Professional Improvement Tours
Agronomy Tours
Animal Sciences Tours
Cultural Tours
Horticulture Tours
Sustainable Agriculture/Natural Resources Tours
Urban Agriculture/Local Foods
Agronomy Tours
Tour 1: From Farm to Table
Experience the different aspects of Kansas agronomic enterprises starting from the field to grain marketing, to products used to produce our grain commodities. The tour starts at the Kansas City Board of Trade, the largest free market of hard red winter wheat. Bayer Crop Science Research Park, located in Stillwell, Kansas is the next stop. Bayer is the global leader in the innovation and marketing of sustainable crop protection products to support the production and maintenance of food, fiber, fuels and public health. Then head to the Kansas State University Agronomy Department’s East Central Kansas Experiment Field. The field’s focus includes, no-till and strip-till production systems, variety performance tests, biofuels research, fertilizer application methods and weed and disease control practices. Wrap up the day at Pendleton's Country Market, a diversified family farm, growing vegetables, bedding plants and cut flowers. See how they have developed agritourism to be an integral part of the farm.
Tour 2: Northeast Kansas Agriculture
Kansas isn’t all feedlots and flatlands, and few areas of the state confirm that better than Northeast Kansas. This tour travels to the northeast corner of the state then heads west. We’ll see production agriculture in the glacial soil regions and interesting agriculture industries on a rapid-fire tour. Stop one will be a tour of Hemisphere GPS’s Ground Agriculture site located in Hiawatha. Hemisphere GPS is the maker of Outback Guidance Systems. We’ll continue westward to Nemaha County, home of USC, LLC, a premier manufacturer offering a full line of seed treating, seed handling and complete bulk bin seed systems. Their seed treating solutions include products for farm use, retail and commercial industry. USC treatment machinery is used around the world. No agronomic tour of the “Wheat State” would be complete without wheat. Bunck Seed Farms of Everest is the final stop. Hear about the wheat industry in Kansas from a family that has been involved with seed wheat sales for two generations. Relax on the return trip viewing some of the most beautiful and historical areas in all of Kansas.
Tour 3: Food - Production to Processing
Our food supply starts with a local farmer and that’s where we’ll start on this tour. Brunker Farms is a multi-generational farm using precision agriculture technology. They produce and market corn and soybeans in the backyard of the largest urban county in Kansas. Once grains are harvested, a variety of processing and value added components emerge. Archer Daniels Midland is one of the largest agricultural processors in the world and we’ll visit their Overland Park facility to learn firsthand how they turn bushels of grain into food and energy products that feed and fuel the world. We’ll stop at Danisco, a world leader in food ingredients, enzymes and bio-based solutions. Their ingredients are used globally in a wide range of industries – from bakery, dairy and beverages to animal feed, laundry detergents and bioethanol. A lunch stop at SFP’s corporate headquarters will showcase this fertilizer research and development company that’s committed to agricultural education and crop nutrient improvement.
Tour 4: Crops of Kansas
Known for crop diversity, this tour will showcase Kansas’ finest. Between Overland Park and Kansas State University in Manhattan, this tour will take you from beautiful irrigated and dryland crop production to the tall grasses of the Flint Hills prairie. The Kansas River Valley Experiment Fields are up first to highlight current local research and also hear about statewide irrigation management advances. A campus tour will reveal the beauty and native limestone buildings of Kansas State University. The international impact of Kansas grains is featured in a presentation from the International Grains Program, followed by a tour of the Hal Ross Flour Mill - the only production-size mill at a major university. The Agronomy Farm will exhibit cellulosic ethanol feedstock production among other items. The last stop is the Rannells Flint Hills Prairie to appreciate native rangeland, where beef production and other management practices maintain the last expanse of native tallgrass prairie in the United States.
Animal Sciences Tours
Tour 5:Kansas City Animal Health Corridor
Greater Kansas City is the national leader in animal health and nutrition accounting for nearly 32% of global sales. The Kansas City region is America’s Animal Health Corridor as local companies and universities lead the nation in animal health and nutrition research, innovation, business functions and production. Stops include the K-State Olathe campus. This new endeavor opened in 2011 brings K-State’s expertise in animal health, food safety and security to the area working directly with local companies’ to house research, education and commercial ventures in its laboratories and classrooms. Bayer Animal Health has its North American headquarters in Shawnee, Kansas and is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of veterinary drugs. Learn more about this company on the guided tour. Hill’s Pet Nutrition is the recognized global leader in nutritional health care for companion animals. We will stop in Topeka, Kansas, to visit Hill’s headquarters and tour the company’s only canned facility in the U.S. Participating on this tour will provide a greater understanding of the animal health care industry.
