Ag Industry Tours
1. Clayton Farms – Indoor Vertical Farms
Clayton Farms is a fast-growing indoor-farming company that uses the latest equipment and technologies to deliver fresh and healthy produce to subscription customers.
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2. Iowa State Fair – Behind the Scenes
The Iowa State Fair annually attracts over one million people, making it one of the largest and most attended fairs in the nation. While you may have been to the fair, have you ever wondered what it takes to put on the fair each year? Join Iowa State Fair staff for a behind the scenes look at planning the Iowa State Fair. This tour includes a presentation followed by a driving tour of the fairgrounds.
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3. Iowa State University Feed Mill
The new Iowa State University Kent Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex was designed to provide students with more hands-on experience in feed production, while serving as the major feed source for all the university’s research farms. The facility is expected to be operational towards the end of the Fall 2022 semester. This tour includes the new feed mill complex, along with a driving tour of Iowa State’s various research farms. Please dress for the weather, wear closed toe shoes, and limit personal items when on this tour.
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4. Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Lab:
The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL) is a national leader in protecting animal and human health. The full-service laboratories at the VDL process upwards of 100,000 cases each year and conduct more than a million tests annually. It provides quality diagnostic services for animal species, including necropsy, bacteriology, serology, histopathology, virology, parasitology, molecular diagnostics, toxicology and analytical services. Take the opportunity to tour this laboratory and learn more about this state-of-the-art facility.
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5. Foundry Distilling Co:
Foundry Distilling Company was started by Scott Bush. Scott began working on Templeton Rye whiskey in his apartment in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 2002, while a student at the Sloan School of Business at MIT. Scott’s great grandfather, Frank Schroeder, was born in Templeton and was an “entrepreneur” during Prohibition who made Templeton Rye at the family farm outside of Arcadia and later Odebolt, Iowa. Scott knew of his family’s involvement in the rye trade and wanted to build a business, so he founded Templeton Rye and built it into one of the most successful brands in the modern craft spirits industry. After exiting Templeton, Scott started Foundry Distilling Co to focus on distilling authentic, high-quality whiskeys and spirits right here in the Historic Valley Junction area of our capital city with local input, involvement, and control. We are Des Moines’ Distillery!
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6. Albaugh Classic Car Collection
Dennis Albaugh’s car collection first started with a 1957 Bel Air convertible and shortly after a 1958, 1955 and then a 1956. The collection didn’t stop there. Dennis has a collection that fills a 28,000 square foot garage that ranges from muscle cars, antique pickups, a convertible Corvettes for each year from 1953 to 1975 and much more.
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