AG Related Tours in SD, IA, ILL, IN for FFA Kids

dmiller · Sep 8, 2011

I'm an Ag Teacher in Montana. Will be driving to Indianapolis in Oct to take a group of students to the National FFA Convention. We will be taking 1-90 through SD, 1-25 and 1-80 through IA, and 1-74 across IL and IN.
Any suggestions on tours for these kids. I have done MT Rushmore in SD, JD in Waterloo, the JD center in Moline, Kent Feeds in Muscatine, Kinze Manufacturing, The Botanical Gardens in Peoria on past tours. I've also stopped at a Dairy near Waterloo that I can't remember the name of at the moment.

WarrenBult · Sep 8, 2011

Don't forget Mitchell, sd. It's on I-90. They have the corn palace. It is decorated with corn and other grains. Ag related since it is corn and grain crown locally. Corn is of several different colors grown locally. The guy has engineered some of his own colors .

JMS./MN · Sep 8, 2011

We stopped at Dale Haymaker"s AC museum in Paris, Ill last month- very personable fellow with a large collection of tractors and implements. Contact at [email protected]. Also consider the Spam Museum in MN....I90 at Austin? Could be a good pit stop between the Corn Palace and Waterloo.

Bob in SD · Sep 8, 2011

The South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum is about 50 minutes north of Sioux Falls. You can check it out at the link below to see if your students would be interested. Admission is free, but it'd add almost two hours to your drive time if you're committed to coming across 90.
South Dakota Ag Heritage Museum

Unruh · Sep 8, 2011

I'd suggest the Heritage Hall Museum at Freeman, SD. It's about 20 miles south of I90 on #81, but an excellent educational place for a class like yours. Among the thousands of items are: an excellent Indian Artifacts exhibit of over 400 unrestored items, over 200 preserved birds, animals and fish; pioneer machinery and tools, old tractors, about a dozen cars, a dozen motorcycles from '08 up, a pioneer home, country school house and much, much more. Got to www.freemanmuseum.edu for details. You'll need to call ahead and get an appointment.

Neb Super H · Sep 8, 2011

See if you can get in at Kinze in Iowa. Would be good to see.

Unruh · Sep 8, 2011

Correction! I'm sorry the website is www.freeman museum.org not edu.

John (C-IL) · Sep 8, 2011

Not totally ag related but you might think about Caterpillar in Peoria. Also, a little out of your way, but the Purina Research farm in Gray Summit, MO is a pretty good stop. We have Stone Ridge Dairy at Bellflower, IL that is about 6 miles north of I-74. You might also get in touch with Dow in Indianapolis to see if they have tours of their research facilty. There are a bunch of others, but this is a start.

Lloyd In South Carolina · Sep 8, 2011

Crazy Horse memorial just down the road from Mt Rushmore is interesting to me, nice Indian heritage museum co located.

sws55 · Sep 8, 2011

Iows State University in Ames has a great School of Veterinary Medicine, a large College of Agriculture, an extensive meat laboratory, a large College of Engineering and a national Center for Disease Control Laboratory. I don't know what kind of tours they would give. It's on Interstate 35 about 40 miles north of Des Moines.

Other Ag schools along your route would probably also welcome you and give you a tour.

Dekalb Seed in Illinois, Pioneer seed, a meat packing plant.

Vernon in Ks · Sep 8, 2011

Well if you have taken them to the JD center why not show them where JD got all their ideas. The OLIVER museum in Charles City, IA. Lyle Dumont has a nice Oliver museum in Sigourney, IA.

Anonymous-0 · Sep 8, 2011

May not be ag related enough for your trip but you might want to check out the Indianapolis motor speedway while in Indiana.

John730D · Sep 8, 2011

University of Illinois Ag Department. A premier Ag program among the best in the States. You will be going right through Champaign/Urbana on I-74.

Mark-Ia · Sep 8, 2011

Kinze only does 2 tours a year. Next one is in Nov. I think. You can check though..

agonair · Sep 8, 2011

Coming down I-74 in Illinois...Caterpillar is located in Peoria, IL and has several facilities within blocks of I-74. Further down at Goodfield, IL is the CaseIH DMI tillage manufacturing facility. You can see it from the interstate. In Bloomington, IL, you have Illinois State University and their college farm, a Cargill elevator, Growmark headquarters, Remington Seeds Corn Production plant, plus State Farm Insurance headquarters, Firestone Tires Ag and Heavy Tires production plant. Further down at Farmer City, IL, you will have Monsanto's Corn Production facility. This thing is huge! At Champaign -Urbana, you have the University of Illinois with their large college farm and excellent College of Ag library. They would welcome you and give great tours of the farms. Those are a few of the things I can think of on I-74.

Straw Boss · Sep 8, 2011

Pioneer Auto Museum at Murdo is right on I-90 in the middle of nowhere S.D. Just right timing to get out for a stretch and literally right next to the highway. Not a spit and polish quality museum but they have STUFF and lots of it. Way more than just cars. Lots of tractors and farming stuff. Some old implements and a Case car in the mix. Just google it and check out the web sight. Something there for everyone. Very eclectic collection.

AG Related Tours in SD, IA, ILL, IN for FFA Kids

dmiller

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WarrenBult

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JMS./MN

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Bob in SD

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Unruh

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Neb Super H

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Unruh

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John (C-IL)

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Lloyd In South Carolina

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sws55

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Vernon in Ks

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Anonymous-0

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John730D

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Mark-Ia

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agonair

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Straw Boss

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