Flippin' the Switch
S5 E7: Celebrating National Agriculture Month with JS Lowland Cattle and Pogies Adventure Center
On this month's episode of Flippin' the Switch, we're celebrating National Agriculture Month and Grilling Month with two very special guests! Ever wondered how a family farm can thrive through generations and even a pandemic? Join us as we get to know local farmers Eric and Ashley Smith, owners of JS Lowland Cattle. You'll get an insider's look at the Smith Farm, a legacy that began in 1928 and has evolved with the times. Hear heartwarming stories about the multi-generational involvement, including contributions from Eric's 90-year-old grandfather. Learn about their meticulous cattle management practices, from rotational grazing to raising diverse breeds like Black Angus, Limousine Mix, and Charolais.
We then switch gears to chat with Lainey Johnson from Pogies Adventure Center. Learn how Pogies transformed from a simple fishing shop into a multifaceted outdoor adventure and educational hub during the pandemic. Lainey shares the inspiring story of their new farm in Maysville, which offers agritourism and farm camps that teach essential skills like gardening, baking, and animal care. We also explore Pogies' exciting future plans. This episode is a testament to resilience, community spirit, and the enduring legacy of local farming.
On this month's episode of Flippin' the Switch, we're celebrating National Agriculture Month and Grilling Month with two very special guests! Ever wondered how a family farm can thrive through generations and even a pandemic? Join us as we get to know local farmers Eric and Ashley Smith, owners of JS Lowland Cattle. You'll get an insider's look at the Smith Farm, a legacy that began in 1928 and has evolved with the times. Hear heartwarming stories about the multi-generational involvement, including contributions from Eric's 90-year-old grandfather. Learn about their meticulous cattle management practices, from rotational grazing to raising diverse breeds like Black Angus, Limousine Mix, and Charolais.
We then switch gears to chat with Lainey Johnson from Pogies Adventure Center. Learn how Pogies transformed from a simple fishing shop into a multifaceted outdoor adventure and educational hub during the pandemic. Lainey shares the inspiring story of their new farm in Maysville, which offers agritourism and farm camps that teach essential skills like gardening, baking, and animal care. We also explore Pogies' exciting future plans. This episode is a testament to resilience, community spirit, and the enduring legacy of local farming.
Welcome listeners to another episode of Flippin' the Switch. In celebration of Ag Month and Grilling Month, we have a jam-packed episode highlighting some awesome local businesses providing the public with farm education and fun. We can't wait to share in depth what they do for our community daily. So, without further ado, let's start flipping the switch.
Speaker 2:July's Ag Month and Grilling Month, so who better to have on our podcast but one of our very own employees and local farmer, eric Smith and his wife Ashley? They are the owners of JS Lowland Cattle Welcome.
Speaker 3:Hey how y'all doing.
Speaker 4:Thanks for having us. Oh, you are welcome.
Speaker 2:Before we start, I'd like to read an excerpt from your website. In 1928, smith Farm was established by my great-grandfather, mr Dan. Mr Dan had 12 children, so having cows on the farm was a necessity to feed his family. Since then, we've always had cows and they were kept to feed the families on the farm. I love family history, eric, and I'd like to hear more about your family and how JS Lillian Cattle came about.
Speaker 3:It really started. I had the idea. During COVID, Food got scarce you really couldn't find nothing at the store and I told her the idea and she said well, maybe we can make it work, We'll try. It was like pulling teeth to get my dad to go along with it, though he wants to retire and kick back, and we put him to work a little bit.
Speaker 2:How many generations of family are there now at the farm?
Speaker 3:There's five and you are which I am the fourth. Fourth, okay, and we got she come up with the name. I wanted to do something that included everybody. My grandfather is Jimmy Smith, my dad is John Timothy Smith, I'm John Eric and my son is John Whalen, so that's where we got the JS from it's.
