Experience Central Iowa Agriculture!
Iowa State University farm tours are offered year round. Other agriculture tours in the Central Iowa area are offered during the Farm Progress Show. To book a tour, contact Discover Ames. They check availability and connect the group to the appropriate tour contact. To get connected to the farms for a tour, contact Veronica Tarello at Discover Ames (515.817.6314) or email veronicat@discoverames.com.
Unless otherwise noted, a two-week notice is required to schedule a tour.
Transportation for the tours will be the responsibility of the group.
Tour Options
TOUR A: ISU Ag Engineering / Agronomy Research Farms
The Ag Engineering/Agronomy Research Farms provide more than 1,200 acres of intensive plot research that serve two of the leading departments in U.S. Research. The demonstration focuses on corn, soybeans, oats, sorghum and biomass perennial crops. Plant breeding for improved varieties and sustainable and organic cropping systems are also being studied. ISU and USDA scientists conduct research related to tillage, nutrients, runoff, soil tilth and drainage. Ag engineers perform research related to farm machinery and mechanization. An extensive shop is used by staff, faculty and students to fabricate and modify equipment.
TOUR B: Horticulture Tour ($35 per person) 1/2 Day Tour
- $20 fee to ISU Horticulture Research Station | $15 fee to Reiman Gardens
ISU Horticulture Research Station
Horticultural research and teaching have been active at ISU since the college was founded in 1858. The ISU Horticulture Research Station has extensive apple orchards, vineyards, fruit and vegetable plantings, turfgrass research, and ornamental plantings, along with aquaculture ponds and a 15-acre lake. The station is used by students and faculty from horticulture, forestry, botany, ecology, plant pathology, entomology, natural resource ecology and management, and animal ecology. From strawberries to turtles, the Horticulture Station may have several research projects being conducted depending on the season.
Reiman Gardens (guided tours need to be scheduled four weeks in advance)
Reiman Gardens is quickly becoming a top tourist attraction in Iowa. Situated on 17 acres, Reiman Gardens creates a stunning gateway to Ames and Iowa State University and features a variety of unique and colorful gardens where there is something for everyone to enjoy. Each year, the gardens develop new exhibits and horticulture displays around their annual theme.
The Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing is a tropical paradise, home to up to 600 live butterflies representing up to 60 different species. Reiman Gardens is permitted to display almost 1,000 different butterflies of native and exotic species, so there’s always something new to see. The Hughes Conservatory is bordered with a collection of tropical plants set among seasonal, artistic creations meant to inspire visitors through conventional and novel displays.
60-minute guided tours require a minimum of 10 people. $15 price includes all admission to the Gardens.
TOUR C: Livestock and Dairy Tour ($20 per person) 1/2 Day Tour
Please note, USDA regulations require all visitors to be in the U.S. for at least 5 days prior to going on this tour. Depending on the stats of bird flu during requested dates, this option may not be available.
ISU Dairy & Compost Facility
The newly constructed ISU Dairy Farm focuses on education, research and outreach. This tour will highlight new technologies and research in the field of Dairy Science, while walking through the process of milk production from the dairy barns to your kitchen table. One stop will include the milking parlor, where you can experience the milking process firsthand. Located adjacent to the Dairy Farm is ISU’s Composting Facility where several ISU units, including the animal science farms, ISU Dining and the ISU BioCentury Research Farm, provide organic materials for compost as part of ISU’s LiveGreen! initiative. After processing, the compost is used throughout the university as fertilizer for teaching farms, for landscaping and in new construction projects.
ISU Animal Science Teaching Farms
The Animal Science Teaching Farms include several farm sites used for hands-on classes and demonstrations of production systems with livestock, including beef cattle, sheep, and swine. During the tour, you will observe modern swine production (farrowing, gestation and growing) through viewing windows and see beef cattle and sheep on feedlots and pastures.