Bloomington, Minnesota, USA
September 23, 2025
Field days have long served as a cornerstone of agricultural education and community building, but a new wave of public-focused events is helping bridge the gap between consumers and the farms that feed them. With growing interest in health, sustainability, and food origins, organizations like KWS Seeds are stepping up to sponsor events that invite the public into the field—literally. These experiences offer hands-on learning about crops, harvesting, and the economic and environmental impact of agriculture, helping demystify farming for a broader audience.
Participants proudly display a freshly harvested sugarbeet highlighting the focus on agricultural innovation and community engagement at the Field Fest event presented by KWS Seeds.
One standout example is Field Fest, hosted by the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and presented by KWS Seeds. Held at the Farm at the Arb, the event drew nearly 1,800 attendees and featured interactive activities like sugarbeet harvesting, baking demonstrations, and educational exhibits. More than 500 families participated in the sugarbeet activity alone, digging in the dirt to harvest their own beets and competing to find the largest one. KWS representatives engaged families in the field, offering insights into sugarbeet production and sustainability. The event highlighted lesser-known specialty crops and gave participants a chance to connect with agriculture in a tangible, memorable way.
As a global leader in plant breeding and seed innovation, KWS sees public field days as a vital opportunity to connect with consumers and support agricultural literacy. With the U.S. headquarters in Bloomington, Minn., and a strong presence in the sugarbeet seed industry, the company hosts similar events nationwide. “These experiences help people understand not just where their food comes from, but the care and stewardship behind it,” said Trisha Gregory, KWS Director of US Marketing. “We’re proud to support programs that bring farming to life and strengthen the bond between growers and the communities they serve.”
About KWS
KWS is one of the world’s leading plant breeding companies. Nearly 5,000 employees* in more than 70 countries generated net sales of around €1.68 billion in the fiscal year 2023/2024. A company with a tradition of family ownership, KWS has operated independently for almost 170 years. It focuses on plant breeding and the production and sale of seed for sugarbeet, corn, cereals, vegetables, oilseed rape and sunflower. KWS uses leading-edge plant breeding methods to continuously improve yield for farmers and plants’ resistance to diseases, pests and abiotic stress. To that end, the company invested more than €300 million last fiscal year in research and development.
*excl. seasonal workforce
More information: www.kws.com. Follow us on LinkedIn: LinkedIn_KWS Group
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