Two capstone courses in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture focus on case studies in production agriculture. A principal objective of both courses is the development of an improved management plan for a grain farm in one of the courses and a cattle ranch in the other course. During the week prior to the start of the fall semester, students spend a week on-site conducting a farm or ranch survey that includes evaluating resources and financial records, gathering information about production and utilization practices, visiting innovative farm or ranches, interviewing the manager/owner of the case-study farm/ranch, and starting to formulate ideas that might be used in a plan to improve the operation. Emphasis is placed on problem identification and resolution, and integration skills (including economic analysis) of crop and livestock management to develop an improved management plan. During the semester students in the range course use different computer-based, decision support tools while the crops course uses private sector and extension resources to help develop recommendations presented to the farm/ranch family in written plans and oral reports. The instructors and farm/ranch family evaluate the plans in both courses, and a professional panel also evaluates the plans for the crops course. These two semester-long, capstone courses provide students the opportunity to apply their university education to a real-world case study situation. Although bringing case studies to the classroom improves student learning, even greater learning is possible when students have the opportunity for on-site participation as part of the case study.