The 2016 Farm Tour and Harvest Sale will be held on July 23rd and 24th and includes 21 participating farms. According to the organizers' website, “Most people do not know that agricultural activities occupy about one-third of the County’s land area. The majority of the farms in the County are family-run operations, which employ more than 10,000 residents.” The event aims to raise awareness about the many economic and environmental benefits that are provided by the 540 farms in Montgomery County, including the preservation and enhancement of natural areas and the $287 million in economic contributions to the local economy.
Residents are invited to take part in the Farm Tour by visiting the farms for hayrides, pony rides, music, demonstrations, and to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers, and plants directly where they are grown. There will also be a Farm Tour Trading Card Contest, with prizes for the top 3 collectors. Full details of event and participating farms can be found in the Farm Tour brochure.
In a time where many people will never visit a farm in their lifetime, let alone think about where their food was grown, the Farm Tour provides a unique opportunity to get up-close and personal with your food and your farmers. Residents of the surrounding areas — other parts of Maryland and even Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. — are encouraged to attend and take advantage of this opportunity to visit and learn from so many farmers.
While the Farm Tour and Harvest Sale provides the perfect weekend opportunity to get to know your local farmers, it is a once a year event in Montgomery County. Other places around the country have their own tours and opportunities to visit local farmers, such as Spring and Fall tours in Loudoun County, Virginia, or Piedmont Farm Tour in Carolinas. And of course, you can find local farmers all year long at 1000ecofarms.com!
