This website serves Farmers and Ranchers in the Kansas AgriTourism Industry.For family outings, go to http://www.travelks.comWelcome to Kansas AgriTourism!This website has been developed specifically for Kansas farmers and ranchers involved in AgriTourism, rural properties where the traveler has an opportunity to experience farm and country life far from the hustle of the city.The site is a project of the Kansas Agritourism Advisory Council, working in cooperation with:the Kansas Agriculture Marketing Division and the Travel and Tourism Division of the Department of Commerceand with financial assistance from Frontier Farm Credit.We invite you to explore this website to find a variety of articles and resources that will help you succeed in agritourism.If you have any questions, please contact the Department of Commerce, Travel and Tourism Division, and ask for the Agritourism Liaison.
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June's Featured Destination: The Boot Scootin' Barn!
It was a boot scootin' party! Everybody had a great time! They wanted to come back for more! And- before you knew it- the Boot Scootin' Barn was born! The Boot Scootin' Barn is part of the Fulton Valley Farms, a heritage farm established in 1869 near Towanda, a town about 15 miles east of Wichita, Kansas. The working farm is the home of former Kansas State Senator David and Betty Corbin, and sits between a rippling stream and acres of corn, wheat, beans and hay. But most folks just know it as the Boot Scootin' Barn.
"We have five or six weddings each year, and the rest are reunions, retreats, or just plain ol' parties," Betty said. "With tables and chairs and the catering tables, we normally host around 250 people, with the capacity to go up to 400. If the weather doesn't cooperate, and forces the wedding inside, we can handle it. We set up the chairs for a sanctuary, and after the wedding, ask folks to help us move the chairs around for a party."
Guests are responsible for their own food and catering, which actually gives the guests a lot more flexibility. "Some will hire a caterer, and others will fire up the barbeque, and host the party themselves, just as though the barn was in their own back yard. They truly love it," Betty said. "We even have had a wedding were all the guests were asked to all bring a dish -- kind of a return to the church potluck traditions." Pricing for the Boot Scootin' Barn is based on the number of guests, with a 100-guest minimum. The fee includes the space, decorations, tables and chairs, and clean up, and right now the Corbins charge $7 per person for weddings, $6 for receptions, or $5 for parties or reunions.
"We meet the neatest people," Betty said. "Once you open up to the public, you wonder if it's okay to have strangers on your property, but our guests seem to treat our place as though it is their own home. They take care of it, and take care of each other." Betty and her daughter-in-law Linda manage the business, but her husband, two sons, and 6 grand kids all join in on keeping everything up and preparing it for their guests. As her new brochure says, "We work hard for your fun."
Time will tell whether their participation there produces any reservations, but Betty felt the involvement with other Kansas attractions was certainly worthwhile. The Fulton Valley Farms is also available for picnics, camping, bonfire roasts, hayrack rides, walking, hiking, observing wildlife, searching for arrowheads, and outdoor games. Guests frequently are treated to wildlife, birds, deer, and turkey around the barn. But frankly, the main reason folks come visit Fulton Valley Farms of Towanda, Kansas, is good ol' Boot Scootin', at the Boot Scootin' Barn! Visit the Boot Scootin' Barn Website |
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Nine years ago, David and Betty Corbin's oldest son was getting married. So they poured a concrete floor in the barn, called all their friends, and they had party. 
Betty Corbin tells us that ten to twelve times each year, the barn kicks up to full power. The ceiling becomes a canopy of thousands of twinkle lights high above the two antique wooden wheeled wagons. A hanging lattice covered with artificial greenery sets off the catering tables. A building adjoining the barn, connected by a breezeway, provides a full kitchen for caterers, as well as handicapped accessible restrooms. Outside, there are three different areas for outdoor weddings followed by an indoor reception. 
The Boot Scootin' Barn only operates from about May 1 to the first of November, primarily because the building does not have heating or air conditioning. "But the building is insulated on the outside, and we can open up both ends," Betty quickly adds, "So most of the time, it stays quite nice inside." 
"Our guests are very happy with this arrangement," she said. "If you assume they are going to pay about $7 for the caterer, $200 or $300 for a band, and whatever decorations they want to add, they probably still only end up around $20 or $25 per guest." Betty provides a list of caterers and recommendations upon request. 
Betty says the business has grown strictly by word of mouth. They had never done any advertising until just a few weeks ago, when they participated in the Kansas Sampler Festival in Newton. The brochure, prepared by one of the grand-daughters, was put together just for the Sampler event. 