Now in its 12th year, Open Farm Tours was inspired by the Open Studios Art Tour, an October expo during which artists throughout Santa Cruz County open their homes and studios to the public.
This year, Open Farms Tours is expanding the event to 16 farms and splitting it up geographically over several days. South County farms will host tours on Saturday (Oct. 11) and North County farms will open their doors to the public on Sunday (Oct. 12).
The new format aims to reduce traffic by keeping farms grouped together, organizers said, which gives visitors more time to experience the farms. Tickets are $25 per carload, which allows up to five visitors to carpool and pay one flat rate.
The tour is adding seven new farms to its roster this year, along with nine returning farms:
The new farms are: Swanton Berry Farm, Rondoni Farms, Post Street Farm, Pie Ranch, the Homeless Garden Project farm, Santa Cruz Permaculture and Flip Flop Farms.
The farms returning for another year are: Prevedelli Farm, Live Earth Farm, Beeline Blooms, Blossoms Biodynamic Farm, Esperanza Community Farms, Dos Aguilas Olive Orchard, Luz Del Valle Farm, Sea to Sky Farm and Thomas Farm.
The tour launches with a barbecue lunch at Luz Del Valle Farm in Aptos in on Saturday and Bonny Doon’s Sea to Sky Farm on Sunday. At both events, local pitmaster Charlie Brown plans to serve pulled pork sandwiches, stuffed portobello mushrooms, and Corralitos Market sausage & veggie kabobs.
The Community Alliance With Family Farmers, a California-based nonprofit sustainable farming advocacy group that is partnering with Open Farm Tours, is hosting a fundraising dinner on Friday at Pajaro Pastures in Corralitos. Chef Jessica Yarr of The Gove Cafe & Bakery in Felton will prepare a menu featuring ranch products and local ingredients. Proceeds will go to CAFF’s work with family farms, sustainable land stewardship, and farmworker health and wellness.
For more details on the tour schedule, activities and participating farms, go here.
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