SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – Thanks to advances in technology students can visit farms without ever leaving their classrooms. 

Shift-ology Communication, based in Springfield, has developed the Virtual Farm Trips (VFT) program as a result of partnerships with like-minded clients seeking authentic and less costly ways to connect their audiences to real working farms in an environment where arranging in-person visits is increasingly difficult. The staff at Shift-ology realized that planning farm excursions can be overwhelming to start and manage.

“As opposed to scripted, pre-recorded and highly edited virtual field trips found elsewhere, we focus on interactive, live experiences that directly connect audiences with real farmers in their boots, fields, equipment and barns on their actual farms,” says Shift-ology Director of Virtual Experiences Dan Toland. “No two Virtual Farm Trips are ever the same. With emphasis on two-way communication and extensive opportunity to ask questions, the audience controls the direction of these unscripted trips. This approach provides ultimate transparency and is as real as it can get without actually stepping foot on the farm.”

Some unique live trips already executed this spring through VFTs include auctioneering with a teenage auctioneer in California, cattle ranching in California, Ohio pig farming, Ohio soybean planting and veterinary care on an Indiana dairy farm.

“There are so many logistics and tiny little details that go into planning, organizing, promoting and producing a completely live event, and doing so from rural locations can present its own unique set of challenges,” Toland said.

To date, there have been 500 such virtual farm visits that have reached just over 1.5 million students.

“Our partners (farms, individuals) supply the funding, farms and talent, and we take on the technical and logistical burdens,” Toland said. “We make sure each trip is set up properly, is well-promoted and communicated, and that the VFT operates smoothly, is visually appealing and highly engaging. This allows our partners to focus on what they do best, and that is tell their agriculture story.”

Launched in 2015 with a single Ohio pig farm, the program has blossomed into a platform, helping dozens of organizations nationwide connect tens of thousands of students at a time directly with farmers and agriculture experts for live video tours from their barns, fields, equipment and other real-world environments.

“Everybody has a story to be told, and this is one of the most creative and effective ways to do it,” said Brooke Williams, director of communications for American Dairy Association Indiana. “The little things experienced during a live tour make learning more fun, and make such a big impression.”

Krista McCoon, AgVenture coordinator for San Joaquin County, Calif., said, “Show me a farmer that will allow us to have 14,000 students on his farm. It’s not going to happen, but we can do that with a virtual trip. This is the closest way of getting the kids to the farm without taking them there. And that’s the bottom line.”

VFTs cover everything from conventional agriculture, such as beef, dairy, grain, pork and poultry, to specialty farms and unique topics including but not limited to fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, bees, nuts, Christmas trees, renewable-energy farms and yaks.

Recently, Shift-ology highlighted 18-year-old auctioneer Grayson Haydenmeyer, of California. Haydenmeyer told the audience about the life cycle of cattle, breeds, and how cattle get to and go through an auction yard. She even exhibited her auctioneering skills for her audiences.

Virtualfarmtrips.com serves as a vast and informative on-demand library feature more than 400 past trips that can be viewed at any time.

“The program started with a single pilot trip for Ohio Pork Council in 2015 during which we connected a few classrooms with a pig farmer in real-time,” Toland said. “Right now, a single Virtual Farm Trip reaches over 2,000 students on average. However, we’ve reached as many as 40,000 students at one time.”

“This has allowed students in inner cities, suburban areas and rural districts, to experience first-hand the reality of modern farms and food production even when arranging in-person visits is increasingly difficult,” said Melanie Wilt, founder and CEO of Shift-ology Communication.

To learn more, go to www.shift-ology.com.