Last Saturday and Sunday, my husband and I had the pleasure of doing the 21st Annual Piedmont Farm Tour, sponsored by the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) and local co-op Weaver Street Market. This was our first time taking the tour, although it’s something we’d been wanting to do for a while. I’m so glad we did. We had a wonderful time, and learned a lot!
Local farmers open their farms to visitors during the Piedmont Farm Tour. This unique event is held annually in April to help central North Carolina residents learn where our local food and other agriproducts come from and how they are produced. Many of the participating farms — which are mostly small, family operations — have their products at Weaver Street Market, farmer’s markets, and other retail outlets in the area.
During the self-guided tour, participants can visit as many of the 38 farms listed in the brochure as they wish. A variety of activities are offered, including property tours, demonstrations, informational displays, scenic beauty to admire, baby animals to pet, and meeting the farmers and learning about what they do.
To take the tour, you first purchase a “Support Local Farms” button for $30 (or $35 the day of, at a farm). The button is your pass for a carload of people to take the tour both days. We bought our button in advance at Weaver Street Market. Registration is also available on the CFSA website. All proceeds benefit the CFSA, a non-profit organization that helps people in the Carolinas grow and eat local, organic foods by advocating for fair farm and food policies, building the systems family farms need to thrive, and educating communities about local, organic agriculture.
Along with the button you’ll receive a booklet describing each farm, with easy-to-follow maps pinpointing the location of each.
This family-friendly event runs from 2-6 p.m. each day. You can visit any farm in any order, and the 38 farms cover a wide area — Alamance, Chatham, Orange, and Person counties. We decided to do three farms each day, that were in Orange County and in fairly close proximity to each other.
Here are the six we visited.
1. Open Door Farm
Our first stop on the tour was Open Door Farm, Cedar Grove, N.C., where Jillian and Ross Mickens are transforming a 100-year-old tobacco farm into a sustainable produce operation. They specialize in organically grown produce and cut flowers with a focus on microgreen production. Microgreens are grown year-round in their greenhouse. Check out their website for a variety of recipes using fresh produce, greens and herbs!
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2. Avillion Farm
Next, we stopped at Avillion Farm in Efland, N.C. This farm is home to fiber-producing livestock — Shetland and Jacob sheep for wool, Angora goats for mohair, and Angora rabbits for angora. Fiber from the animals is blended into roving for spinning, and yarns for knitting and weaving. There were many informative displays about the animals, and even a live spinning demonstration.
One thing I learned was that the goats say “Maaa!” and sheep say “Baaa!” I also got to touch a silky soft Angora rabbit, and see the wooded habitats of the goats and sheep. Owner Elaina Kenyon sells her yarn and other fiber products on Etsy.
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3. The Winery at Iron Gate Farm
We capped off Saturday with a stop at The Winery at Iron Gate Farm, near Mebane, N.C., to tour this small wine production facility and enjoy a tasting. Formerly a tobacco farm, the owners have transformed the property into a thriving vineyard focused on sustainable production. The Winery is a popular local tourism spot, and regularly hosts visitors and events.
As part of our farm tour ticket, we were treated to a 40-minute guided wine tasting where their entire line was presented. We got to sit down for a while and taste 13 wines, and enjoyed selecting our favorites and relaxing after a full afternoon of touring.
The next time I am looking for wine for ourselves or for a gift, I will definitely be returning to their lovely little shop!
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4. Minka Farm
Sunday’s first stop was picturesque Minka Farm in Efland, N.C., on a beautiful, warm Carolina day. This farm is home to a wide variety of livestock, including cows, goats, chickens, pigs, horses and donkeys. It was a big hit with the kids visiting!
Minka Farm produces and sells a wide variety of products, including grass-fed beef, pastured pork, cage-free chicken and duck eggs, goat meat, and fruits, nuts and vegetables. Their animal products are antibiotic- and hormone-free. We brought home some ground beef and eggs to enjoy.
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5. Woodcrest Farm
A highlight of the tour for me was beautiful Woodcrest Farm, in the Hillsborough, N.C. area. Looking like a storybook farm from your childhood dreams, Woodcrest is a working family farm run much like it was 100 years ago. They raise grass-fed Dexter beef, pork, dairy cattle and goats, free range chickens, Chinchilla rabbits, and grow organic produce.
They also have a working blacksmith shop, offer classes such as cheese making, and host weddings and other events. See their website for a full list of offerings.
I particularly enjoyed this farm because I was able to get up close and personal with so many friendly animals, including walking into a petting zoo kind of situation.
They were also serving barbecue platters and cold drinks, which was wonderful because by then we were really hungry! And the farm family’s children were enthusiastic guides, adding to the delightful experience during our time at Woodcrest.
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6. Cates Corner Farm
Our last stop on the tour was Cates Corner Farm, in the Hillsborough, N.C. area. Started in 1742, this is one of the oldest farms in the state. It has been in the same family for over 100 years, and is now operated by Jonathan (8th generation) and Audrey Ray (who is expecting the 9th generation). Our visit started with a history of the farm and the family, shared by Jonathan’s mother.
Formerly a dairy farm, it now consists of one acre of u-pick strawberries, and five acres of vegetables. They sell their produce at their own farmstand, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), at the Carrboro Farmer’s Market and at Weaver Street Market. We took home the season’s first batch of strawberries, and salad mix and spinach to enjoy — yum!
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Michelle’s tips for taking the Piedmont Farm Tour
- Plan your route ahead of time. We reviewed the booklet at home, and circled the sites we would visit and in what order.
- Wear old shoes. As I’m not a farm girl, I hadn’t really thought of that ahead of time, but fortunately, I didn’t wear my best sneakers. You’ll be trampling through dirt, mud, fields, greenhouses, grazing areas, and barns with live animals. You WILL get dirt and stinky stuff on your shoes.
- Pack water and snacks, and wear sunscreen. You’ll be outdoors for much of the time, and expending a lot of energy walking around.
- Bring a cooler to keep in the car, so you can take home meats, cheeses, eggs or other products sold at many of the farms.
As you can tell from my story and photos, we thoroughly enjoyed our time on the Piedmont Farm Tour. We will definitely be making this an annual tradition!
©Michelle Rogers, Inc.
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