Speaker 4:It's really a been a great experience for everybody. His grandfather loves that we are we've brought this vision to the farm is something that he would have loved to have done when he was younger and it just wasn't really a demand for that type of thing then. But he does love sharing that we were sharing with the community and that everybody comes out and loves the meet and loves to see him and and get to chat with him when he's up there and it's he just loves being part of the whole experience too.
Speaker 2:I bet he has. It probably brings back a lot of memories too.
Speaker 4:Yes, yes, he loves working with the cows. He's he'll be 90 next month, so he he's just, he's taken it all in and he doesn't get out there as often, but every now and then we'll get him on the side by side and he'll go tag a calf or he'll just get part of the more of a supervisor role now.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 2:Hard labor on down to you guys. Yes, yeah, awesome. Well, it's great to hear, I'm glad to hear, that he's still a part of it. What wonderful memories. So you are actually located right here in Jacksonville, and who would have known that we had a cattle farm in our backyard? I mean, I'm from upstate New York so I'm familiar with dairy farms, new cattles so you don't really see many cattle farms in this part of our country or part of the North Carolina, I should say.
Speaker 4:Yes, there are definitely fewer and far between than this far Awesome.
Speaker 2:So, ashley, seeing Eric is at work all day here at Jones-Onslow, what is your role on the family farm?
Speaker 4:I raise the cows with his father. We move them daily and for rotational grazing and things like that, and we fix anything that's minor or that can't wait until Eric gets home and then we will put him to work.
Speaker 3:Seems like right here lately with this drought we've been going on. We move water troughs when we move to cows at each pasture and they'll drink probably five or six, seven hundred gallons of water a day. So three times a day we've got a trailer with water tanks. They'll haul water down and fill the troughs up for them the work's never done it is not how many cattle do you have on average?
Speaker 4:um, right now we have 63. We seem to kind of be like staying in that area. Probably about this fall we'll move up to 75. We have a couple heifers that haven't had any calves yet this year, so we're waiting on them. And how many acres? We have about 50 acres of pasture.
Speaker 2:And is that what your grandfather had when he grew up?
Speaker 3:There's about 200 acres there and we lease all the big fields to a local farmer. He tends them, plants, row crops and, uh, during the winter we take and we'll fence in what is split up to be my dad's. We'll fence all that in plant ryegrass for the winter and stuff so to have something to eat. Um, but we we try to. We know where the divider is and my uncle's got half and we've got half, so we try to keep all ours fenced in for cows.
Speaker 4:Yes, but it's. We're a portion of what we have in pasture right now. About 30 of that acres will be a hundred century farm this year, Wow and the remainder will be a 100th century farm in 2028.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's amazing. I like that. That's really cool. Yes, yeah, awesome. So now I'm going to ask you both some questions about your cattle, about the cattle you raise, and either of you can just chime in Okay, what breed are your cattle?
Speaker 3:They're Black Angus and Limousine Mix and a little Charolais.
Speaker 2:Limousine Mix. That sounds a little fancy.
Speaker 3:The Limousine gives them a long body and the Black Angus makes them kind of stocky. So we've got long, stocky cows. So when they're eating good, they're pretty healthy.
Speaker 2:So do different types of cows produce? Like different flavors of meats, I guess would be the question I'm trying to do they taste the same? Would I know, like if I got steak from one cow or steak from another cow, would you be able to taste the difference?
Speaker 4:You would not be able to tell the difference. It's just how, um like the fat content ratio. As far as like marbling, uh, black Angus is like the beef cow. It takes a little bit longer for other cows to get to that stockiness that they provide. So you, it'll take you longer. In about 18 months to two years, a Black Angus is about 1200 pounds and this is a butchering size. Now it takes a little bit longer when you get into like the Charleys, because they're like a bony200 pounds and it's a butchering size. Now it takes a little bit longer when you get into like the charlays, because they're like a bony cow and dairy cows are bony and you'd rather get milk from them, right?
Speaker 2:Now I pulled some information off your website. Your beef are your cows are grass-fed.
Speaker 4:Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 2:Okay, and what are the benefits of a grass fed cow?
