GREAT BEND, Kan. — Today’s fourth graders are tomorrow’s employees, entrepreneurs, farmers, veterinarians, mechanics, engineers, business owners, and community leaders. The Great Bend Chamber of Commerce is asking the community to help plant those seeds now by supporting the 32nd Annual Kid’s Ag Day, scheduled for Wednesday, September 9, 2026.
Hosted by the Chamber’s Ag-Business Committee, Kid’s Ag Day will provide nearly 400 fourth-grade students from across Barton County with a hands-on opportunity to discover the people, technology, careers, and businesses behind one of the region’s most important industries.
For more than three decades, Kid’s Ag Day has helped bring agriculture to life for local students. Participants rotate through educational stations, travel across the farm on tractor-drawn hayrack rides, interact with animals, explore farm machinery, and learn about crops, conservation, technology, and modern agricultural practices.
But the impact of Kid’s Ag Day extends well beyond one school day.
Workforce development starts long before the first job application.
It can begin when a fourth grader discovers that a drone is also an agricultural tool. When a student climbs onto a piece of farm equipment and wonders how it works. Or when a young person meets a local professional and discovers a career they didn’t know existed.
Those experiences connect directly to the Workforce Development priorities of the Chamber’s Elevate GBK strategic plan. By introducing young people to the opportunities available in agriculture and related industries, Kid’s Ag Day helps students begin to envision a future where successful careers can be built right here in Barton County.
Agriculture today encompasses far more than farming and ranching. Careers can include science, technology, engineering, mechanics, conservation, agronomy, veterinary medicine, finance, communications, business, and many other fields.
Community support makes those learning experiences possible.
The Chamber is currently seeking financial donations, agriculture-related presenters, planning committee members, and general event-day volunteers for next year’s Kid’s Ag Day. Every contribution—whether financial, educational, or through the gift of time—helps continue a tradition that has introduced generations of Barton County children to agriculture.
Those interested in seeing the program’s impact can look back at the 30th Anniversary Kid’s Ag Day photo album at https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBGe1R. The photos capture students asking questions, interacting with animals, exploring equipment, and experiencing agriculture in ways that extend beyond the classroom.
The Ag-Business Committee is also beginning to look ahead and is seeking a farm venue for the 2027 Kid’s Ag Day. Property owners or community members who may know of a suitable location are encouraged to contact the Chamber.
Financial contributions can be made online at greatbend.org by finding the 32nd Annual Kid’s Ag Day event and selecting REGISTER, or checks may be mailed to:
Great Bend Chamber of Commerce
c/o Kid’s Ag Day
1125 Williams Street
Great Bend, KS 67530
Kid’s Ag Day is a private educational event for participating fourth-grade students, teachers, presenters, and approved volunteers and is not open for general public attendance. Public, private, and homeschool fourth-grade students throughout Barton County are invited to participate through their respective registration process.
For questions about donating, volunteering, presenting an agriculture-related educational session, joining the planning committee, or providing a potential 2027 farm venue, contact Ashley Hickman at [email protected] or 620-792-2401.
Together, Barton County can continue planting the seeds that grow tomorrow’s workforce, strengthen local industry, and give young people another reason to see opportunity right here at home.
