projects on a few main computers, that then can be transferred to the automated specialized machinery in the work bays.

SFW uses math like oxygen, every aspect of this company uses math.

● What was most interesting to me and why?

I was the most interested in Neil, he very was entertaining and informative.

● Any history or background that helps with an understanding of the STEM.

Neil started this company in his garage, and now he provides agricultural equipment all over the world.

● How the STEM from the field trip might personally impact me.

While touring SFW i recognized the the huge connection between STEM and agriculture. Agriculture benefits STEM in that there is a need to be bigger better faster causing new and better ways of building the tools needed every day to put food on tables.

● Did I learn something that could be used in an Ag is STEM lesson or Ag is STEM infographic?

Yes, after touring SFW there is more than enough STEM information to write a book even.

● Summary statement of the activity

This Field trip was awesome seeing how this business is so successful from the owner. Neil's perspective was great.

Joesie Deaville

21 September 2017

Southern Field Welding, Burley, Idaho

Neil Justensen

On this trip we learned about how Southern Field started, pipe fitting, the equipment they make, and other misc. things they do. Every aspect of their company ties back into STEM from the math it takes to fit pipes to the science of the powder paint they use. To me the most interesting part was how they only produce equipment for companies that produce on such a large scale. The STEM that goes into their equipment that impacts me is all the food their customers produce. Personally I don’t feel like I got enough of an understanding of anything to use it in Ag is STEM lesson or Ag is STEM infographic. However, it was great to hear about and see all the things Neil and his crew put together inside of Southern Field.

Juan Aguilar

Sept 21, 2017

Southern Field Welding

At Southern Field Welding we learned a lot of cool things. We learned that math is one of the things they used the most while they are working. Math is also one of the most important parts about STEM and it was very interesting to see how it relates to it. They showed us around the place and showed us all the coo technology they had. One of my favorite pieces of machinery was the high pressure steel cutter. It was really fascinating how high pressure water can cut through some really solid steel.

Jessica Hunt

Sept 21, 2017

Southern Field Welding

At Southern Field Welding we met Niel Justesen. He is the owner and founder of the company. He first took us into a conference room and explained how the company was first started. He grew up learning to weld, and got into pipe fabrication and it went from there.

We took a tour of the facility and he showed us how they start out with engineers making plans for their projects. They then fabricate the metal for their needs. They can then cut the metal how they need with either a water jet, or they have a laser. They can bend it any way they need as well.

Then Neil showed us where they weld all the metals together and make it into whatever they need. They specialize in Food Processing equipment.

The part of the tour that fascinated me the most was watching the stirrups being cut out with the water jet.

Greg Darrington

Sept 21,2017

Southern Field Welding

As a class we were taught, a little back ground on how the planning and designing of pipes are put together before they are installed in the facility that needs them. I like the fact that they are a problem solving company, whatever the issue is that a customer needs Southern Field Welding will find a way to solve their problems. They are able to do this with the team of employees that they have, but also the technology that they use. For me the coolest thing was the water jet. It's able to cut a precise peace of metal using water, from however it was designed on the computer. And because of many machines like that they can design and build almost anything they want or need. This personally changes they way I look at how with a few pieces of technology we can create things that will impact the future of agriculture.

Samantha Jarolimek

Southern Field Welding

Southern Field uses all aspects of STEM inside of the business. All the machines that go through Southern Field go through the process of engineering making sure that the math is correct and the science aspect is where it should be. Technology is also used in the process of building each piece of equipment. The pieces go through machines that are either ran by hand or by computer. The STEM that is used in this facility will impact me because if these machines did not work the food I receive from the store may not be good quality or may never appear at the store.

Southern Field Welding was started in April of 1998 by Neil Justesen. The company was based out of Oakley in a garage. Along with Neil, there were two other men that were a part of the operation. They worked with only a small tool box and pickup to get the jobs done that they were asked to. After all of this today in 2017, Southern Field Welding has 90 employees and ship equipment all over the world. There are three different shops including: machining, pre-fabrication, and fabrication. Each piece on the equipment goes through almost every shop making sure everything is good. There is also a room where three men work on the engineering aspect of the machines. Each of them making sure everything will work the way it should, the measurements are correct, and cost. An interesting part for me was that Southern Field doesn’t only make machines, but they will do custom work for others. Some may need something to fix a problem they have, so Neil and his crew will come up with a way to solve the issue with that type of machine. There are so many rules that must be followed when working with food grade equipment and any equipment for that matter.

There are a few things that could be used for a STEM lesson inside of this fabrication shop. One that stuck out to me was the engineering of the machinery and how it all works. I believe people should understand what really goes into the equipment that is bringing us our food in the supermarkets.

This was a great field trip being able to see all the different types of machines used to make the food grade machines. I also saw that they made stirrups for saddles which was interesting. This taught me that there is a lot more that goes into building than just building it.

Krysta Maier

September 21, 2017

Southern Field Welding

Neil Justison

Southern Field Welding was started in April 1998 by Neil Justison and two of his friends. They started working out of his garage. Today they have over 90 employees, have 4 huge shops, and now they do business in several different countries. Neil went to college and gat a degree in welding and has done an amazing job starting his company from nothing.

While we were there Neil took us through the buildings to show us the products from start to finish. He showed us the prefabrication room which, is where the metals are prepped for the final product. He then took us to fabrication, where they bend, shape and cut the metals to the sizes and shapes they need. Some of the machines they have, you just type in what you need and it will bend, cut and shape everything the way it’s needed to be. He has a machine that uses high pressured water and garnet to cut the metals. It was in the process of making stirrups for saddles when we were there. The welding shop was huge. They had so many projects going on in there, it was pretty neat. At the end of the tour he took us to the engineering department to show us some of the projects that were being worked on.

The thing that was most interesting to me was how much math was applied in pipe fitting. How much math is used to find the correct length and angle to be used to make a pipe work was pretty cool. Neil make it much more interesting with the way he explained things. He also made it fun, which made me want to listen to what he had to say and to teach us.

The STEM in this trip affects me by knowing now that the pipes that run high pressured materials aren’t just simply put together. It takes a very mathematical brain and approach to make sure that everything is done properly to make sure that nothing will go wrong.

Alexis O'Connell

09/21/2017

Southern Field Welding

Neil Justesen

Southern Field Welding started in 1998. It was him and a couple other people who were just doing it out of his garage. This company has turned into something big! they are working all of the country.

While we were at southern field welding we sat in the room while he told us the back story. And showed us how much math is involved in welding. After we were done we took a tour of all their buildings. They build big machines for many companies. I know they build maccains' fry cutters. Welding isnt the only thing they are doing

Tiffani Tolman

Southern Field Welding

Owned by Neil Justesen, Southern Field Welding, is a nationally known company specializing in the manufacture and repair of large scale food production equipment. This equipment is used to wash, peel, cut, dry and or freeze items such as potatoes, onions, carrots and even strawberries. This tour didn't go into STEM lessons specifically though many examples of Engineering and Mathematics were visible. The lesson we were given was actually on pipe welding, which was Neil's occupation when he started the company. He taught us how to fill gap spacing on plumbing, the differences between the measurements of pipes, and touched on the pressure ratings for different types of piping and what each might be used for. With this thought he tied his past, and our stem lesson to present day and our tour.

