Farms of Avalon, which raises rabbits in Georgetown, Tenn., is part of the second annual TasteBuds Farm Tour this weekend.IF YOU GO• What: TasteBuds Farm Tour• When: Noon-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 20-21• Where: 21 regional farms• Admission: $20 car pass• Phone: 423-493-9155• Email: info@crabtreefarms.orgTIPS• Make a plan. Budget an hour and a half to two hours for each farm. You may only have time to visit three to four farms each day.• Bring a cooler. You'll be able to stock up on farm fresh products at almost every stop.• Bring small bills for purchases. Many farms don't accept credit cards.• Make a pit stop before you arrive. Not all farms have restrooms available.• Wear comfortable, weather-appropriate clothes and sturdy shoes for walking around outdoors.• Leave the pets at home.Source: crabtreefarms.org
Have you ever seen an active beehive up close and personal?
How about coming eye to eye with a cow?
You can do this and much more this weekend during the second annual TasteBuds Farm Tour, in which nearly two dozen farms in Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia will be open for visitors.
A $20 car pass will allow occupants into any of the participating farms. Fun and educational, the tour is a favorite activity for children, but it's also an opportunity for the adults to meet with local farmers and learn about the importance of local food sources.
"Income from each $20 car pass enables us to continue to spread awareness of local food in our community, which helps connect eaters to local food and food producers, keeps family farms in business and strengthens our local economy," says Andrea Jaeger, spokeswoman for Crabtree Farms, which organizes the event.
Last year, 18 farms participated. This year, there are 21. Two - The Healthy Kitchen in Dunlap and Red Clay Farm in Cleveland - are open Sunday only.
"We are excited about the amount of interest both from the farmers and the public," Jaeger says, though they recognize it is nearly impossible to see all 21 farms in two days.
Last year, she says, "we had one carload visit nine farms, although the majority of participants said they were able to get to between two and five farms over the course of the weekend."
To help families prioritize their stops, a booklet is available with a description of each farm and Google users can find an interactive map of all locations. Both resources are available online at crabtreefarms.org/events/tastebuds-farmtour.
At each farm, guests can take part in a 30-minute to one-hour, guided tour by the host farmer, who will talk about where the food is grown and show off the farm animals. Each farm also will have its products for sale, such as seasonal produce or honey.
Jaeger says the tour is also a plus for farmers, who can gain exposure for the products they raise. Most of the farms aren't normally open to the public.
"The fact that [these farmers] are willing to take time out of their busy schedules to welcome visitors is a big deal," she says. "They are eager to show people a glimpse of what life on their farm is like and to connect with potential new customers one-on-one. It's a wonderful opportunity for everyone involved."
The TasteBuds Farm Tour was inspired by the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project's annual farm tour. The local effort is a fundraiser for the TasteBuds local food guide, a free publication from Crabtree Farms now in its sixth year of production.
"Not only does it list local farms, farmers markets and committed local food partners, it also provides in-season recipes and local food news and articles," Jaeger says.
Contact Karen Nazor Hill at khill@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6396.
Guests can take a wagon ride to see the livestock at Gifford Farms in Dunlap, Tenn., during the TasteBuds Farm Tour.FARMS ON THE TOUR
• Appalachian Bee: 1943 Old Federal Road, Ocoee, Tenn., 423-338-1149, honeybeesrock.com
• Brady's Farm Direct Meat: 4344 Double S Road, Dayton, Tenn., 423-619-9874, Facebook page
• CoLyCo Farm: 100 Colyco Farm Lane, Chickamauga, Ga., 423-413-1806, colycofarm.com
• Crabtree Farms: 1000 E. 30th St., Chattanooga, 423-493-9155, crabtreefarms.org
• Dazi Acres: 822 Summer City Road, Pikeville, Tenn., 423-453-3294, daziacres.com
• Erma's Bees: 1000 E. 30th St., Chattanooga, 423-493-1806, crabtreefarms.org
• Farms of Avalon Rabbitry: 684 No Pone Valley Road, Georgetown, Tenn., 423-404-4886, farmsofavalon.com
• Gifford Farms: 1149 Davis Road, Dunlap, Tenn., 423-316-3489, giffordfarms.com
• The Healthy Kitchen: 678 Wheeler Road, Dunlap, Tenn., 423-774-2672, Facebook page (open Sunday only)
• Lamon Farm: 3175 Michigan Avenue Road, Cleveland, Tenn., 423-653-7635, Facebook page
• Lavender 'N' Rust Herb Farm: 374 Tarvin Road, Rock Spring, Ga., 706-765-9945, growchattanooga.org/food-guide-farms/lavender-n-rust
• Lookout Homestead Teaching Farm: 525 Middle Road, Lookout Mountain, Ga., 423-838-9804, lookouthomestead.com
• Merryfield's Farm: 1170 Condra Switch Road, Whitwell, Tenn., Facebook page
• Morris Vineyard & Winery: 346 Union Grove Road, Charleston, Tenn., 423-479-7311, morrisvineyard.com
• The Organic Man: 208 Old State Road, Menlo, Ga., 423-266-1563
• Pickett's Trout Ranch: 128 Trout Ranch Lane, Whitwell, Tenn., 423-949-8000, growchattanooga.org/food-guide-farms/picketts-trout-ranch
• Red Apple Barn: 3379 Tails Creek Raod, Ellijay, Ga., 706-635-5898, redapplebarn.com
• Red Clay Farm: 405 Red Clay Park Road, Cleveland, Tenn., 423-596-1145, redclayfarm.com (open Sunday only)
• Tant Hill Farm: 3698 Highway 337, LaFayette, Ga., 423-637-9793, tanthillfarm.com
• Wheeler's Orchard & Vineyard: 806 Wheeler Road, Dunlap, Tenn., 423-949-4350, Facebook page
• Wildwood Harvest: 19494 Highway 11, Wildwood, Ga., 706-657-3444, wildwoodharvest.org
Source: crabtreefarms.org