C152 INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT RAN OUT OF GAS AND MADE AN OFF ARPT LNDG IN A FARMER'S FIELD.

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RETURNING FROM TRAINING FLT WITH STUDENT. HAD BEEN DOING TOUCH AND GOES AT CLAY COUNTY REGIONAL (GPH). PREVIOUSLY DOING TRAINING MANEUVERS AT 3000 FT MSL AND 1500 FT. APPROX 5-7 NM NE OF MKC (THE DOWNTOWN KANSAS CITY ARPT); ENG LOST PWR AND THEN SURGED SEVERAL TIMES. THE FUEL GAUGES APPEARED TO BE AT OR NEAR EMPTY. THE PLANE WAS HEADED INTO A 20+ KT WIND. MAKING IT TO MKC SEEMED DOUBTFUL AT BEST. DECIDED TO LOOK FOR A SAFE LNDG AREA. THE NEAREST AND ONLY ONE WAS A FARMER'S HAY FIELD S OF A SUBDIVISION. I NOTIFIED THE TWR OF MY INTENTION AND LANDED SAFELY. I TAXIED TO THE HIGHEST SPOT IN THE CTR OF THE FIELD; NOTIFIED THE TWR AND REMAINED IN RADIO CONTACT; UNTIL ANOTHER ACFT RPTED US TO THE TWR. ENG DID NOT STOP RUNNING UNTIL SHUT DOWN ON THE GND. INSPECTION BY THE FAA FOUND FUEL SUMPED FROM R TANK. FAA GAVE PERMISSION TO ADD FUEL AND TAKE OFF. CHIEF PLT FOR THE AIRPLANE RENTAL COMPANY MADE AN UNEVENTFUL TKOF; RETURNING TO MKC. BEFORE THE FLT I OBSERVED THE STUDENT USING THE CHKLIST TO CONDUCT THE PREFLT. HE SAID EVERYTHING WAS 'OK' AND READY TO GO. ON RUN-UP BEFORE TKOF I CASUALLY OBSERVED THE FUEL GAUGES AS BELOW 1/2 FULL. THE PROC FOLLOWED BY THE COMPANY IS TO NOT FILL COMPLETELY THE TANKS; DUE TO DANGER OF OVER GROSS WT PROBS. THE STUDENT WHO CONDUCTED THE PREFLT TOLD THE CHIEF PLT THAT HE FELT FUEL IN THE TANKS WHEN HE STUCK HIS FINGER IN THE FILL TUBE. THE LACK OF DEFINITE MEASUREMENT; STRONG HEADWINDS AND NOT ADDING SOME FUEL MADE THIS INCIDENT TAKE THE COURSE THAT IT DID.