Alex Wogan

September 21, 2017

Southern Field Welding (Burley, Idaho)

Neil Justesen, Owner

Southern Field Welding was started in April of 1998 by Neil Justesen, the owner, as well as two other employees. Today there are now more than 90 employees! Throughout our time spent on this field trip, we were able to relate multiple items of STEM to the company. For example, in order to understand the processes that take place within the company, an understand of physics, chemistry, calculus, etc. are required. Therefore, right of the top of the tour we were able to relate to both science and mathematics. There is also a large amount of technology within Southern Field Welding. For example, one of my favorite parts of the tour was when we witnessed the laser cuts cut stainless steel using nitrogen and oxygen. There are also pieces of technology that are C.N.C., which means that the technology is computer numeric controlled. It is amazing what one is capable of when given the correct technology! Throughout the time spend at Southern Field Welding, there were multiple times when one could tie what he or she seen back to STEM.

Amalgamated Sugar Company

Samantha Jarolimek

Sugar Factory Tour

The Amalgamated Sugar Factory was a great tour to go on. I didn’t know that there was so much that went into the process of making sugar from a sugar beet. There is so much throughout the facility that uses science. Without the science throughout the factory, the sugar from the beets would not be where it should be. Over the past 100 years the factory has made changes to help lower the fossil fuels being put out with the science aspect of STEM. There is so much throughout the entire factory. The most interesting part for me is the sugar being turned into crystals.

Here is a link to the website to learn more http://www.amalgamatedsugar.com/

Angelina Garza

Amalgamated

The Amalgamated Sugar Factory. I didn’t know that there was so much that went into the process of making sugar from a sugar beet. There is so much throughout the facility that uses science. The factory has been there for 100 years now. There is so much throughout the entire factory. The most interesting part for me is the sugar being turning into crystal.

Danny Farfan

Amalgamated Sugar Factory

The sugar factory is such an incredible place. I definitely learned quite a bit from the tour that we took as a class there. I learned how the sugar factory processes the sugar from a beet into processed sugar from a few different procedures. The technology and tools that they use to process the sugar works for one type of procedure to another kind of procedure. I find the most interesting thing that I learned was how the process of how they would get the sugar out of the beets. I didn’t know that the process was done in a certain way. This field trip definitely opened my way on how sugar is made.

Elizabeth Tellez

October 5, 2017

Sugar Factory, Paul, ID

Reflection on The Sugar Factory

We went to the Sugar factory and learned that there were a lot of steps to making the sugar. What i found interesting was how much process it took to making the sugar, And how much beets they used and how they had to squeeze them to get the sugar. I never knew how sugar was made so it was a learning experience for me. Stem is really involved with making sugar because of how much they weigh there each item to make sugar.

Krysta Maier

Amalgamated Sugar

October 5, 2017

The Amalgamated Sugar Factory in Paul was founded in 1917. When they were first founded they had one building and the beets were brought by horse and buggy to the factory to be processed. By 1918 they had a combined 5 factories that had the capacity to process 5,100 tons of sugar beets. That’s quite a difference to the 22,000 tons they process in a day today.

Scott is who gave my group our tour through the factory. I felt like he did an amazing job explaining what they do there very well. He was very knowledgeable about what goes on at the factory, and he made the tour very interesting. He told us that the sugar factory receives beets from over 122,000 acres every year. That is equal to 400 million tons of beets! Out of that 400 million, 800 million pounds of white sugar are produced annually. They produce so much sugar that they only have enough storage to keep 20% of what they make.

The thing that I thought was most interesting was the amounts of different products that come from the sugar beet. I thought that they only produced sugar and beet pulp. But, there are in fact 5 different types of beet by-products that are produced. The by-products are beet pulp, molasses, CSB, betaine, dried pulp, and tailings.

This affects me in my daily life because my husband and I raise cattle, and he buys the beet pulp to feed them during the winter months to keep them fat and happy. The molasses that is also a by-product is also used on certain grains that we feed to the cows during the winter months.

Izack Samson

Amalgamated Sugar Factory

This tour was very educational. I learned where different types of sugar come from. I learned about the technology that goes into operating a factory of that size. I also learned about the math that goes into getting to the final product.

Greg Darrington

10/5/17

Amalgamated Sugar Factory

This factory is really a masterpiece. They said in order for the factory to stay at full production, it's necessary that a semi has to unload at least every two and a half minutes. To me this factory is able to process this amount mainly because of the engineering. From washing the beets till the sugar is separated and bagged, and until the beet pulp is ready to be sold. One of the most interesting part to me was the knives that they use to cut the sugar beets are engineered specifically to cut them fast and small like little french fries. This makes it easier to remove the sugar. It's amazing to think that we have the biggest sugar beet factory in the world right here in Southern Idaho.

Joesie Deaville

5 October 2017

Amalgamated Sugar, Paul, Idaho

On the tour of the sugar factory we go to see everything from the beets being unloaded to tasting the final product. There is so much that goes into the sugar factory and their dedication to becoming more efficient and environmentally friendly. Everything throughout the process has its part in STEM and in the past 100 years has used STEM to benefit their productivity and product. It would be super easy to make a STEM lesson out of the incredible examples that they gave us.

Angela Mcguire

10-5-2017

Amalgamated Sugar Company Reflections on Field Trip

What was learned? I learned that Amalgamated will produce 800 million pounds of sugar are produced each year, employing almost 1000 people throughout the year.

How does what we learned tie back to STEM? Agriculture in Idaho needs more skilled workers with talents in math, technology, engineering, and math, because we need to produce more products on the land we have, to advance and streamline the way we grow now so that we are able to feed more people in the future.

What was most interesting to me and why? The fact that the smoke from the sugar factory is only steam when the plant uses 100,000 Therms of Natural gas each day is amazing.

Any history or background that helps with an understanding of the STEM. Amalgamated sugar has been around for 100 years and in those years they have taken advantage of changing technology and engineering to expand and produce more product.

How the STEM from the field trip might personally impact me. I now understand where the smell of Amalgamated comes from and how the factory uses hydrogen peroxide to control it.

Did I learn something that could be used in an Ag is STEM lesson or Ag is STEM infographic? There is a ton of topics from things on this field trip that could be used for infographics or lesson plans for example the water treatment, or the transition of the beet into liquid sugar.

Summary statement of the activity. The trip to Amalgamated is always a workout but it is nice to hear how excited the people who work there are about their jobs and how thoroughly they understand the way the plant works is nice.

