2019 Farm Tour Recap
Another successful farm tour is in the books! With 30 farms this year, visitors could see how bigger farms work, like Herb Pharm, Fry Family Farm, and Rogue Creamery, while also experiencing the joys of smaller farms, such as Turning Point Farm, Fox Run Farm, and Daily Blessing Farm.
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Visitors of all ages enjoying Goodwin Creek Gardens
Every farm did a wonderful job hosting farm activities. It’s no surprise that attendees were drawn out to farms for the activities alone, like carriage rides, hay rides, photo booths, animal petting areas, prizes for children, live music, tastings and goods for sale. Some visitors made it a point to purchase goods from the farm at each stop they made - the lavender cookies and popsicles at Goodwin Creek Gardens were definitely a hit.
Vinfarm cheese and wine
We know this is a great event for the Rogue Valley community because there was an uptick in attendance from last year’s Farm Tour - about 1,500 folks made it out to local farms this year. That’s a great affirmation that Rogue Valley residents and visitors appreciate our strong local food system, and that they enjoy the opportunity to connect with our farmers. (A lot of feedback asked for longer hours or an additional day to tour farms in the future.)
Horse-drawn carriage rides were one of many activities for visitors
For 2020, here are some possible changes:
- A wrap-up party after the event! It was fun swapping stories after the tour about each farm, so it would be great to have everyone come together for a Farm Tour party with music and food at the end of the day.
- More and earlier bus and carpool options - though we got a lot of feedback asking for ways to reduce the carbon footprint of attending multiple farms, the tour buses sponsored by Rogue Retreat and Set-Free Ministries did not fill up. We will focus on filling buses with environmentally-conscious folks next year.
- The more volunteers, the easier it is on farms. We will be looking for more folks to help next year!
- Make the Farm Tour a little longer - Farms are spread out, so it's hard to get to more than three. Extending hours would allow attendees time to visit another farm, or just enjoy a nice moment.
- We will schedule the 2020 Farm Tour to avoid double-booking with the Jackson County Fair free day and the Oregon Country Fair.
- We will add a spot to the maps so you know where you can grab food.
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