Speaker 4:Um. So you'll get like a leaner um beef from them. So our ground beef um is 90, 95% lean Um. So you'll see it'll be a lot darker, it'll have. It has more vitamins and nutrients in it and then it'll have you. You'll see less of that fat. So when you go and cook it it's not necessary to drain the grease out of it, because there won't be any.
Speaker 2:Okay, nice. And your cattle are GMO-free, correct? Yes, ma'am. And your meat is free of antibiotics and hormones? Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 4:Yes, ma'am. And your meat is free of antibiotics and hormones. Yes, ma'am. So any feed or supplements that we get from them, we get from someone that we know personally. So, like the corn, if they receive corn, it's grown on our farm. We get it from the farmer who grows it, so we're part of even though we're not planting that corn we're still part of that whole process. The hay that we get is peanut hay. We get it from local farmers in the area that plant peanuts and things like that and we get like a nice feed for the wintertime. We get it from Benson, from Mule City.
Speaker 2:Which is great to hear, because a lot of food nowadays is pumped with so much antibiotics, yes, hormones and just a bunch of junk, and I think it's really playing a part on our health these days.
Speaker 4:Yes, definitely you can tell, like if you compare our meat to like a store-bought meat, you know you don't really know how many cows are in that ground beef that you're getting from the store. It could be like multiple pieces from like eight different cows.
Speaker 3:Leftovers.
Speaker 4:And leftovers, yes, just to of to extend that cow, to get their the most profit from that meat. Which is why you see, like right now, ground beef at the grocery store is like six or seven dollars and ours is nine. But you can see that ours is dark, it's not quality right, yeah you're not paying and I know exactly from the time that that cow has hit the ground to the time that it leaves our farm. I know exactly what it's eat, where it's been and how it's grown.
Speaker 2:Yeah, which is great. Yeah, so I think I know the answer to this, but I'm going to ask it anyway is your beef available to the public or do you just sell to big box stores?
Speaker 3:We sell it to the public. We really haven't got into businesses yet but we have a hard time keeping it on hand just selling to the public. She goes to the farmer's market every Saturday here in Oslo County and sells. She's got a little trailer with freezers in it and people come to the house and buy it. But yeah, she's sold out right now, I believe. Trailer with freezers in it and uh, people come to the house and buy it.
Speaker 2:But uh, that's yeah we she's sold out right now I believe which is great for you guys yeah and it's kind of nice that you're not in a big box store.
Speaker 4:As far as you know, keeping it small, I mean sure it'd be great probably to expand some, but then that comes with a cost too and headaches and everything like that and that's what I said originally is that I had no sorry, that's what I had said originally is I had no plan on doing like wholesale or anything like that, because you just don't know when it leaves you, like how long is it going to take that person to sell it? And then, when the customer gets it, what is it the quality that they're getting based off of, how long they've had that meat or, and you just don't know, like I don't, I don't have any intentions on selling anybody else's and I don't have any intentions on anybody selling mine either.
Speaker 3:so which is great, yeah that and you don't know it, it's hard to keep up, like if you can't grow a cow, but so fast, so, and we, we butcher ours. So if we don't have one ready to go, and if you were in a box store or something, they needed it right, then I don't, I don't know what to tell you. I mean, I can't make them get bigger right.
Speaker 2:So you mentioned the farmer's market. Um, how are other ways people can order? I mean, can they call you? Do you have a website?
Speaker 4:We do have a website and it has packages on there and subscription boxes. We do monthly and bimonthly subscription boxes. We do bulk options as well. A lot of people are interested right now in filling their freezer, so that's an option that we also offer. And yes, you can come out to the farm and we're open Fridays and Saturdays and at the farmer's market and online also. I have shipped from Florida to Michigan, so at least this side. We have shipped to Louisiana. It kind of gets a little touch and go there for a little bit, but we try to stay on this side. But it'll make it two-day air from here to anywhere.
Speaker 2:Which is great to know. I mean for Christmas. You want to send somebody a Christmas gift that doesn't live local, or even if they live local, you still could ship it to them locally and surprise them with a box of meat from their family, or friends.
