When California Heartland visited the Modesto A's professional baseball team, the squad brought a whole new meaning to the term "farm team."

According to the dictionary, a farm team is the minor league version of a professional baseball franchise. And that's exactly what the Modesto A's are, the single A team affiliated with major league baseball's Oakland Athletics.

But where did the term "farm team" come from? A's General Manager John Katz has a theory. "I know a lot of the smaller minor league teams throughout the country have been in the farming regions," said Katz. "We look at movies like 'Field of Dreams' where they kind of dug it out of a cornfield, and that's really not too far from the truth."

To reconnect minor league baseball to agrarian roots, farmers in Stanislaus County held an outreach event in conjunction with the Modesto A's. One leading farmer, Norman Kline, was an active participant.

Norman grows two of Stanislaus County's leading agricultural commodities -- peaches and almonds. His peaches took center stage on game night, as part of the annual Peaches & Cream dinner. This year, the dessert featured processed peaches rather than fresh fruit. Norman grows 185 acres of cling peaches for processing.

Along with the dinner, the game featured farming activities on the field between innings, such as a goat milking contest and small tractor races. Fans could also wander through ag-related exhibits to learn more about the role farming plays in Stanislaus County.

Ag wasn't the only focus though. The A's put on a good show as well. They defeated the Rancho Cucamonga Quake 9-1. Norman was so busy with the night's farming activities that he didn't get to see much of the game, though. Nonetheless, his hard work will payoff at harvest time. Like the A's, Norman's peaches are a big hit with Californians.

For more information on the Modesto A's visit www.modestoathletics.com.