Shared Values, Stronger Truths: Ag Immersion Tour 2025

Story by Jancey Hall, Director of Programs and Outreach

I live for a warm fuzzy moment. The excited, squealy ‘aww’ when a baby pig comes out, the joy at seeing calves frolicking, the amazement of being in a combine for the first time and witnessing its power and complexity, and the delight in finding the perfect pumpkin.

I witnessed these emotions firsthand as master’s students in the Kansas State University and University of Kansas dietetics programs joined the Kansas Soybean Commission and Kansas Farm Bureau on an Agricultural Immersion tour. This tour aimed to “open up the barn doors” and showcase the ways farmers care for their land and livestock, dispel myths, and build genuine connection and conversation.

Those of us involved in agriculture are often frustrated by labels and information: ‘all natural,’ ‘no chemicals’ – isn’t everything a chemical? Aren’t all meat and milk tested and free of any trace of hormones or antibiotics? We’ve seen how fear and misinformation can spread and impact how farmers can farm and what tools they can utilize.

While we know that science supports what farmers do daily on their farms, research shows that shared values and trust are 3-5 times more important than facts. So, while warm fuzzies may not make business decisions, joy, delight and awe are valuable emotions that serve as a foundation for building relationships and connections.

On this tour, we put on our booties (for biosecurity) and stepped onto farms and ranches to experience how food is grown, harvested and distributed. These young professionals deepened their understanding of the complexity of the food system by connecting directly with farmers, who are the start of it.

Experiencing a precision ag operation was eye-opening as we learned about prescriptions written for fields – an idea these students are used to. From soil testing to see-and-spray technology and planting rates, these students were surprised by the data-driven efficiency of farm inputs.

Then, climbing into combines, students saw that data play out on the yield monitor screen, joining farmers as they harvested the soybeans and corn they’d spent the year raising. This was a highlight for many students, and for good reason. The first time I rode a combine was in my 20’s, and I was in awe and better understood the importance of farmers investing in technology.

Then, in contrast, our group harvested almost 700 lbs. of squash by hand on a produce farm. The students were shocked that most produce is still harvested by hand. Talking about pesticides and organic and local labeling from a produce and commodity perspective helped us understand the regulations and logistics of bringing food to grocery store shelves.

On a pig farm, we talked about artificial insemination and gestation and farrowing crates, how they bring value to the farmer and better care to the pig. On a cattle ranch, we discussed the carbon cycle, grass vs. grain finished beef and prescribed burning in the Flint Hills, shedding light on common conversations around sustainability. At a dairy, we dove into milk pasteurization and testing. Students were reassured about the safety of the food system and in awe as we watched the newly installed robotic milkers in action.

While emotions and deep conversations are great and build trust, I know that data matters. We survey our participants before and after to measure their concern on key topics that could impact farmers’ freedom to farm, and the results are beyond encouraging. Engaging this small group of influential people who will go into schools, hospitals, and private practices will have incredible impact as they’re looked to as experts in their communities – because food matters. And so does where it gets its start.