Farm Crawl set for Oct. 2

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September 23, 2011

Farm Crawl set for Oct. 2

Anonymous The Chronicle The Zope Gazette Fri Sep 23, 2011, 02:55 PM CDT

Pella — The owners of eight independent family farms, located in a small pocket of south central Iowa, welcome you to tour their farms this autumn at a Practical Farmers of Iowa Field Day, Sunday, October 2, from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. The eight Knoxville and Lacona-area farms are Blue Gate Farm, Coyote Run Farm, Dan-D Farms, Pierce’s Pumpkin Patch, Reichert’s Dairy Air, Schneider Orchard, White Breast Pottery and Weaving and, new this year, Crooked Gap Farm. Meet the owners of these farms, check out their operations, visit the animals, sample the goodies and learn something new about agriculture as you drive yourself from farm to farm through the beautiful Iowa countryside, and have fun with your family and friends. This year marks the fifth annual edition of Farm Crawl. Many visitors return year after year to enjoy the crawl.

You will learn about multi-acre vegetable growing, pastured hens and turkeys, mule breeding, grass-fed beef, hay making and growing in high tunnels. Bees and honey, dairy goats, field corn, soybeans and pork will also be discussed. At different stops, you will check out hand-spun yarn, pottery, loom-woven rugs and fresh-cut flowers. The day includes lots of yummy samples such as artisan cheese, local wine, artisan beer and others. You will also see lots of barnyard animals including miniature horses, and make your way through a corn maze at one of the stops. The farmers hosting the tour are all Practical Farmers of Iowa members who continually strive to be better stewards of the land.

Jill Beebout from Blue Gate Farm says, “Since its beginning in 2007, Farm Crawl has expanded from five to eight farms, added special guest farms and businesses and seen attendance grow into the thousands of people from around Iowa and out of state. The excitement of the guests to tour, learn and partake in the farms during Farm Crawl is shared by the host farmers who take great pride in sharing their stories with the public. It also energizes us to continue our efforts to grow and supply the local food markets and to be good stewards of our farms.”

Directions:

Start your tour at any of the farms. If you are unfamiliar with the area, it is easiest to pick up the crawl at one of the three farms along Hwy 14, halfway between Knoxville and Chariton. See www.FarmCrawl.com for maps and detailed directions.

Other Details:

Prepared food and snacks available for purchase at various farms (pork sandwiches, herb lemonade, sliced pie, soup, kettle corn, etc.). More information is available on the web at: www.FarmCrawl.com. Sorry, NO PETS are allowed on the tour. If you have questions, contact Sean Skeehan, (641) 203-0758 or via email at info@FarmCrawl.com

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Farm Crawl set for Oct. 2

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