Don’t stay up too late on Friday.

Mower County’s Breakfast on the Farm kicks off bright and early Saturday morning, June 25, in LeRoy. Parents may have to roust their kids out of bed, as the event starts at 7:30 a.m. and offers a variety of educational opportunities. Once again, it’s all about technology, as farming has drastically changed in the last 30 years, according to Dale Bissen, who hosted the event last year, which drew about 700 guests.

This year, the event takes place at Grass & Sons Seeds, 77249 125th St., about a mile and a half north of LeRoy.

Virginia Bissen suggests people attend the event, as farm life has changed and fewer kids grow up in rural areas.

“The further we go in time, the less children we have in the rural area,” she said. “Where else can kids that are from town get on a tractor, feed some livestock. … I think Breakfast on the Farm is a good way for the town and country folks to meet together and see really what it is like in the country.”

Dave Lunning of Grass & Sons Seeds will give tours of his facility and explain the present and future of seed technology.

“In recent years, what’s changed there is just the technology — that is in the seed itself,” Lunning said. “As far as chemical, herbicide resistance, there’s resistance bred into these plants against insects and things that bring yield down.”

Visitors will also get an interactive tour in Monsanto’s Mobile Experience, a 53-foot semitrailer that converts into a 1,000-square-foot facility with video, speakers and an interactive population globe.

But aside from all the talk, kids will get to see the raw side of the farm first-hand. There will be a petting zoo, horse-drawn wagon rides, tractors and other displays.

The breakfast is $3 per person or $12 per family. Children younger than 6 are free. Busing will also take a group from Hy-Vee at 8:30 a.m. for free.

“The whole thing is designed to be fun, family educational thing,” Lunning said. “It’s really designed for non-farm families, so people can get out and see what agriculture is all about.”