Friday, September 12, 2025
On September 12th, Ames will be the place to be! Extension council members from across Iowa will converge on the Iowa State University campus to engage, learn, and do.
- See where the research happens - - the same research that fuels the extension programs presented in your county.
- Meet the people who help extend the reach of the university.
- And of course there are some can't-miss tours like the new Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, ISU Digital Ag Innovation Lab, and the Campus Greenhouses.
- Connect with other council members and campus extension staff.
- Meet Vice President for Extension and Outreach Jason Henderson, Assistant Vice President for County Services Andrea Welchans, and Extension and Outreach Program Leaders.
Registration remains open! Register by September 10 to save your spot. The registration fee for council members is just $25 and is reimbursable as professional development by your county. Council members may register a spouse or guest to join them for $45.
Details for Attendees
Driving in
From Hwy 30, take the University Ave. exit (Exit 146). Follow University Ave. north to Center Drive. We will gather at the Scheman Building, 1805 Center Drive, Ames. It is the building to the west of Hilton Coliseum.
Parking
Free parking will be in Lot B1 north of the Scheman Building. There is additional free parking nearby if Lot B1 is full.
Registration
Enter the north entrance of the Scheman Building and take the stairs or elevator to the 1st floor to check in at the registration table. Registration is available 9:00-9:45 a.m. The program begins promptly at 9:45. Our day begins and ends at the Scheman Building; we’ll wrap up at 3:45pm.
Food
Morning refreshments will be available at the Scheman Building when you arrive. Lunch will be a buffet catered by Hickory Park Restaurant. And we’ll cap off the day with ice cream from the ISU Creamery that you can take with you on the road. If you indicated a special dietary need, that will be accommodated.
Attire
Dress comfortably with closed-toed walking shoes. An extension council or Iowa State shirt would be appropriate, but not necessary. We want you to be comfortable. Checking the forecast, it looks like we’ll have temps nearing 90 degrees with partly cloudy skies.
What to Bring
- Water bottle (if you’d like to carry it). There are lots of places to refill in campus buildings. There will also be bottled water available on the buses.
- Umbrella (depending on the weather)
- For those touring the ISU Meat Lab, Creamery, or Wine Industry Institute, there will be an opportunity for you to purchase their products so plan appropriately.
- An attitude to learn!
You may prefer to travel light because you’ll have to carry what you bring with you. We promise we won’t give you any handouts that you have to carry!
Transportation for Tours
All tours will be transported to each location via charter bus. Each bus will be labeled with Tour A, B, or C and be led by a tour guide. The buses are not handicapped accessible. Please let Jennifer Vit (jvit@iastate.edu, 515-291-9186) know as soon as possible if that may be an issue for you so we can make alternate arrangements if needed. Tour A will walk from the second to third tour stops as the buildings are quite close on campus and a bus is not needed.
Timeliness
In order to pack in as much as possible into our day, our schedule will be tight. We will have a tour guide with you to help keep time and move your group as effectively as possible from location to location. If you have trouble arriving by our 9:45 a.m. start, please call or text me (Jennifer at 515-291-9186) so we can arrange to get you to your tour location.
Your Host
The Extension Council Day on Campus idea originated with Vice President Henderson, and he hosts the event. The Iowa Extension Council Association board of directors provided insight about the day’s program and also provided funds to support this educational opportunity.
See you on Friday!
I very much enjoyed the tours and learning what is happening at ISU! The entire day was a fantastic use of my time!
Schedule
9:00 AM Registration & Refreshments, Scheman Building
9:45 Welcome
- IECA President Sara Kuboushek
- Assistant Vice President for County Services Andrea Welchans
10:15 Kickoff Tour - CYTown with ISU Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard
11:00 Tour Stop 1
12:15 PM Lunch
- Luncheon Keynote: Vice President for Extension and Outreach Jason Henderson
1:15 Tour Stop 2
2:30 Tour Stop 3
3:45 Return to Scheman and depart for home
Kickoff Tour
CYTown with ISU Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard
Tour Track A
Closed toe shoes are required for this tour.
Stop 1 - Veterinary Diagnostic Lab
Stop 1 - Veterinary Diagnostic Lab
In March 2024 a new, 100,000-square-foot stand-alone building for the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL) opened. The full-service laboratories at the VDL process upwards of 127,000 cases each year and conduct more than 1.7 million tests annually. See how the VDL is a great example of the land-grant mission in action.
Stop 2 - Campus Greenhouses
Stop 2 - Campus Greenhouses
ISU has an amazing collection of greenhouses right in the middle of central campus. Learn about the research and teaching that occurs in the greenhouses and how the ISU Horticulture Department connects with counties through programs.
Stop 3 - ISU Winery/Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute
Stop 3 - ISU Winery/Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute
Come visit the Iowa State University Winery and learn more about what the Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute is doing to help the Iowa grape, wine, beer and cider industries. You might even be able to taste a bit of ISU's creations.
Tour Track B
Stop 1 - ISU Meat Lab
Stop 1 - ISU Meat Lab
The Iowa State University Meat Laboratory is a federally inspected facility that serves multiple roles, including undergraduate and graduate teaching, research, and extension programs. The internationally recognized short course programs on meat processing and food safety provide programming for meat processors in Iowa, across the entire United States, and around the world.
Stop 2 - Taste of Cyclone Kitchen
Stop 2 - Taste of Cyclone Kitchen
Cyclone Kitchen, a fresh, fun program that's all about cooking, learning interesting food facts, and connecting with others, will launch at the end of 2025. You’re invited to join a special preview session where you’ll get a taste of what’s to come—literally!
Stop 3 - Iowa 4-H Clover Kids
Stop 3 - Iowa 4-H Clover Kids
Clover Kids is a fun 4-H program specifically designed for children in kindergarten through 3rd grade. Learn about the Clover Kids fundamentals and how it helps drive long-term youth involvement in 4-H. You'll experience a Clover Kid activity and see the Extension 4-H Building.
Tour Track C
Closed toe shoes are required for this tour.
Stop 1: Making an Impact with Digital Agriculture
Stop 1: Making an Impact with Digital Agriculture
A hub of service-driven innovation, the new 85,000-sq. ft facility is home to the ISU Digital Ag Innovation Lab and features specialized spaces for nozzle development, sensor engineering, grain and agronomy research, and large-scale training and collaboration areas. The Digital Ag Team focuses on research and development programming that is supported through engagement and partnerships, education, innovation, and outreach. The building offers collaborative spaces for the Digital Ag Innovation team and ag-based companies to develop technologies aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity and efficiency.
Stop 2: ISU Creamery
Stop 2: ISU Creamery
You're in for a sweet treat! Opened in 2020, the Creamery makes ice cream and cheese. As part of their mission, they provide Extension services to dairy farmers and entrepreneurs, all while providing experiential learning to prepare students for the most skilled positions in the industry. The ISU Creamery is among few university food science programs in the country that produce and sell dairy food products. Their storefront has featured flavors of ice cream and cheese for purchase or shipping.
Stop 3 - ISU Compost Facility
Stop 3 - ISU Compost Facility
The ISU compost facility is designed to handle more than 10,000 tons of organic waste annually in an environmentally responsible manner. As they say, "we take crap from everyone(as long as it's from the university 😉)."