Organized by the University of Illinois Extension, the fourth annual Openfields Farm Tour will take place on Sunday, June 10 from noon to 4 p.m.
The beauty of this event is that you can pick and choose your destinations on a self-guided tour of local farms, fields, and gardens in Northern Illinois. Visit as few or as many farms as your heart desires.
This is a great chance to meet local growers and producers. A saying commonly heard amongst local food advocates is, “Know your food, know your farmer.” Well, here’s your chance! A nifty Google map has been created that shows the locations of all the participating farms.
More farms are still being added, but farms that will be open for public visits as part of the tour can be found in Freeport, Pearl City, Winnebago, Durand, Pecatonica, and Harvard. Among the participating farms so far, there is a grass-fed beef farm (with a beautiful round barn, no less), several organic vegetable farms, and even a popcorn farm. You can expect to see chickens at many of these farms, as well.
For tour maps and more information, visit the Extension website at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/jsw or call the Winnebago County Extension office at (815) 986.4357. This event is free-of-charge for farm visitors, and no advance registration is necessary for visitors. Just print a map and let your touring commence!
Farms wishing to be part of the tour can still register on the Extension website or by calling the Extension office.
