View Samples of Virtual Farm Trips
Virtual Farm Trip to Pennsylvania Beef Farm
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Virtual Farm Trip to Michigan Dairy
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Virtual Farm Trip to Ohio Pig Farm
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Virtual Farm Trip to Ohio Soybean Farm
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View samples of Virtual Farm Trips above. Register for trips below.

Select an upcoming live trip below to receive more information and access registration.


10 Great Virtual Farm Trips to Watch with Students

While an actual in-person trip to a farm is hard to swing these days, we at VirtualFarmTrips.com have been producing LIVE Virtual Farm Trips for years, allowing farmers to open their barn doors to students to show exactly how they go about their daily lives, answering questions directly and providing opportunities that are as close as one can get without actually stepping foot on the farm.

We recently combed through our archives to find 10 Great Virtual Farm Trips for Classrooms to Watch that showcase the variety of agriculture in our country and highlight fantastic farmers doing some amazing work. We hope you’ll take time for your students to enjoy a Virtual Farm Trip below!

You can also see many more trips by clicking the link under videos below to be directed to YouTube playlists of past trips. 

Stay tuned for a new On-Demand Virtual Farm Trip viewing experience coming soon!

10 GREAT VIRTUAL FARM TRIPS TO WATCH ON-DEMAND WITH STUDENTS

Walnut Harvest and Huller VFT | Hosted by San Joaquin AgVenture 

This tour will take you onsite to a San Joaquin County, California walnut orchard. Learn more about what it takes to grow, harvest and process walnuts for consumption. Click here for a worksheet to accompany this trip.

Virtual Field Trip to an Ohio Turkey Farm | Hosted by GrowNextGen

This Virtual Farm Trip visits Cooper Farms in western Ohio, where students will learn how Farmer Craig raises turkeys from shortly after hatching through market weight. Cooper Farms has also had multiple turkeys pardoned by past presidents, which are featured in this trip.

Virtual Field Trip and Combine Ride-Along with an Ohio Soybean Farmer | Hosted by GrowNextGen

Hop in a combine and go for a ride with Ohio Soybean Farmer Nathan Eckel as he harvests his soybeans! Students will learn the stages of soybean growth, how a combine works, and the importance of soybeans in our everyday lives.

Virtual Field Trip to The Ohio State University Pig Farm | Hosted by Ohio Pork Council

Did you know that there’s a pig farm right on the campus of The Ohio State University? Farmer Gracee takes students on a tour of the swine facility on this trip, showing how students on the farm care for sows preparing to give birth, and also the many piglets as they grow. 

Virtual Field Trip to Ahlgren Dairy Farm | Hosted by Midwest Dairy and Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom

This trip showcases amazing technology on the Ahlgren Dairy Farm in Minnesota. Learn how robots on the farm do everything from mixing and delivering feed to cows, milking cows and even cleaning the cows’ pens!

Virtual Farm Trip to a Michigan Dairy | Hosted by United Dairy Industry of Michigan

Join Farmer Annie for a tour of SwissLane Farms in western Michigan as she highlights the benefits of technology on her farm, including robotic milkers!

Virtual Farm Tour to Estes Dairy with Indianapolis Colts Kicker Rodrigo Blankenship | Hosted by American Dairy Association Indiana 

Join special guest, Indianapolis Colts Kicker Rodrigo Blankenship, for a tour of Estes Dairy in Indiana, where the entire family works together to bring healthy and nutritious dairy products to our tables. Be sure to stay through the end of the tour for a fun moment with Rodrigo!

Virtual Farm Trip to University of Florida Honey Bee & Research Extension Lab | Hosted by Florida Agriculture in the Classroom

Students will learn about how bees work together to sustain their colony, the equipment humans need to keep bees, and the vital role that bees play as pollinators for our food system at the UF/IFAS Honey Bee Research and Extension Lab. 

Virtual Farm Trip to a California Pumpkin Farm | Hosted by San Joaquin Agventure

Take a Virtual Farm Trip to Van Groningen and Sons, Inc. in California, where you learn about growing, harvesting and post-harvesting processing of pumpkins. Farmers Bryan and Tommy take you behind the scenes from the field to the packing shed.

Ericson Exotic Fruit Farm | Hosted by Florida Agriculture in the Classroom

Located on the eastern shore of Florida’s largest lake, Erickson Farm specializes in mangos, avocados, starfruit, lychees, sapodillas, and other exotic fruits. The begins at the mango trees, where students will learn what it takes to grow a 60-acre fruit farm with century old trees! We then move to the avocado orchard where we will encounter multiple varieties of these green fruits sometimes called ‘Alligator Pears’ and take a closer look at their nutritional value. The tour will end in the starfruit grove where students will get an up close look at these fun and funky yellow fruits.

Looking for more?

Check our LIVE Trip Schedule, view the Virtual Farm Trips archive and sign-up for email alerts when new trips are available for your students!

