07/26/2026
Part One was only half the story…
Our next stop was the The Port of Rosedale-Bolivar County, MS, where Port Director Robert Maxwell loaded us onto the boat and took the class from the harbor out onto the Mississippi River for a tour that became an education session all its own.
We learned about the historic Great Flood of 2011, why dredging is essential to keeping the harbor operational, how agricultural products and other commodities move through the Port, and the logistics required to transfer them between trucks, storage facilities, barges, and markets far beyond Bolivar County. The class also heard about future Port expansion projects, including plans to widen the entrance channel and expand the turning basin to improve safety, capacity, and efficiency.
In other words, we learned ALL the things!
The Port team also provided what may have been the most appreciated part of the day: an air-conditioned place to regroup and enjoy lunch before we loaded up and headed to Aguzzi Farms.
We heard the history of Aguzzi Farms and learned what it actually took to build the operation into what it is today, and it is not the story people might assume. It took years of hard work, calculated risks, persistence, and a willingness to adapt through changing conditions. Hearing the story behind the farm gave our class an even greater appreciation for the people, decisions, and sacrifices behind a successful agricultural operation.
Michael Aguzzi, Ryan Redditt, Brant Davis, Colby Dreher, and Braden Davis gave us an up-close look at modern Delta agriculture and the cutting-edge technology changing how farmers operate.
The class learned about two different methods of aerial application: a traditional agricultural aircraft and a spray drone. We saw how each benefits farmers in different ways, with agricultural aircraft able to cover large acreage quickly and drones providing incredible precision for targeted areas, field edges, smaller tracts, and places that may be difficult for a plane to reach.
We got a close-up look at an agricultural aircraft from Ryan Redditt with Redditt Air Service, while Brant Davis with Precision Wildlife Services demonstrated the spray drone and explained how it's precision can help farmers apply products more efficiently and accurately.
Then came the farm equipment, and no one was content to simply stand back and look!
We had everyone from bankers climbing onto the backs of combines to accounting majors, sales managers, directors in education, and judicial law clerks riding tractors. Class members examined controls, asked questions, and experienced firsthand the size, technology, and skill involved in operating today’s agricultural equipment. You name it, someone in our class was ready to try it!
From aerial application and precision technology to tractors and combines, everyone received a firsthand look at how innovative and technologically advanced modern farming has become.
This session brought the entire story full circle: from what happens in the field, to how crops are managed and harvested, to the infrastructure and transportation systems that move our agricultural products into markets across the country and around the world.
A very special thank-you to Robert Maxwell and The Port of Rosedale-Bolivar County, MS team for the river tour, the hospitality, the wealth of information, and that very welcome air conditioning!
Thank you to Michael Aguzzi, and everyone at Aguzzi Farms for going above and beyond to create such an interactive and unforgettable experience; to John Michael Blankenship for continuing to connect every part of the day; and to Redditt Air Service, Precision Wildlife Services, and every team member who shared their time, equipment, and expertise with us.
The heat may have been record-breaking, but so was this session. 💚
