Free Public Tour Series Features Ohio’s Organic and Sustainable Farms: 2014 Guide Now Available

The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) has announced the farm tours and workshops that will be included in the 2014 Ohio Sustainable Farm Tour and Workshop Series, featuring free public tours of some of Ohio’s finest sustainable and organic farms.

OEFFA has offered these tours for more than 30 years, providing unique opportunities for growers, educators, and conscientious eaters to learn about sustainable food and farm products in a real world setting from farmers with years of practical experience.

“Consumer demand for fresh, locally produced food and farm products continues to grow, along with the desire to understand how food gets from the field to the dinner table. Farmers know all the dirt and this summer, they’re sharing that knowledge about how sustainably produced food is grown,” said Lauren Ketcham, OEFFA’s Communications Coordinator. “The tours are also designed to help farmers and gardeners learn from each other so they can improve their production and marketing techniques and grow their operations.”

Fifteen tours, six workshops, and a farm to table dinner are being sponsored by OEFFA and will be held between June 7 and November 14. The 2014 farm tour and workshop series is promoted in cooperation with the Ohio State University Sustainable Agriculture Team, who is sponsoring additional tours. In total, the series features 21 farms, four university research center tours, six educational workshops, a film screening, and a benefit dinner.

OEFFA's tours and workshops are:

• Saturday, June 7: Pastured dairy farm and milking parlor open house—Snowville Creamery, Meigs Co.
• Saturday, June 14: Organic fruit and vegetable CSA farm tour—Fulton Farms, Miami Co.
• Sunday, June 15: Pasture raised livestock and value-added processing farm tour—Tea Hills Farm, Ashland Co.
• Monday, June 16-Friday, June 20: Five-day solar electric workshop—Ohio Lumbermens Building, Franklin Co.
• Sunday, June 22: Sustainable urban homestead tour—Harmonious Homestead, Franklin Co.
• Thursday, June 26: Dairy herd health workshop—Pleasantview Farm, Pickaway Co.
• Sunday, June 29: Sustainable flower farm open house—Sunny Meadows Flower Farm, Franklin Co.
• Sunday, July 13: Specialty livestock farm tour—Smaht Fahm, Medina Co.
• Monday, July 21: Diversified specialty crop farm tour and commercial organic tomato production workshop—Edible Earth Farm, East Hickory, PA
• Friday, August 1: Organic no-till grain farm tour—Twin Parks Organic Farm, Wayne Co.
• Saturday, August 10: Multi-species grazing farm tour—Fox Hollow Farm, Knox Co.
• Saturday, August 16: Diversified produce, livestock, and farm market tour— Sirna’s Farm and Market, Geauga Co.
• Friday, August 22: Rooftop gardening tour and OEFFA fundraiser—The Crest Gastropub, Franklin Co.
• Sunday, September 7: The Farmers’ Table: A gathering in celebration of Ohio farms and flavors—Jorgensen Farms, Franklin Co.
• Sunday, September 14: Diversified century farm open house—Carriage House Farm, Hamilton Co.
• Saturday, September 20: Worker-owned cooperative farm tour—Our Harvest Cooperative, Hamilton Co.
• Sunday, September 21: Steel in the field workshop—Mile Creek Farm, Montgomery Co.
• Sunday, September 28: Farming with horses workshop—Mud Run Farm, Stark Co.
• Saturday, October 4: Organic dairy farm tour—DeBruin Family Dairy, Fayette, Co.
• Sunday, October 12: Restoration agriculture farm tour—Creekview Ridge Farm, Carroll Co.
• Monday, November 10-Friday, November 14: Five-day solar electric workshop—Local Roots Market and Café, Wayne Co.

For additional information and a complete list of all farm tours, including dates, times, farm descriptions, and driving directions, click here.  

Contact:
Lauren Ketcham, Communications Coordinator, (614) 421-2022 Ext. 203, lauren@oeffa.org
Eric Pawlowski, Sustainable Agriculture Educator, (614) 421-2022 Ext. 209, eric@oeffa.org

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The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) is a non-profit organization founded in 1979 by farmers, gardeners, and conscientious eaters who committed to work together to create and promote a sustainable and healthful food and farming system. For more information, go to www.oeffa.org.