Registering & Participating in Virtual Farm Trips

Can I be notified of upcoming Virtual Farm Trips?

Yup! Submit the form below to be notified via email when trips are available for your state/region and grade level.

 

* indicates required
 

 
 
 
 
 


How do I register for a Virtual Farm Trip?

Click on a trip that interests you from either the trip offerings or live trip schedule section above. You will receive more details about the trip and be directed to an online registration form. Be prepared to submit contact information, and the number of classes and students participating, and have a calendar handy to make sure trip dates and times fit your schedule. Once your registration is submitted, we will contact you to confirm your trip date and time and provide further details.

 

Note: Virtual Farm Trips are developed by our partners with specific audiences in mind. As such, the content of each tour is also tailored toward these specific audiences. Please note the age levels associated with trips as you register for them to ensure it is a good fit for your audience.

What technology is required to participate in a Virtual Farm Trip?

In the weeks leading up to your trip, you will be provided full details and instructions to help you prepare for your trip, including technology assistance. However, we've included some details below so you'll know what to expect.

 

Virtual Farm Trips are conducted using the Zoom video conferencing platform. You can test your connection to Zoom at anytime by clicking here. You may be required to download a small plug-in for the program to work on your computer the first time. 

 

Some of our trips offer maximum engagement by allowing you to have webcams and microphones turned on. So you may connect and use these items if you wish. It's not required  to participate in any of our trips, however.

 

Note: Some schools/businesses have restrictions on what programs can be downloaded and used on computers. You may wish to consult your IT personnel as you prepare for your trip to ensure you are able to participate.

Will my camera and microphone be turned on during a Virtual Farm Trip?

Virtual Farm Trips are typically conducted in one of three ways:

 

1. Smaller, meeting-style trips, where up to about a dozen different audiences join at one time and have their webcams and microphones turned on. This allows for direct visual and audio interaction between audiences and the farmer and moderator, including live video Q&A sessions.

 

2. Large-scale webinar-style trips, where many audiences are connected at one time. Webcams and microphones are not turned for audiences during this style of trip. However, audiences will still be able to submit comments and questions to be addressed live during the trip by a farmer and/or moderator. 

 

3. Live-streaming trips, where the audience connects to a platform such as Facebook, YouTube or a website to view a trip. No webcam or microphones are required for this trip. Attendees may engage through comments on these trips.

 

The style of each trip is determined by hosting partners, and will be relayed to registrants in the weeks leading up to each trip.

 

Note: You are never required to use a webcam and/or microphone during a trip, but it is highly recommended for the most engaging experiences. If a webcam and microphone is not available, you may still participate in live trips where you can see/hear the farmer and moderator and submit comments and questions via chat.

How do I connect to a Virtual Farm Trip?

You will receive an email with complete  instructions for preparing, connecting to and participating in your trip. It is recommended you have IT personnel present as you use these instructions to test/prepare for your trip. If you experience difficulties, individual assistance will be available via the instructions you'll receive.

 

In some cases, particularly if you are participating in smaller-scale trips where microphones and webcams will be turned on, you may be asked to schedule a test connection with us for one-on-one assistance and preparation for your trip. 

 

As a courtesy, we ask all registered participants to please be prompt in replying to outreach messages and communication to ensure that you'll be able to participate in your scheduled Virtual Farm Trip.

 

Note: In rare cases, your computer may not be able to connect using the provided instructions. However, you will be able to connect using a limited interface through your browser. We will provide instructions for doing so if determined necessary.

What can I expect during a Virtual Farm Trip?

A typical Virtual Farm Trip lasts 30-45 minutes depending upon the audience, but may not be limited to those timeframes.

 

You can expect to connect to your trip 5-10 minutes ahead of the start time to ensure all is working well. This will be followed by a brief welcome and introduction, followed by a short "show and tell" chat and tour with a farmer and moderator.  The remainder of your trip will be devoted to live question and answer sessions, with opportunities in many cases for participants to be on camera and ask questions directly to a farmer. 

 

Note: Virtual Farm Trips are developed by our partners with specific audiences in mind. As such, the content of each tour is also tailored toward these specific audiences. Please note the age levels associated with trips as you register for them to ensure it is a good fit for your audience.

I cannot participate in a live trip. Are recordings available?

Certainly! All Virtual Farm Trips are recorded, with many of them posted online for viewing. Most recordings are typically available within one week of the completion of a trip.

 

In many cases, you may request a recording of a trip during the registration process. Otherwise, you can visit our Virtual Farm Trips archive to view past trips.

 

Note: All who participate in a live trip will receive the recording of that specific trip once it is uploaded and ready to view.

Who do I contact if I want more information prior to registering for a Virtual Farm Trip?

Click here to contact our Virtual Farm Trips manager directly or send a detailed inquiry form for reply.