Tour 6: Flint Hills Ranching
Tour the beautiful Flint Hills and meet operators of two of Kansas’ premier ranching operations. Our first stop will be at Downey Ranch, a large cow/calf operation named the 2010 Beef Improvement Federation’s Commercial Producer of the Year. Then, we’ll visit the historic Beecher Bible and Rifle Church and an amazing view of the tallgrass prairie from the Konza Prairie Scenic Overlook before driving through the heart of the K-State campus adorned with native limestone buildings and Wildcat pride! Enjoy lunch at the Fink Beef Genetics sale facility, catered by Little Apple Brewery—a local steak house owned in part by the Fink family. As early adopters of embryo transfer, the Finks utilize cooperator herds implanted with Fink embryos producing Angus and Charolais bulls sold nationwide. Rounding out the trip, a stop at the Cross Country Genetics embryo transfer facility offers insight into Fink’s ET program.
Tour 7: Genetics, Trailers, and Ethanol
Enjoy an interesting tour into southeast Kansas and sample many of its unique business ventures. SEK Genetics/Genetic Horizons offers advanced reproductive technologies to beef cattle producers. Services include cloning, embryo transfer, artificial insemination and beef cattle semen sales. From there, the tour will travel to B & W Trailer Hitches – the manufacturer of high quality truck beds and trailer hitches. B&W is an industry leader by inventing unique solutions to solve towing problems with the turnover ball, tow and stow ball and custom truck beds. The tour will conclude at East Kansas Agri-Energy, producer of fuel grade ethanol and distiller grains. EKAE produces over 40M gpy of ethanol and over 250K tons of distiller grains, from 15M bushels of grain.
Cultural Tours
Tour 8: Historic Atchison County
Rolling hills of Kansas, along the Missouri River, give Atchison County the corn and soybean production typical to northeast Kansas. This tour will allow guests to see farmland and rural scenery plus we’ll visit agribusinesses that add value to locally grown crops. While in historic Atchison we’ll tour a Victorian style home, see the early childhood home of Amelia Earhart; discover the history of Lewis and Clark, the origination of the Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe Railroad and other attractions that characterize historic Atchison County.
Tour 9: A Taste of Kansas City
A good cup of coffee is the start of a great day. “The Roasterie,” one of the most renowned coffee roasters in the country, located in Kansas City will kick off the day. Next, on to “Original Juan,” a specialty food processor in Kansas City, Kansas that creates specialty sauces, salsas, snacks and dips for wholesale, retail and co-pack/private label customers since 1998. The Woodyard Bar-B-Que is on tap for lunch for mouthwatering BBQ. A representative from the Kansas City Barbeque Society will talk about Kansas City Barbeque and its long, tasty history. After lunch visit “Bichelmeyer Meats,” a local butcher, to look at their wide selection of meats that cater to an array of nationalities. The tour will wrap up with a stop at one of Kansas City’s best barbecue eateries, Johnny’s BBQ, for a quick taste of some of their more popular smoked meats.
Tour 10: Fort Scott, Kansas
Bourbon County has something for everyone. From history and culture to manufacturing and small town life, the Fort Scott area is full of “Simple Pleasures …Hidden Treasurers.” While at the Fort Scott National Historic site, you become immersed in the Bleeding Kansas years and the daily living of the soldiers. A narrated bus tour of Fort Scott will follow the “Dolly the Trolley” route; you’ll witness the National Cemetery, famous landmarks and the beautiful homes and mansions found on our brick streets. Twister Trailer, building since 1998, is one the premier manufacturers in the equine industry. Get a behind the scenes view of the trailers that are pulled by Craig Cameron, Charmayne James, Tuf Cooper and many more. Bandera Stone is known for their custom work for fireplaces, tabletops, landscape boulders and flooring. The unique stone used can only be found in Redfield, Kansas. This tour will enable you to witness six of the eight wonders of Bourbon County!
Tour11: Kansas Historic Barns
The Kansas Barn Alliance day tour will feature six byre and buff barns in rural Doniphan County, KS. Tour guide instructors will provide in-depth education about traditional barn construction and varied barn construction; and emphasizing the importance of barn preservation. Additional tour stops in Troy, KS will include: a Timber Frame Barn; the George Putnam Washburn courthouse; a quaint lunch at a historic restaurant; and touring a pre-1859 home in Troy that was visited by Abraham Lincoln during his presidential campaign. The day will conclude at Trillium Dell Timberworks, one of the largest timber frame shops in the Midwest that uses traditional handcrafted joinery. They will share information about their numerous barn restoration projects. Trillium restored a pre-Civil War Gindler Barn in Collinsville, Ill.; an 1880’s red pine frame barn near Dekalb, Ill. and the historic beef barn at the University of Illinois.
