Because an increasing number of undergraduate students in Plant Science do not have a farming background, every effort must be made to increase their exposure to all aspects of the agricultural industry. The Agronomy Department offers a Crops Travel Course each summer to broaden the exposure of these students to agricultural production practices, as well as agriculture support industries and facilities in the USA. In June 2005, 12 students and 3 adults visited North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania for ten days. This trip provided the opportunity for our students to gain experience beyond the typical classroom and laboratory settings. A major intent of the travel course was to give students extensive one-on-one time with individuals in the industry. The structuring of the course, which included a 4-night stay with local Delaware farmers, encouraged the development of communication and critical thinking skills by allowing the students to perform field activities directly with the farmers. After each day's activities, the evenings were spent informally discussing current topics with members of the local agricultural community. Students gained a new perspective from information shared during these discussions. When the students rated the educational value of various activities, there was a significant difference in the means of these non-traditional teaching activities when compared with more traditional activities such as a museum tour (p<0.0001). After this course, students are better able to recognize, define, and analyze agricultural systems after their in-depth interactions with individuals in the industry.