Ag Tourism
Most people overlook the simple fact of where our food comes from. It is a story that Jay County was destined to tell. With 13 million layers (chickens), dairy, pork, turkeys, and sheep, we have a broad offering of livestock that groups can see and interact with at farms like Daniels Sheep Farm, the largest sheep farm in Jay County, and Minnich Poultry Farm, which produces over 1 million eggs per day. We will tell you how corn is refined to create ethanol at POET Biorefining, a plant that takes 65,000-70,000 bushels of corn everyday 365 days a year to create over 60 Million gallons of ethanol a year. Also we teach you how the local stone quarry is essential to the creation of ethanol and to our vibrant glass creation. We also have a herding demonstration to show how a Border Collie herds livestock.
From city-slickers to farm-raised, we will be able to tailor each tour to the needs of the group. All ages can benefit from hearing the story of our food.
Beyond our farms we have many museums and historical sites to visit with their own stories to tell. The Glass Museum has over 15,000 pieces of glassware from 110 factories around the world. It includes Dagenhart, Carnival Glass, lead crystal, Milk glass, Diamond Point, King's Crown, Albany Glass, Norse, Sandwich, Tiara, household and farm items. Our Museum of the Soldier’s goal is preserving and presenting histories of the men and women, the families and workers back home, during times of war, of peace, and peace keeping. We also have a beautiful court house with a stained glass skylight set in the dome which is covered in historic paintings. The Historical Society are experts on Jay County History and would love to share their knowledge.
The best way to hear the stories of the past is by listening to our professional story-teller. She brings the words to life with her excitement and enthusiasm; she will hold you in awe of her astonishing tales. We also have another artesian that demonstrates the many ways that a gourd can be carved. Either option is available during meal times.