Tour 12: Going to Kansas City
Explore the rich culture of the Kansas City area by visiting museums only found here in the Heartland. The tour starts with a visit to the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library. Learn more about this period in history including what lead to dropping the atomic bomb. From there you will travel back into time touring the National World War 1 Museum, the only museum to document these events in American history during this time at war. Going to Kansas City concludes with a trip to 18th and Vine, where jazz grew up. Stops at the American Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum combine for an enjoyable outing. The Jazz museum pays tribute to Kansas City’s rich jazz legacy. The NLBM preserves the history of African -Americans in history before major league baseball became desegregated. This tour will show how up-to-date Kansas City is by reliving its historical past.
Tour 13: Kansas City Sports
Have you ever imagined suiting up to play professional football or baseball? How about being a NASCAR driver? If you are a sports junky this tour is for you. You will tour the newly remodeled Kauffman and Arrowhead stadiums. While touring Kauffman Stadium you will have the opportunity to experience the interview room, press box, visitor’s locker room, a dugout, Dugout Suites, a Triple Crown Suite, the Stadium Club, Party Deck, the Outfield Experience and the Royals Hall of Fame. A member of the grounds crew will also answer any questions you might have. The Arrowhead Stadium tour will take you behind the scenes to experience an NFL locker room, broadcast booth, luxury suites, the press box and the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Honor. While at Kansas Speedway experience the thrill of NASCAR racing as you visit the President’s Suite, the Media Center, the garage area and end up at Victory Lane for your very own photo opportunity. Bring your cameras and capture your sporting fantasies as you tour the world of professional sports in Kansas City.
Horticulture Tours
Tour 14: Topeka Horticulture and History
Tour world class gardens at Lake Shawnee. Experience a walk back in time in Ward-Meade Park’s old mansion, botanic gardens and Old Prairie Town (a short street of 19th Century buildings including a drug store with working soda fountain). Learn how plants enhance the grounds and feed the animals on a horticultural tour of the Topeka Zoo. Visit Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site commemorating the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended racial segregation in America’s public schools.
Tour 15: CANCELLED
Tour 16: CANCELLED
Tour 17: CANCELLED
Tour 18: Wine & Wildlife
The Wildlife and Wine Tour begins with a stop at the Cedar Cove Feline Conservatory & Education Center in Louisburg, KS. This non-profit organization is devoted to the care and preservation of endangered large cats. Then on to Somerset Ridge Vineyard & Winery, a family-owned vineyard and winery known for their handcrafted premium wines. Next head to the number one tourist attraction in Kansas, Cabela's, the World's Foremost Outfitter of hunting, fishing and outdoor gear. Their 180,000 ft2 showroom houses Mule Deer Country Museum, a breath-taking display of African game, and aquarium featuring fish native to Kansas. Dine at the Yukon Base Camp Grill and have a guided tour of this world class facility. We end the day at Holy-Field’s Vineyard & Winery; a "growing" legend for producing award winning fine wines. Having been featured in The Wine Report, numerous magazine and newspaper articles and on several television stories; it’s a wonderful way to end this exciting day.
Sustainable Agriculture/Natural Resources Tours
Tour 19: Konza Prairie and Kansas State University
This tour provides an understanding of the importance of a grassland ecosystem. The Konza Prairie Biological Station is an 8,600-acre native tallgrass prairie preserve owned by The Nature Conservancy and Kansas State University dedicated to a three-fold mission of long-term ecological research, education, and prairie conservation. A Walking Prairie Research tour (3/4 mile) provides an overview of Konza Prairie fire, grazing, and climate research. This will be followed by the Bison Loop Driving Tour winding through lowland and upland prairie with spectacular views of the Flint Hills, to observe the 300-head bison herd. Watch for flowering forbs and grasses, deer, turkey, and other wildlife. Enjoy lunch at the Kansas State University Alumni Center. Next, participants will tour the 1,120 acre K-State Beef Stocker Unit designed to hold 300 head of 500 lb. cattle. The tour will pass through Kansas State University, known for the use of native stone dating back to 1879. Returning to Kansas City we'll travel through the productive land of the Kansas River Valley.
Tour 20: A Variety of Sustainable Agriculture - SARE sponsored tour
Sustainable agriculture can be seen in a variety of ways. This tour will give you a broad look at sustainable operations. Pendleton’s Country Market is a multiple generation farm that has changed enterprises to fit the markets and human capital expertise. The Community Mercantile, a Cooperative grocery store that specializes in local, all natural and organic food, plus provides educational classes for health and cooking. The Bradley family manages their land for multiple objectives, and was winners of a state Natural Resources award. Soaring Eagle Farms/ACME Grain is an organic farm that raises a variety of grains, beef and poultry, and sells ground feed and labeled flours.