Speaker 4:We do. Ship Awesome. That's great to hear Yep From their family or friends. We do ship.
Speaker 2:Awesome, that's great to hear. Now I follow you on Instagram and saw you also have a flower garden, that people can come and pick fresh flowers and that your daughter even sells eggs.
Speaker 4:Yes, ma'am, our flower is pick your own, and you can come out Fridays and Saturdays and pick your own bouquet. This fall, we're also going to offer for the month of October is pick your own pumpkins Awesome.
Speaker 2:So you're expanding a little bit.
Speaker 4:Yes, we're trying to get people to come out and see what we offer and how we raise our cows, and just get people to know that we're we're here, right in their backyard.
Speaker 2:Well, that's great, and I just want to let everyone know we do have another guest here today. We have Eric and Ashley's daughter, reagan. And Reagan, you are the chicken girl and you sell the eggs, correct? Yes, tell me about your chickens. How many do you have?
Speaker 6:We have 20 big of them, big chickens, and we have 28 small ones.
Speaker 2:So 20 big ones and 8 small ones. Okay, and when you say big and small, are there different types of chickens or there's just some babies?
Speaker 4:So she has some Rhode Island Reds and she has some Easter Eggers. She wanted to get some chickens that laid not just brown eggs but laid colorful eggs.
Speaker 6:And we have two white ones too, that lay white eggs.
Speaker 4:Yes, so the Easter Eggers lay the colorful eggs they do, so they'll lay like a green or a blue egg.
Speaker 2:But they all taste the same.
Speaker 6:Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 2:Awesome, and so do you have to go out there every day and collect the eggs? Yes, ma'am, and how many do you have to go out there every day and collect the eggs? Yes, ma'am, and how many do you get each day?
Speaker 6:We usually get 15 a day when I go and check.
Speaker 2:So 15 eggs a day, and so do you eat all those 15 eggs.
Speaker 6:No.
Speaker 2:What do you do with them? Do you sell them?
Speaker 6:Yes, we sell them in our egg stand that we open on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It's open right now, um, and we close at eight o'clock or seven depends when we close it and um, we got the money box for it and stuff so you have an egg stand and it's open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so you have to collect the eggs and then you put them in cartons, is it?
Speaker 2:and then you bring them up to the egg stand.
Speaker 6:You put them in the egg stand so once I get their eggs I bring them inside and I write the date on them and then I put them in the carton and then we get a little card to do with once you've opened the thing. So it says, like, how to like, wash your eggs and do all that. And then, um, put the sticker on top of it just says, uh, fresh eggs. And then we'll put them on the counter, and then ready for the next day.
Speaker 2:So it's the honor system. People come by and put money in an envelope. Is that what they do? It?
Speaker 4:self-service. You can either pay cash or card. There's a money box and then there's a QR code that you can scan to pay with card if you don't have.
Speaker 2:Okay, awesome. So on the average. I know it varies on the season, but if I went there on Thursday to get some eggs, how many dozen would you have there generally?
Speaker 6:So usually we'd have maybe two half dozen and one dozen, but today we had two dozen and one half dozen. Okay, it just depends how many half dozens we have.
Speaker 2:Going back to Ashley and Eric, I saw on your website you have ground beef packages on sale. If I'm mistaken, it's 10 pounds of fresh local ground beef for less than $68.
Speaker 4:Yes, ma'am. It's a buy five, get five half price.
Speaker 2:All right, and that's a special that's going on right now. That's eventually going to end, right? Yes, ma'am, all right. And also, with it being grilling month, I highly recommend you get your steaks and beef from JS Lowland Cattle and don't forget to follow and like them on Instagram and Facebook, correct, yes, ma'am? And what is your address, location here in Jacksonville, if somebody wants to come see you in person, or a phone number? How else can they reach out to you?
Speaker 4:We're on Webster Lane here in Jacksonville, off of Ramsey Road down from Carolina Forest, and you can message us on social media and our contact information is on there also.