Jessica Hunt

10/5/2017

Amalgamated Sugar Factory

Our class took a tour of the Amalgamated Sugar Factory in Paul, Idaho. It is the largest processor of Sugar Beets in the world. It was quite interesting to see the process of taking raw sugar beets and ending with the final product of sugar.

We got to see where they intake the sugar beets. They then separate any rocks and weeds out of the mix, and thoroughly wash the beets. Then they are sent through slicers that cut them into strips that resemble a French fry. Then they are pressed tightly together and we end up with a product called thin juice, which is then sent through the evaporators and we get thick juice. This is then sent into a machine where they grow the sugar crystals. The sugar crystals are then sent into a spinner that spins the juices out and we are left with the white sugar crystals. These are stored in big tanks until they are ready to be sent out for packaging.

I did not realize how big of a process it was to obtain the sugar from the sugar beets, I enjoyed this field trip and seeing the process.

Alexis O'Connell

Amalgamated Sugar Factory

10/05/17

Today our class took a tour of the sugar factory. They showed us the process of how sugar is actually made.

We learned that the sugar factory is the largest processor of sugar beets. On our tour we got to see where the beets come in and everything after that. They showed us how they showed us how they cut the beets a certain way. The knives they use and the machine. They have a lot of different machines in the factory that make this all possible. I never realized how big that place was and the kind of work that comes with making sugar. The sugar factory show a lot of agriculture in stem, there's math, technology, and engineering.

Paty Tinoco

October 05, 2017

Sugar Factory

When i visited the sugar factory i learned about how many processes the beets go through to become sugar. What I learned ties back to STEM because it needs a lot of technology for the sugar process to actually happen, and if something were to break down it would mess up the whole process. The most interesting thing to me was being able to taste the syrup and sugar. The history and background that ties back to STEM is the fact that the sugar factory has been running for a hundred years and the math involved continues to increase and the technology continues to better itself. The STEM on the trip impacted me because i didn't know there was such a long process to making sugar. One thing that could be taught in a STEM lesson is how the beets go from getting all dirty to going all clean and cut up. I really enjoyed this trip because I realized how much hard work goes into making sugar.

Tara Crandall

10/5/2017

Amalgamated

Today I learned how sugar is made. From the sugar beets being brought in, to the packaging of it. I was able to see the science that was involved in breaking the beets down and extracting the sugar from it. I was also able to see the engineering that was involved in designing the factory, but it also used to keep in running 24 hrs a day.. my favorite part of the field trip was trying the syrup that the sugar beets produce. I really enjoyed this field trip and have a new appreciation for what Amalgamated does..

Tiffani Tolman

26 November 2017

Amalgamated Sugar

My whole life, I have wondered what the inside of the factory was like. I have grown up outside the fences and security but never know much about its inner workings. Being able to tour it was the coolest thing I have done this fall. Of the lessons we were given along the way, my favorite was not on the sugar but on the lime. Tons and tons of limestone is brought to the factory each campaign. This is heated in their lime kiln (the biggest of the factories towering chimneys). The heat in the kiln separates the stone into two components, quicklime and carbon dioxide (CaO and CO2). While this is taking place, sugar beets are being hauled in, washed, and cut into ribbon strips called cossettes. The cossettes are soaked in water to dissolve the sugar out of the pulp. The sugar water left over from this process is called raw juice. Raw juice is mixed with milk of lime, also known as lime water ( a diluted mixture of CaO,or quicklime, in water), this binds with the impurities in the raw juice. After this initial filtration the CO2 is added back into the mix. The CO2 binds with the quicklime and the impurities, causing all three to settle to the bottom of the vat, and forming CaHCO3 (Calcium Hydrogencarbonate). This purification process is called “Carbonation”. Once this is complete the raw juice becomes what is then called thin juice. Which, ironically is thicker.

Saul Martinez

5 October 2017

Amalgamated Sugar, Paul, Idaho

The Amalgamated Sugar Company is the coolest place we have toured so far. It is the largest sugar beet processor in the world. they process 3.8 million tons of sugar beets each year. It ties to STEM , because there is a lot of steps to convert from sugar beet to white sugar. They also make a by product from sugar beets called beet pulp which is the fibrous material left after the sugar is extracted from the sugar beet. high in energy and Fiber it is used in Dairy's to feed there cows. it is supplied as a wet beet pulp, dried beet pulp or a compressed pellet. last year they produced 3,846,535 tons of by product beet pulp.

Alex Wogan

October 5, 2017

Amalgamated Sugar Factory (Paul, Idaho)

Scott Winn, Plant Manager

Throughout our time spent in this class, the Amalgamated Sugar Factory has by far been my favorite tour! I’m not sure if it is due to the fact that I have always wanted to tour it, or the amazing process that takes place within my hometown! The sugar factory was started in 1917 with approximately 50 employees, and the company just recently celebrated their 100^th year anniversary! Throughout our time spent at the factory we witnessed the entire process from start to finish, and it was amazing at how much STEM is throughout the factory. For example, there is a vast amount of science that takes place in order to ensure that the beets are sufficient to make the best sugar possible. There is also technology throughout every aspect of the factory, from the unloading to packaging the final product! Mathematics also play a large role in the planting portion of the process because there are chemicals that must be applied to the beets in order to ensure the best possible crop is being grown. This tour was worth every ounce of sweat that was shed! Thank you to Amalgamated Sugar for allowing us to witness first-hand the factory that is named the number one producer of sugar! If you are ever given the opportunity to go on the tour, I greatly encourage you to do so!

B&H Farms (Potato Harvest) Field Trip

Tara Crandall Kenner

Date: 10/12/2017

Location: Rupert

On our field trip today we were able to watch the potato trucks bring in potatoes and unload them. We then watch the process of how the machines were engineered to separate the potatoes from the dirt and rocks. After that we saw how they engineered the potato cellars, and the science used to maintain a certant atmosphere. Then we went out to the potato field and watched how the harvest machines pick up the potatos and unload them.. It was a fun field trip and eye opener to the work that goes into potatos.

Samantha Jarolimek

October 12, 2017

B&H Farms (Potato Harvester & Cellar)

Contact person: Johnny

This field trip was a good learning experience. The way they get the potatoes into the cellar takes a lot of engineering because without the machines working the correct way the potatoes wouldn’t get into the cellar. The engineering of the potato harvester was also nice to see. The way they do the wind row and then scoop it with the harvester was a great process to see. B&H Farms try to make harvesting the best they can. The farm gets equipment that will give them the best yield from the field.

B&H Farms has about 3500 acres of potatoes. When at the cellar the machines can move about 15 tons of potatoes into the cellar while sifting dirt and rock from the mix. Once the cellar is filled there will be about 100,000 sacks of 100 pounds of potatoes. A lot of work goes into the process of storing and harvesting potatoes.

