Experience Farm Life at Agritourism Destinations Across Kansas
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Looking for fun on the farm? Kansas has agritourism adventures throughout the year, often on real working farms. Here are just a few destinations where you do everything from petting farm animals to picking produce to learning about pollinators.
Agritourism at A & H Farm
Andrea and Hugo DeJesus eased into agritourism activities to bring more revenue to their operation, A & H Farm south of Manhattan. They raise row crops, livestock and Andrea’s passion – fruits and vegetables. They started farming in 2008 when Hugo was discharged from the U.S. Army.
From their first pumpkin patch in 2010, agritourism activities have exploded, with 20,000 visitors expected this year. Something’s happening almost year-round, with springtime Baby Animal Days, U-pick strawberries, themed weekends in summer, fall festivals with corn mazes and hot cocoa with the Grinch.
See more: Agritourism Connects the Public to the Farm
With one of the largest farm animal petting zoos in Kansas, A & H Farm has been voted Kansas Tourism’s Top 10 Must-See Place for Farm and Ranch Experiences as well as Top 10 Pumpkin Patches.
“We’ve changed our model over the years to accommodate all ages,” Andrea says. “We even added adult-only Easter Egg Hunts and Halloween costume parties.”
Themed weekends spotlight a fruit or vegetable at peak harvest seasons such as watermelons, peaches, sweet corn and even dill pickles.
“We are constantly improving these events, so it ties to the seasonality of our produce and fruits,” Andrea says. “This also shows people how things are really grown and why a grocery store tomato tastes very different from our tomatoes.”
Gieringer’s Family Orchard & Berry Farm
A first-generation farmer, Frank Gieringer started with row crops and livestock. Today, his focus is agritourism.
Frank and his wife, Melanie, began Gieringer’s Family Orchard & Berry Farm outside Edgerton by planting a few hundred peach trees. They soon had so many peaches they started selling them from their garage. Their son Brice joined them in 2012, and in 2014 they bought the farm next door.
“Now that farm is home to all of our agritourism attractions like the kids’ play area, the market barn, the commercial kitchen where we make our homemade doughnuts, and the corn maze,” Frank says.
They offer U-pick strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, sweet corn, sunflowers, apples and pumpkins.
See more: U-Pick Your Own Adventure
“We offer people a nice outing and a way to get a few hours’ taste of farm life,” Frank says. “And they get to take home something good to eat.”
Although Frank sees a limited long-term future for conventional farming in their area, he’s enthusiastic about the future for agritourism.
“What we take for granted here on the farm is awe-inspiring for some people. I think that type of experience is really lacking
in an urban society.”
Next to Nature Farm
In 2013, Chad Gilliland obtained two beehives to pollinate his apple trees. His hobby quickly grew, and after he began harvesting honey, he asked his wife Megan about using the leftover beeswax. Megan soon created Healing Salve, Next to Nature Farm’s first value-added product.
Today, the Gillilands offer nearly 30 skincare products along with honey and foods from their orchards and garden near Leavenworth. Their sales first began at their local farmers’ market.
“Our customers were very interested in understanding where their food comes from,” Megan says. “But when we participated in the Kaw Valley Farm Tour, that really opened our eyes that people want a farm experience,” Chad adds.
See more: 6 Agritourism Destinations to Visit in Kansas
Their farm store, the carefully named Agricultural Education Center, isn’t just for shopping.
“We wanted it to be a place where you learn about small-scale agriculture, pollinators, bees and butterflies,” Megan says.
Her food preservation classes fit that mission, along with the Butterfly House and their popular Bee-to-Bottle tours. Different nectars alter the color, flavor, fragrance and viscosity of honey. Participants can taste these differences at the Honey-Tasting Bar, the only one in Kansas, with samples from around the world.
“The education moves to an experience which people find interesting,” Chad says.