Speaker 2:Awesome. Well, like I said, go get your steaks and beef and go have a cookout. Thank you so much for joining us.
Speaker 3:Thank you, thanks for having us, yes, we appreciate it.
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Speaker 5:In this edition of Flippin' the Switch we've been talking to a local farmer who is one of our Jones-Onslow employees, and in this portion of the podcast we are fortunate enough to have Lainey Johnson with us from Pogies Adventure Center, and they have a camp and farm in Maysville as well, and we're going to learn a little bit about that. Welcome, lainey. Well, thank you, thank you guys for having me. We're excited to have you. We've got a few questions for you to kind of just learn a little bit more about what you guys do each and every day, because we know every day is a different jam-packed day for you. Can you share the story behind the founding of Pogies Adventure Center and how it all started with just your fishing shop in Swansboro and what it's grown into?
Speaker 7:Yeah, absolutely so. My husband, Ethan, originally started Posies in 2017. They opened it up and it was just a small kayak rental shop some fish and tackle, kayak accessories, some kayak sales and things Nothing too crazy. And whenever I came along in 2018, it wasn't like a huge business yet, not like it is now. We did kayak rentals and it was really just me, ethan and one or two other seasonal employees, but then, once COVID hit, we started an outdoor camp in 2020. And that was really to help kids get outside again having some fun, bring back a little bit of normalcy, and we started just with one week of camp and we had 12 kids and after that, word just spread like wildfire. And every single week after that, and even continuing into the fall when they shut schools down for COVID, we continue to do our outdoor programs for the kids and that's really how the Pogues Adventure Center started. Is that COVID really kicked it off for?
Speaker 5:us. Oh yeah, I know personally. My son has gone there and it's made a huge impact for him and you guys are doing so many great things, kind of what inspired you guys to go make that switch from the fishing shop to activities for kids. And it didn't just stop that fall, it's grown into something major for the community.
Speaker 7:Yeah, well, we still got the the tackle shop and kayak rentals and tours and everything else, so this is just a fun addition. Eden and I both we love kids. We love educating children on the water because it's how we both grew up. It's coming out here experiencing fishing, tubing saltwater life, experiencing fishing, tubing saltwater life. It's amazing for us and it's really important for us to let this next generation get out on the water and experience these things, because it really truly provides lifelong confidence in the outdoors.
Speaker 5:Absolutely. I think what you're doing is one of those touch points for kids. Like you know, they always say you establish these core memories and you guys are doing that each and every day.
Speaker 7:Yes, we love it. We love it and we think the kids love it too.
Speaker 5:Oh, they do, it's a beautiful thing, no doubt about it. So you guys didn't stop by having a place in Swansboro, cedar Point, you've brought it to Maysville too. Can you tell us about this new adventure that you have?
Speaker 7:in Maysville? Yeah, absolutely For sure. So Ethan and I have been farming on the property in Maysville for well since 2018 really, and this is the first year that we opened it up to the public. We built a barn so that people could come and do some agritourism. We open our farm up on the weekends for people to come and pet our animals, do our nature trails, see what we have going on at our working farm. And then we decided well, since we already have camps here on the water, might as well add in a couple of farm camps too.
Speaker 5:Why not?
Speaker 7:Yeah, why not? It's awesome, and I personally lead up those farm camps and I've done two so far this year and they've been wildly successful. All the kids love it. They have the best time. I'm receiving excellent feedback from their parents and I'm hoping that it grows more than it already is. All the rest of my camps are full than it already is. All the rest of my camps are full, so it's such a huge blessing and it's providing so much different education and experience for the kids and I would say you know to anybody listening to this podcast take a look at your Facebook pages.
Speaker 5:I mean you now have one that's dedicated to the farm camp and I looked at those pictures yesterday and it's like a breath of fresh air, like you're stepping back in time. You've got kids baking bread, snapping peas, all the stuff that I remember doing with my grandma when I was little. So I think it's a great thing Now that you've got this farm camp, how do you feel like those lessons of like you know doing the gardening and the farming are kind of bringing that life full circle for those kids? Do you feel like it's making an impact on them and they're all learning something new.