Alexis O'Connell

10/12/2017

B&H Farms

Today we went to B&H farms in Rupert, we got to see the whole entire process from when it gets of the truck up until they store it. They have a lot of technology and engineering in storing potatoes. Potatoes have to be stored at a certain temperature or they will go bad, and they can not have a lot of dirt on them, B&H farms showed us everything they had to make sure there was no dirt on them or any rocks added into them, they showed us how they keep the potatoes at a certain temp.

There is definitely a lot of work going into storing these potatoes, its a good thing we have all this technology within the machines to keep everything the way it needs it to be.

Danny Farfan

B&H Farms

B&H Farms works on gathering potatoes and storing them in cellars. On our field trip we were able to see potato trucks come to cellars and watch how they store their potatoes in those cellars. I learned how they are able to separate the rocks and potatoes from going in together into the cellars. It was shown that they set up their equipment to where the potatoes go into the cellar and the rocks go into another direction away from the cellars. One thing that I did not know was when they store their potatoes in the cellars that they have to be set in at a certain temperature so that they don’t spoil or go bad. The technology has advanced over the years from one kind of machinery to multi-machinery so that they can get the job done faster.

Jessica Hunt

B&H Farming

This week we got to tour B&H Farming and see how potatoes are harvested and stored until they are ready to use. We first went to see the potato cellars and watched as potatoes were unloaded from trucks. The dirt and rocks were then separated from the potatoes on a conveyor belt, as well as manual labor. They were then sent on the conveyor belt and piled up in the cellars to keep them cool. If they get too warm, the potatoes will rot. We saw how they vent the potatoes from underneath to help keep them cool.

After the cellars we then took a trip out to one of the fields where potatoes were being dug up. First a windrower is taken over the potatoes, it cuts the vines, digs the potatoes out of the ground and piles them up on rows for the harvester. The harvester then is driven over the potatoes, they are picked up and separated from the vines, and then put into the trucks to be taken to the cellar. I got to ride on the harvester and watch the process which was very interesting.

Elizabeth Tellez

October 12, 2017

B & H Farms, Minidoka, ID

Reflection on B&H Farms

We went to B&H Farms I found it interesting on how they stored the potatoes in a building and had to have the right temperature to use them again. I didn’t know what the buildings were until I saw it with my own eyes, I would always pass by these type of building out in the country and never knew what they were. So it was a good experience for me knowing what they were and how they used them. STEM really goes into farms because of the machines they use to pick up the potato instead of having people out there picking them. It's really a good way of picking them right away

Angela McGuire

10-12-17

Reflections of B&H Farms

Randy Bauscher and Tom Haynes-Owners, John-Tour Guide

Reflections on Field Trip

What was learned?

The Class learned about the STEM of storing and digging potatoes.

How does what we learned tie back to STEM?

The Science involved in the potato industry is extensive for example the gmo potatoes. The technology that keeps everything moving and the good potatoes sorted out includes a number of different types of belts and machinery to get the potatoes from the field to the cellar. The men on the work site have to be good engineers to troubleshoot and fix the machinery as soon as it breaks down to keep the flow of about 15 tons of potatoes moving into each cellar. Math is an everyday task in the cellars from the temperatures in the cellars to the wages of the truck drivers and picking crews. The most interesting thing to me was the fact that one bad potato can ruin a whole cellar full causing them all to rot.

Alex Wogan

October 12, 2017

B&H Farms (Rupert, Idaho)

Our field trip to B&H Farms took place at their storage cellars, as well as one of the fields in which they get their potatoes from. This tour was very interesting, as well as very informative. It was pretty cool to be able to witness the entire process of storing potatoes. We watched the potatoes be dug up from the field, placed in harvest trucks, taken to the storage facility, placed in a machine to remove the excess dirt, then onto the conveyer belt, and finally the potatoes made their way to their final resting place, the cellar. A vast amount of work goes into this process from start to finish! Did you know that one cellar is able to hold 100,000 pounds of potatoes, which equals out to one-hundred 100-pound sacks? How about the fact that 3,500 tons of potatoes are put into the cellars per hour? Crazy, right?! As for the STEM aspects of this tour, we seen each aspect of it. For example, there is a large amount of technology that is required in order for the potato harvesting and storing to be successful. There is also science and mathematics required throughout this process because if the cellars are not kept between 52-55 degrees, the entire cellar of potatoes would turn into a large amount of water! Who would have guessed that just one bad potato could ruin 100,000 pounds of potatoes? A huge thank you goes out to Johnny and B&H Farms for giving us the opportunity to ride the potato harvester and watch this process first hand! It was definitely cool to witness everything we were told with our own eyes. This tour was a great learning opportunity!

B & H Farm

Angelina Garza

B and H farms is a large place where they store potatoes. A lot can go wrong if potatoes are stored improperly. They can go bad and it can lead to a lot of money being wasted. Also they have to have the potatoes at a certain temperature so they won't go bad. When we went out to the field it was cool getting on top of the tractor and seeing it harvesting all the potatoes and into the truck.

Juan Aguilar

10/12/17

B and H Farms

B and H farms is a large place were they store potatoes. After 4 and half years of driving on that road to go to High school i finally had the chance to see how they stored their potatoes. A lot can go wrong if potatoes are stored improperly. They can go bad and it can lead to a lot of money being wasted. Also they have to have the potatoes at a certain temperature so they wont go bad. When we went out to the field it was cool getting on top of the tractor and seeing it harvesting all the potatoes and into the truck. It was neat seeing how many at a time can be harvested and into the truck.

Patricia Tinoco

October 12, 2017

B & H Farms

When I visited B and H farms I learned about the process of what you have to do to store potatoes so they don't go bad. What I learned ties back to STEM by using science and math. They have to calculate how many potatoes they can store and in what way. They also need to learn how to get the right kind of temperature for the potatoes to stay good. The most interesting thing to me was watching them actually take the potatoes out of the ground with the machines they use. The history and background that ties back to STEM is that they went from digging the potatoes out of the ground with their own hands to now having machines with GPS who does all the work for them in less than the time it used to take them. One thing that could be taught in a STEM lesson is the process of storing potatoes. I really enjoyed this trip because I love french fries and seeing all these potatoes made me think of food.

Greg Darrington

10/12/17

B and H Farms

B and H Farms is a large operation of potatoes. What was more interesting to me was the advancement in the engineering and technology. Potatoes half to be handled with a lot of care. They can bruise easy if handled wrong. Because of all the care they need it takes a lot of man power to harvest and store them properly. There at the cellars of B and H farms they have a machine that was engendered to take the place of a few workers, by separating more dirt, vines, and spoiled potatoes as well as the ones that are to small to make grade. The more advanced we get with the machinery the less employees it will take to harvest.

