Jetsettersblog

Kansas is the nation’s breadbasket and consistently leads the nation in wheat production. But Kansas is more than wheat; its diverse agricultural background offers visitors a multitude of attractions and activities that incorporate not only fun, but food, history and even support for local businesses.

There are currently more than 300 agritourism businesses registered in the state of Kansas; and more and more working farms, ranches and wineries are inviting guests to visit, learn and even participate in the work.

Now, travelers are looking for new experiences, especially families who want to find an activity the whole family can enjoy. So what better escape from traffic jams, office cubicles and carpooling than to hit the countryside and pick your own peaches or apples in a beautiful orchard, rope a calf or stomp grapes? Learning how food is grown and that milk actually comes from a cow – not a carton – are just some of the fun and fabulous activities available at Kansas ranches and farms.

Experience life on a working cattle ranch by visiting Moore Ranch in Bucklin. Visitors are invited to participate in special events including branding, short cattle drives and trail drives, or to visit for a day or overnight, participating in the everyday workings of the ranch. The Moore Ranch even offers an annual Cowboy School to try your hand at cowboy skills like horseback riding, roping and gathering cattle; and Cowgirl Weekends to experience what it’s like to be a true-to-life ranch woman.

The Sun Rock Ranch, south of Junction City is a working cattle ranch as well as a horse imprinting facility. Here, you are visiting the heart of historic ranch country in the northern tip of the Flint Hills. Guests receive private riding lessons, horsemanship training, horse imprinting, unlimited open range riding and plenty of cattle ranching activities.

Sample the fruits of labor from a crop that was first cultivated in Kansas in the 1870s; wine! Kansas’ many wineries produce a variety of award-winning wines, such as the elderberry wine produced by Wyldewood Cellars Winery in Mulvane, the largest producer of elderberry wine in the U.S. At Smoky Hills Vineyard and Winery in Salina, take a guided tour, then sit back and sample wines in the rustic tasting room within the vineyard. Other wineries can be found in Ellinwood, Eudora, and Leavenworth.

The state’s agricultural history can be discovered in more detail in the numerous museums throughout the state including the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame in Bonner Springs, which features a Farmer’s Memorial and Hall of Fame. The Mennonite Heritage Museum in Goessel tells the story of the Mennonite farmers who introduced wheat to Kansas. The Prairie Museum of Art and History in Colby contains Kansas’ largest barn and a re-created 1930s farmstead. The Old Cowtown Museum in Wichita features an 1870s farmstead adjacent to their living history village.

These activities and festivals are only a few of the many hands-on and educational agricultural opportunities in Kansas. Many communities have also developed agriculture-related tours and activities.

For more information on these and other agriculture-related attractions, please contact the Kansas Department of Commerce, Travel & Tourism Division, 1000 S.W. Jackson Street, Suite 100, Topeka, KS, 66612-1354, or by phone at (785) 296-2009.

Visit the Kansas Travel & Tourism Division web site at www.travelKS.com .

To find farms and ranches to visit in Kansas, visit www.farmstop.com  Logon Now.