Registration is open for Iowa Farm Bureau’s Ag Insights Tour, July 11-12. This unique opportunity offers young farmers firsthand experience across various farming sectors, including visits to Lonely Oak Distillery, Elite Octane, Lincoln Premium Poultry and CLAAS North America.

“Iowa Farm Bureau continually looks for ways to support farmers, and through events like the Ag Insights Tour, they can explore ways to increase their margins and entrepreneurial spirit,” says Zach Brummer, Iowa Farm Bureau's farmer education program manager. “This year’s tour has a strong focus on newer, innovative companies that have added value to the local ag economy. Witnessing these impacts allows farmers to explore how that increase in supply chain value can positively affect their family farms.”

Lonely Oak Distillery, owned and operated by Iowa farmers Pat and Amy Hoffman, is one of only a few true “seed-to-spirit” craft distilleries. Tour participants will witness the Hoffmans' dedication to crafting premium bourbon whiskey and vodka, from grain selection to bottling.

Elite Octane, LLC, a dry mill ethanol plant located near Atlantic, is one of the most recently constructed ethanol plants in the nation. Producing more than 150 million gallons of ethanol per year, their equipment can efficiently unload a semi-truck in approximately two minutes and load out distillers’ grain in five minutes. 

Lincoln Premium Poultry is a Nebraska-based company established in collaboration with Costco to supply their rotisserie chickens. The complex, in operation since 2019, includes a processing facility, hatchery and feed mill with 100% of its corn sourced from local farmers. Early studies estimate the economic impact of the facility to be $1.2 billion annually. 

CLAAS North America, headquartered in Omaha, is home to the award-winning LEXION combine. One of the most modern in the industry, the plant assembles hundreds of combines each year.

Tour participants will enjoy networking opportunities at Troy’s Bar and Grill, a three-time top 10 finalist in the Iowa Beef Industry Council’s Best Burger Contest. They will also explore Old Market Omaha, a former railroad center originally built as a grocery and retail wholesaler that now boasts restaurants, shopping, art, live music and more. 

Cost for the tour is $75 per member or $110 per Iowa Farm Bureau membership for couples. For more information about the 2024 Ag Insights Tour and registration, visit IowaFarmBureau.com/YFTour.