Saul Martinez pictures from b and h farms

Tiffani Tolman

B&H Farms

I missed the first half of this class which caused me to miss the STEM lesson for this trip. I was able, however, to ride on the back of a spud digger (potato harvester). This was not a new experience for me, since my father, and my sons father were both farm managers. It was however nice to be in a field during harvest again. This small report is to express my gratitude to my instructor Dr. Parker as well as the farm owners for this trip.

Whitesides Dairy

Samantha Jarolimek

October 19, 2017

Whiteside’s Dairy Field Trip

Tour Guide: Jason

Whiteside’s dairy is a big operation out on the Acequia highway. This dairy has about 7,500 dairy cows inside its operation in Idaho. This dairy also has an operation in Hawaii. Milk from the dairy goes to Brewster’s cheese factory in Rupert, ID.

On this field trip the class learned about how the cattle are fed with different rations depending on the period that they are in. Some of the components used in the feed include: ground barley, hay silage, corn silage, beet pulp pellets, whey, and many other mixes of grain. It takes about 30 minutes for the feed to mixed well enough so that the cattle cannot pick out the good stuff. The dairy feeds the cattle 24 hours a day. Moving from pen to pen making sure the cattle get the energy they need to produce the most milk. There is a lot of science that is used throughout the entire feed process.

Technology is all over the dairy. The most important part of the dairy is the milking. In the old days cattle were milked by hand, but now cattle are milked by machines. These machines know when the cow is empty and will release from the utter. It was amazing to see how the cows are used to the pattern and know exactly where to go. I also liked seeing how the cow is prepped before getting milk. Another favorite part of mine was seeing the calves in the barn.

This was a great learning experience to see how the dairy operation works.

Tara Crandall

Date: 10/19/2017

Location: White Sides Dairy

On our trip to the dairy I got to see the math and science that was involved in making the correct feed for the cows to get the proper nutrition to produce milk more effectively. I was also able to see the engineering involved in creating the machine's that milk the cows. I liked this field trip because it allowed me to see some of the work that that is involved in running a dairy and how it relates to STEM.

Alexis O'Connell

Whitesides Dairy

10/19/2017

At white sides dairy they showed us how they have to portion the ingredients for the cows food, which is where math would seen in stem. Being able to make the feed helps create more/consistency in the milk. the cows are brought in and out 3 times a day to be milked. The milking machine is engineering in stem. It know when to stop millking and can keep track of how much milk was produced each time.

Izack Samson

Whitesides Dairy

This trip taught me a lot about the technology that goes into getting the milk we drink and the cheese we eat to taste like it does. I learned more about the opportunities that I will have with once I earn my degree.

Danny Farfan

Whitesides Dairy

Whitesides Dairy was a neat place to go and look at. There was definitely more than meets the eye. During the field trip we were shown that the cows there had to be fed the right kind of feed in order to produce the proper kind of nutrition to produce the milk the proper way. Also while there it was shown that they put a focus on their cows with making sure that they are all healthy and that they are all well-nourished. I learned that cows need to be fed and be kept up and are both good and healthy in order to produce the right kind of milk for it to be stored. The technology was everywhere at the dairy from how the milk is received from the cows to how they feed the cows.

Angela McGuire

10-19-17

Whiteside’s Dairy Field Trip

Tour Guide, Jason

Reflections on Field Trip

The class learned how STEM is involved in the dairy industry.

● How does what we learned tie back to STEM?

The Science involved in the feed that the cows are given is interesting, by mixing different types of feed and silage together in different amounts, the computers are able to tell the nutritional needs are getting met at each stage of the dairy cattles life cycle.

The technology of how the Dairy cleans each aspect of their system with fully automated processes is amazing.

The process of milking the cattle takes some extreme engineering with how the process moves so smoothly. The machinery can tell which cow is getting milked and also when the cattle are done getting milked. The machinery also cleans itself in between each animal. Amazing.

Math is very important in every aspect of the Dairy from counting gattle to how much food should be distributed where to how much milk is produced from each cow, everything is documented mathematically.

● What was most interesting to me and why?

I thought that the new born calves were fun to be around and to see them only a few hours old standing and interacting with people was amazing. The science behind making the formula for the calves was interesting it is very similar to formula for human babies.

● Any history or background that helps with an understanding of the STEM.

Whitesides Dairy is a 14,000 cow operation in Rupert, Idaho that Steve Whitesides started with 10 cows. It’s been in business for over 25 years.

● How the STEM from the field trip might personally impact me.

I figured out that working with dairy cows may not be in my future. I personally will not look at a simple gallon of milk the same again, i will see the immense amount of work that goes into each and every dairy product and appreciate it all more.

Patricia Tinoco

October 19, 2017

Whitesides Dairy

When I visited Whitesides Dairy I learned about everything that goes into feeding a cow and how what you feed them helps with the production of milk. What I learned ties back to STEM because they used engineering to develop ways to take the milk out of the cows without hurting them. The most interesting thing to me was visiting the calves and being able to see them soon after they were born. The history and background that ties back to STEM is how they used to milk cows and in a long time and now they can milk more faster and more efficient. You can use the way they store milk as a STEM lesson. I really enjoyed this trip because I liked seeing the calves.

Elizabeth Tellez

October 19, 2017

Whitesides Dairy, Rupert, ID

Reflection on Whitesides Dairy

We went to Whitesides Dairy and I learned how it is really important to have the right size of portion of nutrient for the cows. I did not know that it really mattered and thought they just ate hay. But i learned that they combine a lot of different nutrients for them and that they are the most important key role in the dairies. STEM really goes into daries because they weigh properly the food and the milk for every cow.

Whitesides Dairy

Angelina Garza

This was my favorite tour so far. Science is the major part of dairies. Every cow produces a little different. Some will be better than others, with that you want to have different feed rations. So that you’re not spending more money for feed than the cows are producing, in return putting more money in the owner’s pocket.

Jessica Hunt

10/19/2017

Whitesides Dairy

This week we went out to Whitesides Dairy to see how they milk and feed their 7500 dairy cows. When we got there, we met with Jason VanLeuven. He is over the operation at this dairy, making sure the cows are being fed properly, making sure they are milked properly, and making sure the calves are properly taken care of.

He first took us to see how the feed is mixed up for the cows. Dairy cows receive a special diet to maximize milk production. A cow that has just calved, or a cow that is about to calf, receives a different diet than a cow that calved a few months ago. There were many different ingredients that a cow could receive, including hay, haylage (fermented hay), corn silage, corn biproduct, beet pellets, cotton seed, and many different others.

After seeing the feed, we went to one of the milking barns. This particular barn milks 2500 cows per day. Cows are milked three times per day, and produce close to 30 pounds of milk each time they are milked. It was neat to see how the cows already know their job. They file into their separate stalls, are milked, and then walk out on their own. We saw how the milk is then pumped through a pasteurizer, several filters and then into a storage tank to be hauled away by milk trucks to its destinations.

