The annual Boone County Farm Tour will take place again this Saturday.
Fourteen working farms in the county are inviting visitors to learn about agriculture and where food is produced while having the opportunity to talk to area farmers and observe their work during this event.
The self-guided tour will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. regardless of weather, and the tour headquarters will be at the Burlington Farmer’s Market, which has 50 member farms. Brochures that include tour maps can be picked up there.
This is the fourth year of the tour, which has had 12-14 participating farms each year
“It started out with the Boone County Conservation District, which did some survey work around the county and just wanted to show the value of agriculture to Boone County,” extension agent for agriculture Jerry Brown said. “It was shown that a lot of people didn’t even know that there were farms in Boone County, and so the idea came from that.”
There is no admittance charge for the family-friendly event although some farm activities will charge fees, and patrons are encouraged to bring cash for food or other items at the individual farms.
Participating farms this year are Merrell Family Farm, McGlasson Farms, Double H Ranch, Real McCoy’s Farm and Recreational Club, Eagle Bend Alpaca Farm, Scott Farms, Kinman Farms, Historic Dinsmore Homestead, Jane’s Saddlebag, Ryan Raised Farm, Wheelrim Alpacas, Alpacas of Verona, Verona Vineyards and Sun Sugar Farms.
Due to time limitations, visitors will not be able to tour all of the farms on the roster, so they should select the ones they would most like to see. Typically patrons should allow 30-60 minutes per visit and dress in all-weather clothing and shoes that could get dirty.
“It’s a great opportunity for parents to get out there and do activities with their children,” Brown said. “Almost every farm is kid friendly, and we’ve found that it’s much easier to teach children about agriculture than it is adults. We’ve put a lot of effort into going into schools and teaching kids where their food comes from.”
Merrell Family Farm, Kinman Farms, Jane’s Saddlebag and Verona Vineyards and Sun Sugar Farms will sell food and beverages on premises.
Sponsors of this event are the Boone County Conservation District, the Boone County Cooperative Extension Service, the Kentucky Farm Bureau and the Boone County Fiscal Court.
Those interested should visit the tour website at or its Facebook site.
To receive regular emails to learn more about agriculture and farming in Boone County, fill out the registration at http://www.boonecountyfarmtour.com/signup.html.
Questions about the tour can be submitted to info@boonecountyfarmtour.com or call (859) 586-7903.