Tour Day

Farm Foundation Round Table tours are carefully curated to provide an intimate behind-the-scenes look at a variety of local producers and agri-food businesses. In true peer-to-peer fashion, tour attendees hear from farmers, ranchers, and operators for their perspective on the meeting topic through the lens of their operation.  The tour day is known to sell out, so book your spot today!  

Reaching from the mountains to the beaches, North Carolina has a rich agriculture landscape, with a high number of different soil types, climates, and topographies.  Key agricultural products include animal production (mainly hogs and poultry), forestry (particularly Christmas trees), row crops (corn, tobacco, and sweet potatoes - North Carolina is the largest producer of sweet potatoes in the US, with 1.7 billion pounds grown annually), and horticultural crops (stone fruit and grapes).  North Carolina has always had its roots in agriculture; add the technical resources and innovative ecosystem, and you’ve got a unique environment for growth in agricultural technology.  

The Research Triangle Park (RTP) is the largest research park in North America and remains one of the most successful science parks across the globe.  Stretching 7,000 acres across Durham and Wake counties, the park is home to 250+ businesses, ranging from Fortune 100 multinational R&D operations to entrepreneurial-driven start-ups, and three Tier 1 research universities—Duke University, North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina Chapel Hill — located only minutes apart.

Join us as we tour various agricultural sites in the Raleigh-Durham area, Research Triangle Park and beyond.  Please plan for a full and active day. The tour involves some amount of walking and periods of time riding on a charter bus. Headsets are provided to ensure everyone can easily hear the speakers.  All transportation costs as well as breakfast and lunch are included in the tour price.  Please note that closed toe shoes and long pants are required.  

Farm Foundation has partnered with many local businesses to craft a stellar tour experience for all of our Round Table Fellows and their guests.  

The tour day is a fan favorite and does tend to sell out due to space restrictions at some locations, so we encourage you to reserve your spot in advance. 

You will be asked which tour you would like to go on during the registration check-out process.   All tours will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.  

*Tour itinerary subject to change*