Then we were able to go to the calf barn and see the newly born calves and see how they are taken care of and fed. After they are 24 hours old they go out into the calf hutches to be fed milk and grain for 60 days. After that they are put into the calf pens where they are fed hay and grain until they are old enough to be bred and then milked. It was really interesting to see how a dairy really works.

Greg Darrington

10/19/17

Whitesides Dairy

This was my favorite tour so far. Being raised on a dairy farm it was a great opportunity to compare strategies that others do as well to run successful operations. Jason the doctor of veterinary medicine focused a lot on the health of animals especially in the calves. The healthier your calves are, obviously your death loss will go down and your profit margin will increase dramatically. He is a full time vet at the dairy, as well as productions manager. Science is the major part of dairies. Every cow produces a little different. Some will be better than others, with that you want to have different feed rations. So that your not spending more money for feed than the cows are producing, in return putting more money in the owners pocket.

Saul Martinez

19 October 2017

Whiteside’s Dairy

Jason balluvin

Whiteside’s dairy is a Conventional Dairy,out on the Acequia highway. The Milk about 6,500 cows.They milk there cows 3 times per day and average about 90 pounds of milk per cow/day.They also own a dairy on the main island of Hawaii. Their Hawaii dairy supplies more than 25% of the milk chains in Hawaii.

Jason showed us the commodity bays and explained us about the feeds they use and the importance of being accurate while mixing the feed. a by product they use was wet distillers, which comes from the ethanol plant.they feed that to cows because its cheap and also because the wet distillers has no starch which cows have a problem digesting it. he also showed us the first milking parlor where they milked about 80 cows at a time.then he took us to the calf barn, i learned he feeds just a pellet with no molasses or bumped rolled corn to calf's because molasses dries off pretty quickly and calf's dont want to eat the pellet after.

The Sprinkler Shop

Samantha Jarolimek

October 26, 2017

The Sprinkler Shop (Paul, ID)

Contact person: Dax Duffin and father

The Sprinkler shop has many different components to it. Along with sprinkler systems this shop also sales Milwaukee tools and is a prime seller. This shop has brought the uprising of technology to the palm of the farmers hands. Dax and his team can do anything from a five-horse pump in a pasture to a 45-mile run project of laying pipe. The technology used inside Valley pivots has come a long way. The pivots now have a computer in the control box that can tell them what they need to do. There is GPS end guns and guidance which is here to help determine where the pivot is at in the field by 3ft. There are so many more components of pivots and the watering systems being used by farmers. Along with the water systems the sprinkler shop is also in charge of a galvanizing plant. This shop uses a lot of science so that the process will work. My favorite part of this field trip was the galvanizing because I wasn’t sure of the process before. It was great to see the different types of technology that have been brought out for farming.

Juan Aguilar

October 26, 2017

The Sprinkler Shop

I always used to think that the sprinkler shop was just a little shop that sold sprinklers but it was nothing like that. When we first got there Dax took us up into the conference room where he talked to us about all the types of technology they use to help farmers out when it comes to irrigating their farm. They use a lot of advanced technology which makes it easy for farmers. Also they took us to their galvanizing warehouse they have. It was very interesting to see how they turn black steel into a silver color. One thing that i found kinda funky was the smell that was released but other than that it was very entertaining.

Joesie Deaville

26 October 2017

The Sprinkler Shop, Paul, Idaho

Dax Duffin

The Sprinkler Shop is quite bigger than its name. In fact they don’t even install sprinklers anymore. They install pumps and irrigation systems; the smallest being a 5 horse pump to a 45 mile long project. They also have upped their technology by having apps on cellphones that are able to start and stop entire pivots at the push of a button as well as many other technological advances. They like to keep up with the newest and the best. A lot of math and engineering also goes into making sure the pumps they install can keep up with the water supply and demands of watering the fields.

At The Sprinkler Shop they also have the only galvanizing plant in Idaho! How crazy is that?

Danny Farfan

The Sprinkler Shop

The Sprinkler Shop was definitely a cool place to go and see. We learned how the sprinkler shop determine the available sources of water and power, the type of soil and water supply, and the type of irrigation system and efficiency. The technology there is operated by gps which operate their irrigation system and machine control. They showed that they do more than just what their name says they do more and show more. I learned that they can operate their machinery from their phones with just an app. It was shown that they can operate the equipment to turn on and off with just their phones. The technology there is definitely up and beyond spectacular with how advanced they are.

Elizabeth Tellez

October 26, 2017

The Sprinkler Shop, Paul, ID

Reflection on The Sprinkler Shop

We went to the Sprinkler Shop, I learned how the Sprinklers in the fields work, I did not know that technology is growing a lot with them. And how they can make the Sprinkler water where it's told to water and how much to water. I also did not know that they make their own Sprinklers and how they take steps to make one. STEM really goes into Sprinklers because they use technology to turn them on or to turn them off just with a phone and how they installed and made a application

Alexis O'Connell

10/26/2017

The Sprinkler Shop

Contact Person: Dax Duffin

The sprinkler shop is a lot bigger than you would thing. They dont even install the sprinklers anymore. There is a lot of math when installing pumps and pivots it is definetly a lot harder than you would think.

They have to figure out what kind of pump and how big it needs to be where to put it. This would be a difficult job unless youre good at math.

Sprinkler Shop

Angelina Garza

I always used to think that the sprinkler shop was just a little shop that sold sprinklers but it was nothing like that. We first got there and Dax took us upstairs and sowed us all the math that goes into making sprinklers. They use a lot of advanced technology which makes it easy for farmers. Also they took us to their galvanizing warehouse they have. It was very interesting to see how they turn black steel into a silver color. One thing that I found funky was the smell that was released.

Angela McGuire

10-26-17

The Sprinkler Shop (375 West 100 South, Rupert)

Tour Guides, Dan and Dax Duffin

Reflections on Field Trip

We learned that The Sprinkler Shop has way more responsibilities than just dealing with sprinklers. They have to think about solutions to water rights issues and recharging aquifers, also helping customers overcome issues in getting water to where it need to go from a simple pivot to miles of pipe The Sprinkler Shop can do it.

The STEM involved is extensive, keeping things simple for farmers by using technology, like GPS, zone control on pivots, even Yaskawa to control water pressure speed. Every aspect of The Sprinkler Shop incorporates Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.

Also we got to learn about large-scale galvanizing, I personally did not realize it was so dangerous, or so rare to have a shop that is capable of doing it.

My favorite part of this trip is how willing Dax and Dan were to answer questions and make sure we understood everything that was presented to us as a class.

Name: Tara Crandall

Date: 10/16/2017

Location: Spinkler Shop

On our field trip to the sprinkler shop I was able to see the math involved in creating each individual sprinkler system.. I was also able to see how the technology and engineering of sprinkler systems have evolved over time saving farmer time and money.. I enjoyed this trip.

