Today’s young farmers face several challenges and are addressing them by seeking out niche opportunities to diversify and add value to their family farms. To help them generate innovative ideas to bring home, Iowa Farm Bureau is holding its Young Farmer Ag Insights Tour, July 13-14. 

Farmers, ages 18-35, may register for the tour which begins at the Iowa Farm Bureau home office in West Des Moines and includes stops at Sunset Hills Bison Ranch, Cedar Ridge Distillery, Dan & Debbie’s Creamery and an overnight stay at the historic Hotel Julien in Dubuque. Participants will also tour the Mississippi River Lock and Dam No. 11 and Big River Resources ethanol plant. 

The tour features insight into agritourism, direct-to-consumer marketing, supply chain and logistics of grain movement and biofuels production,” said IFBF Farmer Education Program Manager Zach Brummer. “It also allows young farmers to network with their peers who are also getting their start in ag.”

The Iowa Farm Bureau Young Farmer Ag Insights Tour is capped at 50 participants - registration is closed. The tour cost, including the overnight stay and all meals, is $110 per Iowa Farm Bureau membership household, which includes a spouse or significant other, or $160 for non-members. To learn more about the tour and to register, visit www.iowafarmbureau.com/News/Ag-Insights-Tour.