Tours open up a day

in the life of local agriculture
By Scott Nicholson

The best of local agriculture will be showcased in August, with people getting the chance to visit farms and meet the growers who are stocking local restaurants and farmers’ markets.

The 2009 High Country Farm Tour will be held Saturday, Aug. 8, and Sunday Aug. 9, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Stops on the self-guided tour are located across Alleghany, Ashe, Watauga and Wilkes counties and in Grayson County, Va. The tour includes 13 farms, two retail establishments and one winery.

The farm tour, organized by Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture, has a goal of connecting people to the food’s origin and to celebrate the variety of crops, produce, landscaping and flowers offered in the region.

Wrist bands are $20 in advance or $25 if purchased at a farm, and they are good for one carload of people for the entire weekend. Single-farm visits are $10 per carload.

Wrist bands are available for purchase online at www.brwia.org and in Boone at Bare Essentials Natural Market, Mast General Store, Earth Fare, and the Watauga County Farmers’ Market; in West Jefferson at the Ashe County Farmers’ Market and Spin A Yarn; and in Valle Crucis at the Original Mast General Store.

Detailed brochures are available at all wrist band outlets and contain farm descriptions, driving directions and a map, all designed to help people plan an individualized tour itinerary.

The event also receives support from Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, Earth Fare, Grayson Natural Foods, Orchard Hill Media, Ashe County Farm Bureau, Bare Essentials Natural Market, Mast General Store, Old Orchard Creek and Spin A Yarn.

For more information about the High Country Farm Tour, visit www.brwia.org or call (304) 923-7474.
For grower interviews and photos of the farms featured on the tour visit www.highcountryfarmtour.blog.com.