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Innovation is nothing new for USD 326. After the implementation and construction of the Logan Intergenerational Family Education (LIFE) Center, the Logan Board of Education didn’t want to stop there. Instead, district leaders continued looking for new ways to expand learning beyond the classroom. Whether through hands-on career education, partnerships with local businesses, or opportunities to experience agriculture across the country, the district embraced the idea that some of the most valuable lessons happen outside the four walls of a classroom. One of the best examples of that commitment is the Logan FFA’s biennial Agricultural Career Tours.
At its inception in 2017, Logan FFA Advisor Janet Gottstine took a modest group of approximately 8 students to surrounding states, touring and learning about agricultural practices and career opportunities not readily available in Northwest Kansas. Early tour stops included creameries, livestock seed stock operations, coffee roasteries and equipment manufacturing plants.
When planning the 2024 Ag Tour, a student jokingly suggested that they should travel to Wisconsin to visit cranberry farms because he knew a family that owned one. Rather than dismissing the idea, Mrs. Gottstine listened to his feedback and challenged him to help her make it happen. Together, they mapped out a route and researched agricultural stops along the way, creating an unforgettable educational experience. It served as a great example of how student curiosity helped shape the direction of the Agricultural Career Tours. USD 326 Board President Jim Ashmore was a chaperone on the trip, because at Logan, when help was needed, everyone pitched in. He shared this about his experience:
“Being able to see the Ag trip firsthand was a great experience. Mrs. G has created an excellent opportunity for our kids to see other areas of the country and their agricultural practices. Without this Ag Tour, most of our students would never get this chance. I consider us very fortunate to have this opportunity!”
The following year, participation more than doubled, growing from the typical 8 to 10 students to 18 participants as student interest led the Ag Tour through Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma, visiting fish hatcheries, rice farms and a pecan processing facility in a three-vehicle convoy. The tour’s growing popularity, however, also created new challenges. With aging school vehicles
and decreasing availability of chaperones, Mrs. Gottstine and Board Vice President Wade Brumbaugh began exploring the possibility of chartering a bus to accommodate the growing tour. With 28 students projected to participate in 2027, the need was clear. Two major goals were in mind: to allow Mrs. Gottstine to focus on the educational aspect of the tour, and to continue providing this opportunity regardless of students’ financial situations. Wade and Mrs. Gottstine began applying for grants, partnering with local businesses and creating fundraising opportunities to help secure the funds necessary to charter the bus. To date, $19,600 has been raised through grants and donations, making this idea a reality.
What began as a small educational trip has grown into one of the district’s most unique learning experiences, and thanks to the support of a community committed to innovation, even more Logan students will have the opportunity to experience agriculture beyond Northwest Kansas in 2027.
The Logan FFA Chapter would like to recognize and thank the following organizations and individuals for providing the funds to rent the charter bus for the 2027 Ag Career Tour: • Phillips County Economic Development Foundation
• Albert Morgan and Leona A. Morgan Charitable Foundation, Inc.
• First National Bank
• Logan USD #326
• Darling Ingredients - Kansas City Kansas, Blending, 390
• Jake & Lucille Jones and Frank & Beth Freeman (Joyce Freeman Frennette) • Three anonymous donors
