2008 Ag Adventure Tour
"Go West Tour"

2008 Ag Tour Participants

Leadership Omaha Alumni Build Networks and Knowledge on Tour of Nebraska's Panhandle
Published: July 24, 2008

Take 37 people from urban and rural Nebraska, add an Arrow motor coach, mix in 1,160 miles of highways and byways and what do you get? The 14th Annual Legendary Ag Adventure Tour, held July 17-19. Members of the Leadership Omaha Alumni Association and the Nebraska LEAD Alumni Association designed the tour to build networks and knowledge across Nebraska. Members of the Leadership Omaha Alumni Association are graduates of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce Leadership Omaha program <http://leadershipomaha.org/> . Nebraska LEAD alumni are graduates of the Nebraska LEAD (Leadership Education/Action Development) program.

This year's tour wound from Lincoln to Mitchell at the Wyoming border, to Fort Robinson, 50 miles south of South Dakota and back again. Highlights of the itinerary included visiting the Haythorn Ranch near Ogallala - the world's third largest breeder of quarter horses - and Brown Sheep Company where natural fiber yarns are produced and supplied to knitters in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Tour participants included two officers from the Omaha North High School FFA chapter along with chapter sponsor LeeAnn Vaughn, the 2007 Presidential Awardee for Excellence in Science Teaching from Nebraska.

Jackie McCabe, a graduate of Leadership Omaha Class 29 said, "The Ag Tour was a well organized and hospitable way to gain insight into the wonders of the Nebraska Panhandle. It was also the perfect opportunity to get to know other interesting professionals, educators and legislators."

Dawna Bender, a newcomer to Nebraska and an administrative assistant at Farmers National Company commented, "In-depth lectures and tours covered a broad spectrum of topics ranging from producing textiles from biomass materials, to touring a wheat farm, viewing a presentation on efforts to provide rural communities with better healthcare services, to witnessing oil coming out of the ground. The contacts and friendships developed were priceless. My resolve is to participate in the Ag Adventure Tour every year... it's too good to miss out on!"

Next year's tour of northeast Nebraska is scheduled for July 17 and 18. For more information, contact Lynda Shafer at (402) 978-7928.

"Main Street in a Small Town"  Frey's General Store in Stapleton.	Group Discussion at Haythorn Ranch near Arthur.
Lead Alum Laif Anderson discusses wheat harvest on his farm near Harrisburg.	Peggy Wells, owner of Brown Sheep Company leads the tour group through their wool textiles factory.
Visiting the site of an Oil Rig near Kimball.	The group enjoys their "Main Street in a small Town Experience in Stapleton, Nebraska".

Click here to view photos from the 2007 Ag Adventure Tour
Click here to view photos from the 2006 Ag Adventure Tour
Click here to view photos from the 2005 Ag Adventure Tour
Click here to view photos from the 2004 Ag Adventure Tour

For more information on the Ag Adventure Tour, please contact Reid Hagstrom,
Ag Adventure Tour Coordinator at rhagstrom@verasun.com