This Saturday, October 4, marks the launch of an all-new harvest time tradition in the making. Hosted by My Maryland Farmers, it’s their first Annual Maryland Farm Tours event.
These Farm Tours are presented by My Maryland Farmers as free, open-to-the-public opportunities to explore local area farms and meet the dedicated, hardworking, knowledgeable farmers who run them. You are cordially invited to discover the day-to-day operations and tasks firsthand. Prepare to be impressed and amazed by all the crucial points you never even realized were so important for managing and maintaining the daily workflow of farm life. Some opportunities for direct hands-on action and engagement may also be presented at select participating venues!
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will take place rain or shine. The showcase of participating farms will feature 11 different venues with locations based throughout the state of Maryland. This offers versatile options for all Maryland residents, wherever they’re hailing from, to get out and discover the delights of local area farms for a free, family-oriented folly while fall temperatures are still mild and the harvest season is at its prime peak season.
For this first-of-its-kind offering, this year’s participating farms will include the following:
Asawana Farms
601 Watkins Park Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774
Farm Tour Feature: See how we build a simple and effective vertical garden; how we use containers to grow lots of food, specialty crops — bitter leaf, bitter melon, which are all medicinal vegetables. Visit the website to learn more.
Crow Vineyard & Winery
1846 Pulaski Highway, Havre de Grace, MD 21078
Farm Tour Feature: See our innovative indoor farm operation, where we grow around 30 varieties of microgreens and edible flowers, year-round, in a climate-controlled environment. Discover more on the website.
Deere Valley Farms
22919 Dickerson Road, Dickerson, MD 20842
Farm Tour Feature: Farm fresh concessions, touch a tractor and equipment displays, educational activities, book readings, local vendor displays. Click here for more information.
Fox Hollow Farm Market
21808 Woodfield Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20882
Farm Tour Feature: Visit our viewing areas to see some of our pastured animals. Buy farm-fresh products, including eggs. Lunch will be served 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Learn more on the site.
Fresh Source Farms
1846 Pulaski Highway, Havre de Grace, MD 21078
Farm Tour Feature: See our innovative indoor farm operation, where we grow around 30 varieties of microgreens and edible flowers, year-round, in a climate-controlled environment. Visit the website for all additional information.
Lone Oak Farm Brewing Company
5000 Olney Laytonsville Road, Olney, MD 20832
Farm Tour Feature: Brief tour of property, brewing production, and distilling production areas. Tasting of spirits and beer. Find out more here.
Merry Bees Flower Farm
114 Kauffman Rd, Parkton, MD 21120
Farm Tour Feature: Visitors will learn about the workings of an agri-tourism flower farm, including the logistics of planting, harvesting, and hosting events. Participants may experiment with flower pounding on paper in order to make a bookmark. You can learn more about them on the website link.
Playtime Pastures Farm
3113 Hernwood Road, Woodstock, MD 21163
Farm Tour Feature: A hands-on guided tour, petting and feeding the animals, learning about the importance of small, family farms, and the benefits of buying locally-raised products. Click here to find out more.
Redemption Farms
26564 Hignutt Road, Denton, 21629
Farm Tour Feature: A Christian-based, family-owned and operated farm, first and foremost, they feature a pick-your-own orchard, and a farmer’s market in a comforting ambiance and mutually appealing setting for visitors of all ages. Learn more about them on their website.
Urban Farm Incubator at Watkins Regional Park
601 Watkins Park Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774
Farm Tour Feature: Tour of the Urban Farm Incubator space and our 10 beginner farm businesses. Learn from M-NCPPC, ECO City Farms, and our partners about agriculture and food system opportunities in Prince George’s County. Free biochar for your home garden! Beekeeping demonstration. Find out more on the site link.
The Farmyard
21159 Old York Rd, Parkton, MD, 21120
Farm Tour Feature: The Farmyard will be open for free on October 4th. Visitors are welcome to explore the facility, visit the animals, and enjoy the playground during this time. There will be several paid opportunities available, including pony rides, an animal tour, and potentially a craft. These will be scheduled, and visitors can purchase tickets at the Snowball Stand or ahead of time online. The Snowball Stand will also be open for an additional charge. Go to the website for more information.
Again, these Farm Tours provide engaging and educational opportunities for folks of all ages and interests. While admission is free, some activities and events taking place on-site may incur an additional charge or participation fee.
My Maryland Farmers hopes that the presentation of these first inaugural Maryland Farm Tours will initially lead to more opportunities for engaging the public in new appreciative explorations of the state’s unique agricultural endeavors. It is also a strong hope that additional farms will join the lineup for future events such as these and that the frequency of such options will be made more readily available over time. Learn more about My Maryland Farmers on their website at www.mymdfarmers.com.