Tour 21: CANCELLED
Tour 22: CANCELLED
Tour 23: High Tunnels - SARE sponsored tour
Come and learn how vegetable growers in the Midwest are using high tunnels for season extension and protection against the elements. We will tour a few organic and conventional high operations as well as the K-State Horticulture Research and Extension Center in Olathe and the Haskell Indian Nations University Cultural Center and Museum in Lawrence, KS. The KSU-Olathe Center has several high tunnels including the traditional “snow arch” design as well as single and multi-bay Haygrove tunnels and is conducting long-term research comparing organic and conventional open-field and high tunnel growing systems. This tour will give participants a general overview of the various types of high tunnels available as well as several examples of how local growers are using them to grow vegetable crops. The bus will depart from the Convention Center at 8 a.m. We will eat a catered lunch at the Olathe Research and Extension Center.
Tour 24: Sustainable Practices on the Family Farm
This tour features four large family farm operations that have remained profitable while using sustainable management practices. Participants will visit a farm which has been continuous no-till since 1984 to learn about their nutrient management techniques, herbicide, insecticide and fungicide programs and educational efforts. Two beef cattle stops showcase the families’ grazing management strategies. These include such practices as riparian protection and utilization of an off stream watering system. The farms also incorporate non-confined feeding sites, and rotational grazing systems into the operation. The dairy segment features a 200 head operation. The barn utilizes a flush system in a free-stall barn making for a labor efficient carousel milking parlor. Waste manure separation equipment is used along with a manure press to dry the material for re-use as bedding and a center-pivot to apply the lagoon contents.
Urban Agriculture/Local Foods
Tour 25: Urban Fringe Agritourism
Begin with a visit to what must be the farthest thing from the urban fringe - Kansas City’s Historic ‘City Market’ in downtown KC. After experiencing one of the largest, most enduring public farmers’ markets in the Midwest, head off to Platte County, Missouri, home to breathtaking vistas of loess hills along the Missouri River and several regionally- and nationally-recognized agritourism operations. Take in a mix of destinations including an orchard, a sheep/lamb operation that makes farmstead cheese from sheep’s milk, a vineyard/winery, and an educational farm on the tour. Enjoy fine dining in downtown Weston, Missouri where a chef has prepared a limited, local menu especially for this tour. After lunch, take time to tour and shop Weston’s downtown district which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Participants on this tour are sure to gain valuable input about operating successful agritourism destinations.
Tour 26: Building a Local Food System - SARE sponsored Tour
Douglas County is working hard to build a local food system that will improve the physical and financial health of its citizens. The goal is fresh, local food for all their citizens. Visits will include: Lone Star Lake Bison that produce and market bison in a variety of markets; Santa Fe Trail Meats, a locker plant that does custom processing, direct meat sales and catering; Local Burger, a restaurant and caterer that utilizes local food for their menu; The Community Mercantile, a Cooperative grocery store that specializes in local, all natural, and organic food, plus provide educational classes for health and cooking and Just Food, a warehouse food bank that partners with other charities and farmers to provide food to those in need.
Tour 27: Urban Agriculture
The Kansas City metropolitan area is home to numerous small farms and non-profit organizations that help make sustainable, local food a reality in the urban neighborhoods. This tour will visit a variety of locations in the metropolitan area that will show off the diversity of the local food system in Kansas City. The tour will begin at the Kansas City Community Gardens, which features 90 plots, a children’s garden and an educational center. The tour will then visit a 1.5 acre, certified organic CSA, JJ Farm. The third stop (and lunch) will be Drumm Farm at the Andrew Drumm Institute, a 2-acre organic farm. After lunch, the tour will visit two projects of the Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture. The Juniper Gardens Training Farm is part of the New Roots for Refugees program and the Kansas City Community Farm is the training and research area for KCCUA. The tour will also feature a presentation about the innovative Growing Growers program, supported by K-State Research and Extension.
Tour 28: Bioenergy - USDA Agriculture and Food Research Institute (AFRI) sponsored Tour
This tour addresses biomass supply chain issues, feedstock logistics, and marketing and distribution issues, and wind power. The first stops will be Northwest Missouri State University. NMSU uses wood chips, paper pellets, and animal waste pellets to heat and cool over 2 million square feet. Participants will tour the plant and gain a better understanding of the type and form of biomass the plant can use. The next stop will be the Rock Port, Missouri wind power project. Rock Port is the first town in the US to be powered 100% by wind. The final stop will be the University of Missouri Graves-Chapple Farm Agricultural Experiment Station to learn the latest from MU researchers on growing poplars, cottonwoods, willows, miscanthus and switchgrass.