Greg Darrington

Oct 26, 2017

The Sprinkler Shop

Contact Person: Dax Duffin

The Sprinkler Shop is an irrigation store that sells Valley sprinkler systems. The technology is always improving to help the farmer maximize his yields, and be more efficient with his water usage. The major part of these sprinkler systems half to do with math. The pressure has to be regulated as well as each individual nozzle on pivots to spray different amounts of water. Valley has been able to team up with Trimble, a gps company. Together they have been able develop many new features. One of these features is a variable speed rate; an example of this that could be taught is how different soil holds different amounts of water. Let’s say part of the field has more sandy soil, using this method you would be able to program the pivot to slow down putting more water in one area than another. Another feature is they are able to divide a pivot into 400 separate pieces, and regulate the water for each of those pieces if needed. An example of this is if you have a rock pile someone in the middle of the field you could have the pivot shut off those nozzles when they go over the rock pile to save water usage, and put it only where it can be a benefit.

Saul Martinez

Oct 26, 2017

The Sprinkler Shop

Contact Person: Dax Duffin

The sprinkler shop is located outside Paul, Idaho. They sale Valley pivots,hand lines and wheel lines. Dax and his father talked about the different things sprinkler shop does from installing pivots to doing custom trenching, excavating, grading. they also sale parts and motors for customers. they have a couple of stores in jerome,kimberly,buhl and Paul.

Dax talked about the 41 mile project they did for city of oakley. they laid dont pipe from burley to oakley. they installed 12 boost pumps at the beginning and the middle of the pipes to help boost the water to the destinantion. the pipes will feed 120 pivots. took about 6 months to complete.i learned a lot from dax powerpoint presentation he talked about the new technology they are using right now like gps and apps. Using this app the farmer can check where the pivot is and he can program it to turn it on/off.

They also showed us galvanizing plant, which is the only one in Idaho.It was very interesting to see the process of how they turn black steel into a silver color.

Pacific Ethanol Plant

Samantha Jarolimek

November 2, 2017

Pacific Ethanol Magic Valley Tour

Tour Guides: Al Lowe & Zack Jensen

The Pacific Ethanol plant is a big plant in Burley, Idaho. This plant only employees around 38 because a lot of the jobs have to do with technology. There is a lot of math and science that must go into the process of making ethanol. Before the process happens, a sample is tested inside of the lab to make sure everything is where it should be. Once it looks good the corn is now taken through the process to get ethanol out of it. The most interesting part for me was the plant uses a clay bead inside a column to absorb the water but let the alcohol pass through. Another fun fact about this plant is each train unit contains 110 cars each time. The reason for this is because the engines use their full power going over the mountains any less than they are wasting the energy of the engine. I also found it interesting that the beer well can hold 865,397 gallons. It was interesting to see what went into the process of getting ethanol and the byproducts from the corn. Some of the by products include: syrup and wet cake (mash).

Visit their website for more information on what goes on in the many plants around the United States- http://www.pacificethanol.net/

Joesie Deaville

2 November 2017

Pacific Ethanol Plant, Burley, Idaho

Al Lowe & Zach Jensen

Pacific Ethanol Plant is a factory located in Burley, Idaho that produces ethanol for many large and small gas companies. They haul corn in by train and mix it with yeast and several other natural components and essentially turn it into 200 proof alcohol! They make sure to quality control test it as well in their in house chemistry lab. The whole process is so efficent that nothing goes to waste at this plant! They get wet cake which is sold as cattle feed and syrup. They’ve become so efficient and technologically advanced that they only have to employ around 38 employees to keep up the plant 24/7.

Jessica Hunt

Pacific Ethanol

Our class took a field trip to Pacific Ethanol to learn about the process of taking corn and producing Ethanol. Pacific Ethanol receives a 110-car train full of corn every five days. This equals out to processing 61000-62000 bushels of corn every day. They supply Ethanol for all of Idaho, Utah, some of Nevada and about half of Montana.

The process of producing ethanol requires taking the corn and boiling it down to a mash. The mash is then cooled down by passing through cooling plates to temperature less than 100 degrees. The mash then goes through a fermentation process after yeast is added, to produce the alcohol/ethanol. Then the mash is separated from the liquid ethanol and water. Then the alcohol is separated from the water using little clay beads that soak up the water but not the alcohol. The ethanol is then taken on transport trucks to its several destinations.

There are several other by-products of the process that include a wet cake/mash that is used for cattle feed. It is ideal for cattle feed because it has all the starches from the corn taken out during the process which leaves the protein of the corn. Cattle do not handle starch well, so it makes it a great feed for them. They also produce 6000 gallons of corn oil per day. It can also be used in animal feeds, but it is not food grade. They also produce corn syrup.

Juan Aguilar

Pacific Ethanol Plant

November 2 2017

Al Lowe & Zach Jensen

Pacific Ethanol plant is a factory that produces ethanol for many companies in the western part of the United states. They have a train that carries corn mixed with other components and after they take it through all the steps that it has to go through it turns into 200 proof alcohol. It has a very strong order. All the thing that is left over from the corn is sold as cattle feed. The whole plant is pretty much run off computers which is very cool because not a lot of hard labor has to happen. The employees also make sure it is running 24 hours a day.

Greg Darrington

11/02/2017

Pacific Ethanol Magic Valley

Al Lowe

Pacific Ethanol is a company that has about 38 employees. The reason being is that most everything is computerized. This plant produces between 10 to 15 semi tanker loads of ethanol each day. They bring in on a weekly basis a full load of train carts unloading corn. To unload all the train cars it takes about 9 hours. They have two bins each holding 375 thousand bushels of corn. Ethanol is so clean that you could burn it but you wouldn't see it. It is that pure. The most interesting thing for me was being able to walk this this huge plant, and know that it only takes 38 people to run it 24/7 is something marvelous.

Pacific Ethanol

Angelina Garza

Pacific Ethanol plant is a factory that produces ethanol for many companies in the western part of the United states. They have a train that carries corn mixed with other components and after they take it through all the steps that it has to go through it turns into 200 proof alcohol. It has a very strong odor. All the thing that is left over from the corn is sold as cattle feed.

Angela Mcguire

11-2-2017

Pacific Ethanol, Inc. Burley, ID.

Contacts, Al Lowe, Zach Jensen

Reflections on Field Trip

● What was learned?

The fermentation process of ethanol, using corn mash which is a

Carbohydrate, enzymes, and yeast. I also learned that there is very little waste at

the Biorefinery.

● How does what we learned tie back to STEM?

The science, technology, engineering and math used is extensive from heating,

to cooling, to separating the mash from the desired product. This fully automatic

plant really showed me that Agriculture should be part of STEM.

● What was most interesting to me and why?

When I first walked threw the doors the fact that the plant smelled like fresh

baked bread was amazing to me I thought that the plant would smell like

chemicals. Also the fact that this plant makes 60 million gallons of ethanol a year

surprised me.

● Any history or background that helps with an understanding of the STEM.