Speaker 7:Yeah, absolutely, I certainly do. I grew up in central North Carolina. Both sets of my grandparents came from very rural areas, learning to do things homemade, and a lot of that has been stripped away from us, especially in the millennial generation. We weren't really brought up with making everything at home canning, growing things in your garden, raising chickens or animals but I feel like now that we are older and we're in our 30s and 40s, we're really starting to bring that back and we're really starting to integrate that into our children's lives.
Speaker 5:And.
Speaker 2:I think that's great.
Speaker 7:Yeah, yeah, it's so important. We should all know where our food comes from. And it was really surprising one day back in April, when we first opened up the camp not the camp, but the farm to the community, we had a child come in maybe four or five that connected where their chicken McNuggets came from. Oh God, they said, mom, the nuggets come from the chickens, the chickens are the nuggets. And the mom was like, yeah, buddy, like where did you think they came from? But I guess we really have to remind kids they're brand new in the world and we're forming their brains and we're forming their knowledge for the future and connecting all of these dots together and letting them know exactly how our world works, because it truly is formed on the foundation of agriculture.
Speaker 5:Absolutely. You know. That's where it all starts. Yep, it really is. It's how we eat every day, it's how we survive, and you know, and we're so grateful for all the farmers in our communities because without them, you know the things on this grocery shelves wouldn't exist. So I think a lot of people don't take the time to look past the grocery store and think about where things are coming from.
Speaker 5:And you guys, have a part in that of kind of teaching you know, even the next generation, but also their parents at the same time like these kids are coming home with a different skillset than what they had in the household before and the kids are kind of teaching the parents sometimes. So I think that's tremendous. Now these camps sound like they have been greeted with rave reviews from the community and people are so excited that you guys are part of. You know Onslow County, jones County and all the other areas where people are bringing their kids to these camps, but you guys don't stop during the winter. Can you tell us about kind of like things that happen in the, but you guys don't start. You guys don't stop during the winter. Can you tell us about kind of like things that happen in the winter for you guys, especially out at the farm?
Speaker 7:now, yeah, absolutely so. Last year we started our Pogues Festival of Lights Christmas Trail and it's a walking trail, there's no riding or anything like that, so it's really relaxed, slow pace. You can stop, take pictures, listen to the music, feel the vibes, drink your hot chocolate, and it's all free. We do it completely donation-based. So whatever you want to donate, and all of our donations, we are turning it back into our camp.
Speaker 7:So that way our camps can flourish, we can. All the kids can have everything they need from games, activities for outdoors. We turn it back into the farm so that we can have more opportunity there, so it's become a really awesome thing. Last year, our busiest night at Festival of Lights I think our parking attendant counted over 1,000 people in one single night, yes, so we're hoping that we can triple that this year.
Speaker 7:We're adding more parking, we're making the trail longer, adding more activities, and so I think that it'll be a hit and it's something great for the community. You know there's so many places around here that offer Christmas activities and winter activities, but they really cost a lot. They do, and we really we want to make everything here affordable for your everyday family. You know times are hard right now with inflation. It's really important for us to see all kids and all families and all people have the opportunity to do something fun and exciting.
Speaker 5:Absolutely. I think what you're doing is special because it's an, for one thing, it's a niche, because you guys are providing so many specialty things, but also you're not limiting it to anyone, so it's incredible. Well, yes, that was the goal and you guys have reached it. You're doing it every day. Well, aside from camps we kind of talked about the you know the from camps, we kind of talked about the you know the things at the farm and the camps at Wandsboro, cedar Point area can you tell our members a little bit about the other services that you offer? Because, like you said earlier, every day is jam-packed yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 7:we're slammed. This time of year, between April and through October, we go nonstop. Ethan and I work seven days a week, sometimes 12 to 14 hour days running eco tours, fishing charters, doing kayak rentals, working in our tackle shop, making sure everything is going great for our kids camp, making sure the farm is nice and steady also.
