July 30, 2025
Tour Information
Welcome to the 2025 pre-conference tour!
This year’s pre-conference tour features local food production and entrepreneurship. The tour takes place from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm. An evening reception begins at 4:30 pm and concludes by 7:30 pm.
The tour begins at The Holton Homestead in Elkhart, where the group will learn about Iowa’s bees, honey processing, and creative marketing. Next, the tour group will travel to Pine Grove Family Farms in Bondurant. The Smith family produces beef, pork and more for the local direct market.
An evening reception will be held at Reclaimed Rails Brewing Company in Bondurant, beginning at 4:30 pm. The group will hear about the craft beer brewery founded in 2016 in an old legion hall. Ashley Hunter, from Purple Ribbon Beef in Britt, IA is the featured evening speaker. A light meal of salads, sandwiches, and desserts will be served. A large selection of beverages may be purchased at the bar. Following the reception, tour attendees are invited to end the day with a stroll through the Bondurant Farmers Market.
We ask that you travel to the tour sites in personal vehicles and seek out others to carpool with. Driving and parking on gravel roads may be necessary. We will also have one or two 15-passenger ISU vans for those who prefer to travel this way. Please reserve your seat in a van by contacting Madeline directly at schultz@iastate.edu.
The tour will take place rain or shine, so please be prepared for the weather. In the case of severe storms, we will use email, voice and/or text to notify you of changes.
Tour Itinerary
12:00 pm – Optional: Van departs from Courtyard Marriot, travel about 12 miles
- 2405 SE Creekview Dr., Ankeny, IA 50021
12:30pm – Tour The Holton Homestead (3 locations – we will assign your starting location after registration)
- The Bee Yard is at 12806 NE 64th St., Elkhart, IA 50073
- The Kitchen is at 265 Garfield Ave. #3, Elkhart
- The Store is at 13779 NE 29th St, Elkhart
2:30 pm – Depart The Holton Homestead, travel about 13 miles
3:00 pm – Tour Pine Grove Family Farms
- 9582 NE 94th Ave., Bondurant, IA 50035
4:15 pm – Depart Pine Grove, travel 4 miles
4:30 pm – Evening Reception at Reclaimed Rails Brewing Company
- 101 Main St. SE, Bondurant, IA 50035
4:30 pm – Guest Speaker: Reclaimed Rails Brewing Co-Founder/Brewmaster
5:00 pm – Dinner Buffet (sandwiches, salads, desserts)
5:30 pm – Guest Speaker: Ashley Recknor, Purple Ribbon Beef, Britt, IA
6:30pm – Reception concludes
6:30 pm – Bondurant Farmers Market
7:30 pm – Optional: Van returns to Courtyard Marriot (travel 10 miles)
Tour Guides
- Lisa Scarbrough, ISU Extension and Outreach Women in Ag Program
515-971-4214 (cell), lscarb@iastate.edu - Madeline Schultz, ISU Extension and Outreach Women in Ag Program
515-290-4082 (cell), schultz@iastate.edu - Casey Gathje, NRCS
515-631-0248 (cell), Casey.Gathje@usda.gov - Ellie Fauteux, Heartland Co-op
515-520-4960 (cell), efauteux@heartlandcoop.com
Tour Hosts and Speaker Information
Holton Homestead
Sara and Tyler Holton and their team produce honey near Elkhart, Iowa from more than 850 beehives located in 11 bee yards. In 2023, they opened a commercial kitchen to process honey products. Sara’s marketing experience was valuable as Holton Homestead’s sales avenues grew to include an on-farm store, over 60 wholesale locations across Iowa, online sales, and farmers markets. A third-generation beekeeper, Sara says they started their farm business accidently in 2015 when they produced too many eggs for the family. As an expert apiarist Tyler manages beehives in California for almond pollination each winter season. The Holton’s and their team are excited to show us the results of their talents and entrepreneurship from the beehives to the honey jar to the store. https://holtonhomestead.com
Pine Grove Family Farms
Shaymus and Kirsten Smith established Pine Grove Family Farms in 2012. They received the Way We Live Award from the Iowa State Fair in 2024. They raise over 100 head of cattle, plus hogs, hens, broilers and bee hives. Their two older children help operate the farm, while the two younger ones help wash eggs and enjoy farm life. Kirsten runs the farm store and manages direct-to-consumer sales. The Smith’s work hard to educate consumers and ‘bring back local’ since many consumers are generations removed from food production on the farm. The family balances involvement in their community, 4-H, and FFA, while taking their responsibilities as stewards of the land and guardians of their animals seriously. The Smith’s have hosted national FFA groups on their farm and look forward to extending their hospitality to the Iowa Women in Agriculture.
https://www.pinegrovefamilyfarms.com
Reclaimed Rails Brewing Company
What started as hobby turned into a business when three friends decided to open Reclaimed Rails Brewing Company in Bondurant ten years ago. The name comes from an assortment of reclaimed items. They renovated an original American Legion Hall built in 1948, built a deck from wood off the old Log Ride at Adventureland Park, and installed a bar footrest made from an old train rail. The brewery is located near the intersection of two reclaimed railways now used for recreation. The lower level serves as a 15-barrell brewery, while the upper level is a great space for relaxation and community events.
https://reclaimedrailsbrewing.com/
Purple Ribbon Beef
Ashley Recknor grew up showing prize winning Shorthorn cattle. After earning a master’s degree at Iowa State University, she started a retail beef business with her husband, Jess, and her parents. Ashley wanted to develop an entrepreneurial business that would allow her to stay connected to the family farm and local community. She began by selling beef products at the Ames Farmers Market in 2016, added online sales growing to more than 40 products shipping nationally, and last year she established an on-farm store. She and her mother are in the process of adding a commercial kitchen so they can host farm-to-table dinners. Along the way, Ashley sought advice from ISU Extension and Outreach and other mentors to help grow the business. Its been hard work, but Ashley and her family have developed a successful brand that represents family values and premium quality. https://purpleribbonbeef.com
Bondurant Farmers Market
The market takes place every Wednesday evening from 6 to 8 PM, rain or shine, from May through October, on Main Street. Vendors include local growers, producers, bakers, makers, crafters, and more. The market also features live music, activities for kids, and various food and drink options. https://www.facebook.com/TheBondurantFarmersMarket