Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays, is visiting with Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program Class XX member, Aaron Schantz, about what he has learned traveling Israel thus far in terms of agriculture.
Aaron Schantz is from the Hydro Oklahoma area where he farms with his father, Merlin Schantz and his brother, Benjamin Schantz. The family primarily grows cotton, Schantz said, but also peanuts and soybeans. The Schantz family has also introduced cattle to their operation in the past few years, he added.
“I really think there is good opportunities in the cattle market for young producers like myself in the future decades to come,” Schantz said.
With the drought taking a toll on many crops this year, Schantz said he has remained optimistic and he believes next year will be a better year.
“If you are a religious person, you draw to your faith to get through the bad times, and whenever you have those good years, you hold onto that memory,” Schantz said. “I think there is good opportunities for agriculture coming forward.”
One lesson seen clearly in Israel, Schantz said is that every drop of water is precious.
“We have seen areas that have one inch per year average rainfall, and some that have up to 18,” Schantz said. “In Oklahoma, we are about at 32, is kind of our average, so we have almost twice the amount of water that they do, and yet they are growing some of these amazing crops.”
Two thirds of the way finished with the trip, Schantz said he is most impressed with how much he has found in common with Israel agriculture, while still being very different.
“The way they farm, they way they see agriculture is different in practice, but the way we view things is the same,” Schantz said. “The struggles are the same.”
Because of the climate and temperature, Schantz said grain production in Israel is limited. The country produces a wide variety of products, Schantz said, including a lot of fruits and vegetables, which is a big difference from what is grown in Oklahoma.
With the OALP Class XX graduation in the horizon, Schantz talked about why he was drawn to the program.
“My dad went through the program back in the 90s, so I had seen how it allowed his career to develop and the connections that he had,” Schantz said. “We have had OALP out to our farm numbers of times through over the years, so I grew up kind of wanting that experience for myself. I am so excited with the knowledge that I have gained, and just the outlook. I really want to take a lot of these ‘off the wall ideas’ and try to find ways to apply them and to take the different things that I have seen to make me a better leader for agriculture in Oklahoma.”
The program, Schantz said, gives those who participate a change to develop their leadership skills and connections.
To learn more about the Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program, click here.