Speaker 7:It's a lot, it's a jam packed lifestyle, but we're so incredibly blessed with the opportunities that we have. But in the wintertime, aside from the Christmas trail, we do a lot of relaxing. Some people might say, oh, it must be nice. But oh, we work so hard for that must be nice.
Speaker 5:Oh you do. You have like one month of it must be nice.
Speaker 7:Yes, yes, we take January and February. Do we try our best to do absolutely nothing.
Speaker 5:Well, and I think it's well deserved. Yes, oh, certainly. Well, as we go to the future of Pogies, do you have some things on the forefront about, like some things that you might want to add, or are you kind of at the point?
Speaker 7:of now? Oh, you do, absolutely. So we have Ethan and I. Both are a millions of ideas a day kind of people, and we're constantly bopping ideas back and forth with each other, with our family members that we trust and with our friends would bring the community together even more, and so something that we've been bopping back and forth for a couple years integrating the farmland is a public pool, wow, water park, slash, flash pad and what a need like, especially like something like that would be, amazing in Maysville area.
Speaker 5:That would be great.
Speaker 7:Yes, because there's not really much of that here. We've got the Salty Pirate in Emerald Isle, which we love. Our daughter goes there literally three times a week.
Speaker 2:Oh.
Speaker 5:I get it.
Speaker 7:Yeah, all the time, but it's small in comparison to the community's vastness. Especially with all the tourism over on Emerald Isle, it's harder for you know folks from Jacksonville, or you know Maysville even, and all those surrounding areas, to really get there and crowd it up. So what we want to do is create a huge space for people to come and swim. But yeah, that's always been something really important to us is having a place for kids to go and for families to go that's not just the ocean and somewhere where they feel safe and somewhere where parents feel they can let their kids sort of off the leash and have fun.
Speaker 5:Yeah, absolutely Well, for sure, you guys are one, very busy. Two, full of wonderful ideas. Three, I kind of feel like I jump back in time with you guys every time I'm around you. You guys have so many things from, like, my childhood that are coming back full circle and it makes me happy and I know I'm not alone in that. But for our members, let's tell them how they can find you guys, whether they want to rent a kayak, sign up their kids for camp, and I would mention to our members that you guys offer a Bay Day camp. So you offer drop in services and that's huge. So if you're local and are looking for a great way for your kid to be involved at a great price point, I will mention you guys do a great job with that. Thank you, you're welcome. Your kids will benefit tremendously from that camp. They get to be outside all day and when you get them home, all they want to do is go to sleep. So that's a bad advice sometimes.
Speaker 7:Yes, I'm currently watching out the window all of our kids in Bay Day. Today we have 57 out there. Today We've got nine counselors out there with them, so we've got a great ratio. Over half of them are lifeguards.
Speaker 5:How would you encourage our members and listeners to find you guys online?
Speaker 7:Yeah, so what I usually tell people is just give Pogies a quick search P-O-G-I-E-S and the first thing that'll pop up is pogiesfishingcom. And you can find all of our links to the farm for camp and for all of our water activities and tackle shops there on our website.
Speaker 5:Awesome. Well, thank you so much for kind of squeezing us into your day today and telling us so much about it. Oh, it was our pleasure and we're so happy to have you guys here in our community, and thanks for everything you do each and every day.
Speaker 7:Yeah well, thank you, guys, Thank you for this wonderful opportunity.
Speaker 1:I can't wait to give it a listen, Thanks. Summertime means long sunny days and rising temperatures. Our air conditioners work hard to keep us cool, often leading to higher electric bills. But don't sweat it. You can stay comfortable and save money by adjusting your thermostat and using energy efficient appliances. Keep your home cool and your energy bills low this summer. For more energy-saving tips, visit wwwjoemccom. Slash energywise. Stay cool with Joe Donslow.
Speaker 9:Well, folks, that'll do it for this episode of Flipping the Switch Until next time. If you don't currently follow us on Facebook, instagram or any of our other social media channels, consider doing so. It's the best way to keep informed about what's going on with your cooperative. Thanks again.