If you have traveled through Kansas in the past year, you may have noticed billboards declaring, “1 Kansas farmer feeds more than 155 people + YOU.” It’s no surprise — Kansas is a leading agricultural state, with farms and ranches spread across its plains and river valleys.
© Heartland Farm
As temperatures cool each year, communities across Kansas celebrate harvest with events and open farms. During summer and fall, Kansas agritourism businesses welcome thousands of visitors to farms, ranches and wineries to showcase their operations and hospitality. More producers are adapting their work to include tourism because visitors enjoy hands-on rural experiences that create lasting memories and provide supplemental income for host farms. Below are a few agritourism destinations worth a visit next season.
C2T Ranch in Plainville is a regenerative ranch in northwest Kansas framed by 150-foot limestone bluffs above the winding Saline River. Many visitors remark, “I can’t believe this is Kansas,” when they see the scenery. C2T has earned top ratings on Hipcamp and offers primitive camping, two RV sites, glamping tents, and river “tanking” — a fun way to float in stock tanks. The ranch also offers UTV tours and sells meat bundles suitable for campfire cooking. Historically, C2T was identified as the site of the Battle of the Saline River, the first recorded battle involving the Buffalo Soldiers from Fort Leavenworth.
Saltwell Farm Kitchen © Michael Snell and Doug Stremel
Saltwell Farm Kitchen in Overbrook is an LGBTQ+-owned farm offering a new kind of agritourism experience on a restored Kansas homestead about 15 miles west of Lawrence. Saltwell crafts rustic fine dining around reclaimed barn wood tables set among native walnut groves and active wildlife. In colder months, the winter parlor moves into the historic farmhouse. Dining nights are typically Fridays and Saturdays, with private group dinners available by arrangement. The multi-course tasting menu lasts three to four hours and focuses on seasonal, local ingredients, neighboring farms, and foraged foods — a true farm-to-table experience.
© Heartland Farm
Heartland Farm spans 80 acres in Pawnee Rock, located in the central Plains crossroads of the United States. Founded 30 years ago as a ministry of the Dominican Sisters of Peace, the farm combines agriculture, hospitality and care for the land. Heartland practices regenerative and organic farming across gardens, pastures and high tunnels. Visitors encounter alpacas, rotationally grazed pastures, a laying flock of chickens, vegetable gardens, a straw-bale art center, an outdoor pavilion, and wooded creek areas managed for prairie hay.
Activities at Heartland Farm include walking the labyrinth, strolling wooded trails, bird watching, meeting the alpacas, attending workshops, visiting the art studio, and receiving massages by appointment. Overnight stays in the guesthouse are offered at affordable rates; daily farm tours are available for a small fee. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead to confirm hours and tour availability.