Heartland Acres offers variety of activities

Visitors to Heartland Acres Agribition Center in Independence this summer will find a variety of agricultural innovations, implements and displays designed to help them gain a better understanding of agriculture.

'Hands-on activities are available to help visitors grow their understanding of agriculture,” said Craig Johnson, executive director of Heartland Acres.

'Our ‘Planting Seeds for Tomorrow' display shows how mechanical innovations have saved time and energy in the seeding process. Animals are back for the summer, including chickens, pigs, goats, sheep, bunnies and Redneck Tony, our longhorn steer.”

Johnson said 'Transportation in Time,” a new exhibit that runs through December, includes vehicles ranging from a mid-1800s wooden sleigh to a 2005 solar-powered car on loan from Iowa State University.

'We've also had additions to our ‘Ag in the Military' display through equipment donations from Ken Cerra of Ocala, Florida.”

A one-room schoolhouse at Heartland Acres provides a learning experience for children, showing what it was like to attend school before indoor plumbing, backpacks and the Internet.

'Our ‘Cars of Yesteryear' exhibit offers one of the Midwest's most unusual classic car collections from a horseless carriage to the elegant classics and the 1960s muscle cars,” Johnson said.

The annual John Cannon Memorial Tractor Ride, set for 8:30 a.m. Saturday, June 11, is to honor the memory of Jim Arnold, a volunteer who provided help with past tractor rides.

'Jim was a local farmer in Buchanan County and a really great guy,” Johnson said. 'I'm really at a loss without Jim this year.”

Johnson said Cannon was a Heartland Acres board member for five years before he died in 2015.

The tractor ride is to travel from Heartland Acres at 2600 Swan Lake Boulevard. in Independence through Jesup to visit the FFA Historical & Ag Museum in La Porte City. The entry fee is $30 per tractor and $6 each for riders.

The entry fee for tractors includes admission and lunch at the FFA museum.

Registration entry forms are available at Heartland Acres' admission office or by visiting www.heartlandacresusa.com. The forms are due by Tuesday, May 31.

'We've had anywhere from 30 tractors to more than 60 last year, which is quite a few for a relatively small tractor ride,” Johnson said. 'We would like to have a speed of about 12 mph.”

Heartland Acres is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays through Labor Day. The last admission is at 3 p.m. each day.

Admission is $10 for adults and $4 for youth ages five to 17. Children four years old and younger are admitted free of charge.