The Magic Valley biorefinery began operations in April 2008 and sells

ethanol, Mash for cattle feed, syrup, and corn oil. This massive biorefinery only

has 38 employees.

● How the STEM from the field trip might personally impact me.

Before I took the tour of Pacific Ethanol I thought that this plant had way more waste

than it does. I'm glad that this area is attracting so many environmentally friendly

companies and manufacturers.

Danny Farfan

Pacific Ethanol

Pacific Ethanol was a really cool experience to see. At Pacific Ethanol they generate a great amount of ethanol for many gas companies. Most of the operations there is ran by their computers. Their employees spend a variety of their time behind a computer to keep the factory up and running to operate at its best. They have their own train that brings in the corn and other components for their factory. I learned that they use some of their wet cake to feed cattle as cattle feed and syrup. I learned that the ethanol is a very clean that if it is burned it is not visible to the naked eye. I find the most interesting thing is that they can operate on a number of 38 employees and be able to operate 24/7.

Alex Wogan

November 2, 2017

Contact: Al Lowe

Pacific Ethanol Magic Valley

On November 2, 2017, we visited Pacific Ethanol Magic Valley in Burley. This was one of my favorite tours, besides the smell of course. This plant started operation in 2008, but they had to file for bankruptcy. However, in 2013 the plant was able to get their head above water and start operating once again. Once or twice a week there is a train that delivers corn to the plant. There is math involved throughout many aspects of this plant. For example, there is math involved when determining how many bushels of corn it takes to produce a gallon of ethanol. Between 2 ½ and 2 ¾ corn bushels are able to produce a gallon of ethanol. The ethanol that is produced is 200 proof, which means that it is 99.5% pure. I never knew that “proof” refers to twice the percentage of alcohol. There was also science to be learned from this tour. For example, this ethanol is so pure that if it is burned there is no color and no smoke, but if you touch where it is burning you will be able to feel the heat radiating. We also learned that if the ethanol is not denatured then it has to be sent under the FDA, but if it is denatured then it can be transported by DOT (Department of Transportation). I also did not know that wood alcohol is the same thing as methanol. 10,000 gallons of methanol is shipped off per semi load and 35 semi loads are shipped off each day. After the ethanol is made, all that is left is protein, which is processed into cattle feed. The cattle feed is referred to as mash. This is a great source of cattle feed because cows do not process starch very well. The Pacific Ethanol plant currently has fifty different customers that purchase the mash. The customers range in areas from Boise to northern Utah. Another byproduct of the ethanol plant is a corn oil syrup. This syrup is basically just the mash in a more liquid state. This tour was a lot of fun and very informative.

Terms I learned:

· VOC: Volatile Oxidized Compounds

· DCS: Discretionary Computer System

Alexis O'Connell

Pacific Ethanol

11/02/17

We learned how ethanol was made. The whole factory is basically computerized so they only have close to 40 employees. They have to make the alcohol 100 proof to be able to use it. I never realized that this plant could produce this much. There are only a couple factories that are doing this.

Patricia Tinoco

11/02/17

Pacific Ethanol

When I visited Pacific Ethanol I learned about the products they use to make ethanol. What I learned ties back to STEM because it ties in with engineering. They use beer to produce ethanol. The most interesting thing to me was the fact that it smelled like yeast all over the factory and the fact that they use beer to make ethanol. The history and background that tie in with STEM is the fact that they use a product that people use to drink into a product that can now be used to help run your car. You can talk about how the beer helps make the ethanol in a STEM lesson.

Jackeline Salinas

In this field trip we visited Pacific Ethanol. When you get there outside smells like bread/yeast. They sat us down in there meeting room and talk to us about who they are and when they first started. We put on safety gear on like hard hats, vest, and safety glasses. Once we put the gear on they showed us around there facility and talked about what they did as a company. They showed us there lab and some formulas on how they test their product. We also got to smell one of their test samples. The thing that interested me the most most is the process they go through in order to make ethanol and their control room is interesting because you can see answer control the whole company.

Saul Martinez

2 November 2017

Pacific Ethanol Plant, Burley, Idaho

Al Lowe & Zach Jensen

Located in Burley, Idaho, the Magic Valley bio refinery began operations in April 2008 and sells ethanol, wet distillers grains, corn oil.Pacific Ethanol is a company that has about 38 employees. They have to make the alcohol 100 proof to be able to use it.This plant produces between 10 to 15 semi tanker loads of ethanol each day. They get rail full of corn every week.The whole process is so efficient that nothing goes to waste at this plant.the feed components of the corn are separated out prior to fermentation and produce valuable animal feed products for sales into the surroundings Animal Industry. They supply the ethanol for all of montana,utah and Idaho.

Ethanol is produced from biomass mostly via a fermentation process using glucose derived from sugars (sugar cane, sugar beet and molasses), starch (corn, wheat, grains) or cellulose (forest products) as raw materials. In this form, it is renewable. Synthetic ethanol can also be produced from non-renewable sources like coal and gas.

Alex Wogan

October 26, 2017

Make-Up Reflection

McCain Foods

McCain’s is an extremely large factory that produces french-fries, hash browns, cattle feed, and so much more, but those are not the items that lured me there. The vast majority of this portion of the factory is properly getting rid of the wastes, such as oil. Throughout the process of removing these wastes, there is a vast amount of technology and science involved. First of all, there is the screening process, which removes any of the remaining chunks. Then the solution is transferred into a covered anaerobic lagoon, which consists of two gases: methane and hydrogen sulfate. Next it goes into the anoxic selectors that hold anaerobic and aerobic bacteria. The bacteria eat the inorganic matter in the water and the water is then sent to the clarifier. In the clarifier hydrogen chloride unplugs the air bubbles and it is then injected by sodium hypochlorite, which is an extremely strong bleach. It is then injected with sodium bisulfite, which dechlorinates the water before being released into the river because the sodium hypochlorite would kill fish and other organisms due to its potency. The final step is when the wastes are released into the river through the coupler. I found this tour to be extremely informative and quite interesting. I never knew that disposing of oils and other wastes was such a time consuming process.

Terms I learned:

· WAS: Waste Activated Sludge

· BOD: Biochemical Oxygen Demand

· COD: Chemical Oxygen Demand

· RAS: Return Activated Sludge

· FM Ratio: Food to Microorganism Ratio

Tiffani Tolman

Minidoka County Historical Museum

Very early on in this semester our class toured the Rupert Museum, Specifically the agricultural equipment from decades past. We were told stories of farming during the homesteading of our area, as well as instructed on the use of the dilapidated wooden equipment. On this trip we touched briefly on the construction and improvements upon the equipment as well as the reasoning behind the upgrades. What stood out to me was the needle on the baler. This simple twine threading device has remained essentially the same through the years of the balers existence, with very little modification. We all naturally assume that as time goes on anything we use or have used will become outdated, removed and forgotten for the newer and better model. And yet this tiny piece of the machine has endured.