Tour the Farms This Weekend

A Piedmont-area group is offering a special event this weekend: the Second Annual Charlotte Area Farm Tour, on September 18-19, 2010. On those afternoons, from 1:30-6:30 p.m., twenty-seven local farms will open their barn doors for touring.

Presented by Know Your Farms, a community-supported agriculture program, and the Carolina Farm Stewards Association, the tour will show us how local farms grow their produce. We can learn more about these local resources, participate in farm activities, and pick up some fresh food right where it is grown.

At right is Martha Robinson, with some of her family's produce. Tega Hills Farm has extensive greenhouses utilizing hydroponic techniques. They grow lettuces, microgreens, and herbs year-round; and grow other vegetables seasonally.

The Charlotte Area Farm Tour event includes participation by restaurants and culinary school students, nutritionists, and master gardeners. There are a wide range of farms to visit and things to do, even camping out at the Birdbrain Ostrich Ranch.

We hope to get inspired at a nearby farm that we'd like to know more about. It's also a great way to participate in the Farm-to-Fork 10% Campaign, supporting efforts for healthy food sustainability in North Carolina.

You can even volunteer for the event one day, and get a free pass. For more information, call 980-225-1020, or check out more at Know Your Farms.