IFAJ Post-Congress Agricultural Tours

August 5 – 8, 2009 – These are preliminary itineraries – all are subject to change and must meet a minimum number of participants to finalize.

Download the tour schedules with this link: IFAJ Post-Congress Ag Tours (pdf)

West Texas Tour – This tour will include transportation via airlines and buses. All transportation is included in price.

Wednesday, August 5

7 a.m.                           Depart Worthington Hotel, Fort Worth
10 – 11 a.m.                  Fly Dallas-Love Field to Lubbock
11:30 – 1:15 p.m.          Ranching Heritage Center, lunch and tour
1:30 – 5 p.m.                 Tour Plains Cotton Co-op facilities (cotton gin/cotton oil mill)
                                      USDA cotton stress lab, Lubbock, and ACG Denim Mill,                                       Littlefield
6 – 6:45 p.m.                 Hotel check-in, Lubbock
7 – 10 p.m.                    Caprock Winery, Lubbock, reception and dinner
10:15 p.m.                     Return to hotel

Thursday, August 6

7:30 a.m.                        Depart hotel
8:15 – 8:45 a.m.              Visit cotton farm, Ralls/Crosbyton area
10 a.m. – 1 p.m.              6666 Ranch tour, Guthrie and fajita lunch
2:45 – 4 p.m.                   Bradley Ranch tour, Memphis
5:45 p.m.                         Hotel check-in,Amarillo
7 – 10 p.m.                      Reception and dinner at American Quarter Horse Association
10:15 p.m.                       Return to hotel

Friday, August 7

8 a.m.                               Depart hotel
9 – 11 a.m.                       Dawn Custom Cattle Feeders tour, Dawn
11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.   Lunch in Hereford
1 – 2 p.m.                         Tour ethanol plant, Hereford
2:30 – 3:15 p.m.               Visit corn operation near Hereford
4:15 p.m.                         Arrive hotel,Amarillo
6 p.m.                              Depart hotel for Palo Duro Canyon State Park
6:45 p.m.                         Arrive State Park Amphitheater
7 – 8 p.m.                        BBQ steak dinner at the amphitheater
8:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.    “Texas!”outdoor musical play
11:30 p.m.                      Arrive hotel,Amarillo

Saturday, August 8

8 a.m.                               Check out, depart hotel
8:45 – 9:15 a.m.               View wind turbines, Wildorado
10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.         Visit western wear store,Amarillo
11 a.m.                             Arrive airport; box lunches provided
12:40 – 1:45 p.m.             Fly Amarillo to DFW Airport
3 p.m.                              Arrive hotel, DFW Airport area

East and Central Texas Short Tour – This tour will include transportation on buses only. This tour is two nights and returns to DFW area on Friday,August 7. Hotel for Saturday night is additional.

Wednesday, August 5

7:15 a.m.                        Depart Worthington Hotel, Fort Worth
9 – 10:15 a.m.                Corn and wheat farm with feed mill, Corsicana
11:45 – 2 p.m.                Trans Ova, Centerville
3 – 4:30 p.m.                  Producers Co-op, Bryan
4:45 – 6:15 p.m.             Hotel check-in, Bryan
6:30 – 9:30 p.m.             Messina Hof Winery – tour and dinner – Entertainment by the                                       Aggie Wranglers

Thursday, August 6

8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.         Texas A&M University campus tours and breakfast
1 – 2 p.m.                        Texas A&M Beef Center tours and lunch
2:30 – 3:15 p.m.              Family-run cattle/cotton/grain farm, Bryan
3:45 – 4 p.m.                   Farm machinery dealership, Caldwell
5:30 – 6:15 p.m.              Hotel check-in,Austin
7 – 9:30 p.m.                  Exotic Wildlife Ranch OR Boat Cruise – Reception/dinner event                                       with ag industry reps

Friday, August 7

8 a.m.                             Hotel check-out
8:30 – 9:15 a.m.             HEB Central Market (grocery store),Austin
10:15 – 11:15 a.m.         Grain-handling facillity, Taylor OR Stiles Farm, Thrall
Noon – 2 p.m. 44            Farms, Cameron tour and lunch
5 p.m.                             Arrive hotel, DFW airport area

South Texas Tour – This tour will include transportation via airlines and buses. All transportation is included in price.

Wednesday, August 5

7 a.m.                             Depart Worthington Hotel, Fort Worth
8:15 a.m.                        Arrive Dallas Love Field Airport
10 – 11 a.m.                   Fly Dallas to San Antonio
11:30 – 1 p.m.                Travel to Seguin; box lunch provided on bus
                                      Option:stop at Seguin Livestock Auction if schedule permits
1 – 2:30 p.m.                  Graham Feedyards
3 – 4:45 p.m.                  Shiner (Spoetzl) Brewery tour, Shiner
6:30 p.m.                        Hotel check-in, San Antonio
7:30 – 10 p.m.                Dinner, Buckhorn Museum “Hall of Horns”

Thursday, August 6

10 a.m.                          Hotel check-out and depart San Antonio
11:15 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.  74 Ranch (hunting operation), Campbellton – lunch and sporting                                       clays option
3 – 3:30 p.m.                 Smith Gin, Odem
4 – 5:30 p.m.                 Gulf Compress and Port of Corpus Christi shipping facilities
6 – 7 p.m.                      Hotel check-in, Corpus Christi
7:15 – 9 p.m.                 Dinner – )ption:Mustang Island beach after dinner

Friday, August 7

7:30 a.m.                       Depart hotel
8 – 8:15 a.m.                  Farm machinery dealership, Robstown
8:30 – 9:15 a.m.             Visit cotton and milo operation, Robstown
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.             King Ranch, Kingsville – ranch/farm tours & lunch
3:30 – 4:15 p.m.             Peeler Hall of Horns, Texas A&M Kingsville
4:30 – 5 p.m.                  King Ranch Saddle Shop
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.             Dinner at King’s Inn, Riviera (Baffin Bay)
9 p.m.                             Return to hotel, Corpus Christi

Saturday, August 8

8 – 9:30 a.m.                  Texas AgriLIFE Mariculture (shrimp) Lab and Texas Parks &                                       Wildlife Fish Hatchery, Corpus Christi
10 a.m.                          Hotel check-out
10:15 a.m.                     Arrive airport, Corpus Christi – box lunch
11:45 a.m. – 2 p.m.       Fly Corpus Christi to Dallas Love Field
3:15 p.m.                      Arrive hotel, DFW area