The northeast section of Kansas offers plenty of opportunities to visit agricultural sites. In some cases, collectors can stay at farm sites, participate in agricultural activities, or dine on the farm like Amy’s Meats at Homestead.

Located in rural Lawrence, Kan., Amy Saunders offers a fun dining adventure. She has pizza cooked in a wood fired oven that she built. A mother of six, Saunders works full time on the farm, and provides natural meats and produce along with running her pizza kitchen. She raises beef, rare Red Wattle pork, chickens and offers eggs and vegetables from her heirloom garden.

To work her garden, Saunders has a 1974 International 354 from Britain that her dad got for her to work the garden. She calls her tractor “Old Red.” For more information, check out her website at www.amysmeats.com.

Another on the farm- to-table dining option is Coffey Grounds Farm (www.coffeygroundsfarm.com). The owner, Janet Coffey, and Chef Johnathon Tullen create amazing dining experiences. This is the first year for farm-to-table dinners. “We are off the beaten path,” Coffey said, “but everyone is learning about us. Once they come, they come again.”

Janet and her husband Don built their ranch in Stilwell, Kan., in 1989. Early on, Janet Coffey added a small produce garden, and before she knew it, she had more than she could eat. She began donating produce to a local church, and eventually started selling her produce along with flowers.

On their website it states, “… Janet’s dreams are realized. Coffey Grounds Farm is now a destination for community members and Kansas City families, offering event space cooking classes, fresh food, and produce, farm-to-table dinners, and an ever-expanding pick-your-own vegetable and flower garden.”

At Juniper Hill Farms (www.juniperhillfarms.com), enjoy farm-to-date dining as well as woodfire pizzas. Nancy Thellman shared they moved to the farm in 1999, as a quiet oasis. Her husband, Dr. Scott Thellman is a plastic surgeon who practices in Manhattan, Kan. “We bought this place with no intention of being a true farm, but just couldn’t help ourselves,” Nancy said.

What the Thellman family did not anticipate was their son Scott’s fascination with farming. Learning from neighbors and starting young, this fascination led to him selling produce that today is sold locally at farmer’s markets, Lawrence and Douglas county area grocery stores, and whole foods markets in Kansas City locations.

After ending her tenure with local government, Nancy was looking for something new to do. Nancy’s daughter shared information about a new trend, pizza on the farm. This led the family to convert their 100-year-old horse barn, previously used to raise Arabian horses, into a pizza kitchen and produce market. Using produce grown on the farm, they create delectable pizzas and more. Thursdays are pizza nights, and by appointment. They also offer farm-to-table dinners as well,

Agricultural stops include lodging in nature like at Hidden Valley Wilderness Retreat in Leavenworth, Kan. They offer three variations of luxury treehouses, Whispering Pines, (a two-story marvel), which has a screened-in porch, a winding staircase, two bedrooms, a small kitchen, and living room area. There are also Graham’s and Serenity Treehouse. Along with the treehouses is the Guest Suite, another lodging option. Hidden Valley Wilderness Retreat is a quiet, peaceful space on 32 acres of old trees, hills, and streams. Visitors can hike, or just enjoy the quiet beauty. For more information, log onto www.hiddenvalleywilderness.com.

The Circle S. Ranch (www.circlesranch.com) is another great stay in nature. Located outside of Lawrence, Kan., the ranch began as a homestead in the 1860s.  The ranch has been in Mary Cronemeve’s family for five generations. For over two decades, Cronemeve has opened her home, the Country Inn. She offers weddings, retreats and getaways. Guests can opt for a few fun adventures like feeding her longhorn cattle or arranging a massage. Guests can also book dining experiences as well in her beautiful Great Hall.

Onsite, they have 12 unique suite-style rooms that span between three different floors. Outside there are trails to walk, and best of all, a porch with rocking chairs to kick back on.

Another farm lodging adventure is at Isinglass Estates where visitors can have the unique opportunity to stay in a covered wagon. Isinglass is also a winery, and owners, Brandon and Sarah Vore, provide wine samples allowing visitors to find the right selection. The story of the name Isinglass is touching. Isinglass Estate was named after a road that Sarah’s grandfather lived on. Brandon commented he also learned Isinglass is a wine term, so it all fit.

Isinglass Estates (www.isinglass-estate.com) is located on almost 600 acres in southern Miami County. On their website they share, “The Estate includes six places to stay, 35 acres of vineyards, a polo field, restaurant, and so much more! We have created this beautiful Estate as a home for our horses, and we are happy to welcome all of you to our piece of paradise. We are always family-friendly so bring everyone along and see what makes Isinglass a truly special destination for an afternoon, weekend or vacation.”

They offer horseback riding as a fun family adventure, then visitors can end their visit with a stay in a covered wagon. There are three wagons, and each has heat and air conditioning, a full bathroom, and a sitting area with TV, coffee center, and a mini fridge inside. The wagons are comfortable with a king-sized bed and a small couch. Outside there is an outdoor kitchen, dining area and private fire pit overlooking the polo field and vineyard sunsets.

Some of the farms offer agricultural adventures like at Providence Hill Farm.  Owner Christy Harris, a certified yoga therapist, offers goat yoga, goat hikes and soap-making classes. Focusing on wellness and healing, Harris has her own products all made by family. Visit their shop at www.providencehillfarm.net to purchase goat milk soap, lotion, and other bath and body products.

Looking for a stop for family fun?  The KC Pumpkin Patch (www.KCpumpkinpatch.com) is a kid mecca. Adjacent to the pumpkin patch is the adult only KC Winery.  Be aware this stop is a cashless one. The story of the KC Pumpkin Patch begins in 1988. Julie, an Iowa farmgirl, married 1st Lt. Kirk Berggren, an Air Force career man. This meant moving around the country. Julie, homesick for farm life, would take their family to visit pumpkin patches. They dreamed of having one of their own. Then, in 2003, they opened the KC Pumpkin Patch in Gardner Kan., eventually moving to their current location in Olathe in December 2013. At KC Pumpkin Patch, they offer over 60 attractions, including dinosaur attractions, pumpkin picking, pumpkin slides, a rock-climbing wall, cornhole, and pumpkin bowling. Antique equipment collectors will love the way the Berggrens have used old iron like tractors, trucks and combines and integrated them into the farm.

The Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Historic Farm (www.mahaffie.org) is another place to find old iron. The only working stagecoach stop left on the Santa Fe Trail, Mahaffie provides insight into 1860s farming, life on the Kansas frontier, and stagecoach travel. Visitors can take a stagecoach ride as well. The farm includes a barn believed to be the oldest structure on the property. A new educational barn has also been built where collectors can view agricultural machinery. Along with educational workshops, there are lots of fun animals, sheep and roosters and more.

For more information on agricultural tourism in Kansas, check out Kansas Tourism at www.travelks.com.