Tour local with the 12th Annual Farm Tour

Ashley Hunter
ECB Publishing, Inc.

It's officially fall, which means its time for pumpkin patches, scarecrows and farm tours! Jefferson County has six different locations listed in this year's 12th Annual Farm Tour, which will include farms, a ranch, a meat processing facility as well as a vineyard and winery.
The tours will be held on Saturday, Oct. 12 and Sunday, Oct. 13, with each farm setting their own hours of operation for each day.
This is the perfect outdoor activity for families; visit a farm, meet the animals, buy local produce and goods and learn more about the local farmers who contribute to your community!
A&B Produce Farm, owned by Allen and Bonnie Baasch, is a five-acre farm at 1959 Freeman Rd. From their fields, A&B Produce raises broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, a variety of squash, carrots, celery, beets and radishes. These crops are grown without the use of pesticides or herbicides. Make sure to bring your coolers, as A&B Produce sells to the public and will have plenty of produce for purchase during the tour.
A&B Produce will be open during the Farm Tour on Saturday, Oct. 12 and Sunday, Oct. 13 from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Contact farmers Allen and Bonnie Baasch at (850) 519-0092 or baaschdee@aol.com.
Glendower Farms has been owned by the same family since 1839, making it one of Florida's oldest family farms. At Glendower, iconic Spanish Iberian pigs are raised on an acorn diet that promotes the pigs' natural instincts of foraging for food. Located at 12617 Ashville Hwy, Glendower's Boyd Family will be introducing their new Community Supported Agriculture program during the Farm Tour. Visitors will also want to stay for the farm's cooking demonstrations, meat tastings and walking tours.
Glendower Farms will be open during the Farm Tour on Saturday, Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on Sunday, Oct. 13 from 2 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Contact farmer Hines Boyd at (850) 570-8989 or glendowerfarms@gmail.com. You can also visit glendowerfarms.com.
Golden Acres Ranch, owned by Bobbie and Christine Golden, is a family ranch at 704 Barnes Rd. The ranch is home to several goats, Great Pyrenees dogs and puppies, sheep, chickens, guineas, a miniature horse and a donkey. During the tour, Golden Acres will have puppies and guinea keets for sale. For the kids, the ranch will set up an Archeological Dig site and the ranch's Country Store will be filled with local goods. There will also be live wool spinning and weaving demonstrations.
Golden Acres Ranch will be open during the Farm Tour on Saturday, Oct. 12 and Sunday, Oct. 13 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Contact ranchers Bobbie and Christine Golden at (850) 508-2607 or bobbie.golden@gmail.com. You can also visit goldenacresranchflorida.com.
Johnston's Old Fashioned Meat Market will have its doors open for guests to come and visit a truly old-fashioned market unlike any other. Located at 1480 W. Washington St., Johnston's will be showing off their processing facility and their new donut shop. During the Farm Tour, Johnston's will be selling beef, chicken and pork products, along with their delicious house sauces and seasonings, donuts and lunch sandwiches. When you stop by, be careful when asking a sample – you'll be hooked for life!
Johnston's Old Fashioned Meat Market will be open during the Farm Tour on Saturday, Oct. 12 from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on Sunday, Oct. 13 from 8 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
Contact Johnston's Hal Bennett at (850) 997-5622 or info@johnstons.com.
Monticello Vineyards and Winery is a small winery that is located on the 50-acre farm of Ladybird Organics at 1211 Waukeenah Hwy. Those who visit the winery during the upcoming tour will be able to sample the winery's fruit and muscadine wines. In vineyards that are USDA Certified Organic, the winery raises the grapes that create their wines. The winery also produces Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir wines to balance out their selection of white strawberry, blackberry and gold-colored peach wine. During the farm tour, visitors will be able to sample and buy wines as well as the farm's grapes, grape vines, fruit trees and ornamental flowering plants.
Monticello Vineyards and Winery will be open during the Farm Tour on Saturday, Oct. 12 and Sunday, Oct. 13 from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Contact Monticello Vineyards and Winery's vintner Cynthia Connolly at (850) 294-9463 or CLCFARM@aol.com. You can also visit monticellowinery.com.
Timber Bamboo Farm will be ready to teach Farm Tour visitors about the uses and production of bamboo from their location on 2181 Government Farm Rd. During the 12th Annual Farm Tour, Timber Bamboo Farm will be showing off and selling their 25 species of bamboo while also offering demonstrations on how to make charcoal, vinegar, chips and control algae with bamboo.
Timber Bamboo Farm will be open during the Farm Tour on Saturday, Oct. 12 and Sunday, Oct. 13 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Contact Timber Bamboo farmer David Harvey at (850) 841-0459 or bambooplants@timberbamboonursery.com

Madison County Farms:

Deep Roots Meat – 11061 W. U.S. Hwy 90 – (850) 948-6202 – Five-generation cattle farmers that sell forage-fed, nutrition-dense beef that have been born, bred and raised on the Madison County farm. Will be selling their beef products during the tour.

Thomasville, Ga. Farms:

Artzi Organic Veggies and Pita Queen – 114 Artzi Dr. – (229) 224-0722 – Organic seasonal fruits and vegetables as well as a company specializing in hummus, dips, Isreali desserts and breads.

Leon County Farms:

Apalachee Farms, LLC. - 8891 Apalachee Pkwy – (850) 708-4428 – Poultry, composting operations, market garden and endangered bird species.
Backwoods Crossing – 6725 Mahan Dr. – (850) 675-3753 – A farm-to-table dining experience located in a rustic farmhouse surrounded by four acres of farmland. Will be showing their full bar and specialty cocktails, local craft beers and wines alongside their organic mushroom production and restaurant.
Frenchtown Heritage Hub and Market – 524 MLK Jr. Blvd – (850) 270-3574 – Shop for local produce and art at the Frenchtown Farmer's Market. This is the only Big Bend market that accepts SNAP and EBT benefits.
Frenchtown Urban Farm Community – 514 Dunn St. - (850) 778-1531 – A community that works to cultivate healthy land for farming. Will be holding demonstrations on seed starting, making compost tea, building a compost pile and caring for red wiggler composting worms.
Liberty Farms – 400 W. 6th Ave. - (828) 273-9251 – Vegetables that supply produce to three Tallahassee restaurants as well as an on-site produce market.
Millstone Plantation – 6500 Old Millstone Plantation Rd. - (850) 294-3918 – A non-profit historical farmstead that works to respect ancient peoples, natural water sources and sustainability skills. During Farm Tour, will be having several demonstrations, mini classes and vendors.
Orchard Pond Organics – 400 Cedar Hill Rd. - (850) 894-0150 – Organic honey, pesto, granola and beef products.
Paradise Found Farms – 3560 Jefferson Rd. - (850) 519-0610 – Poultry meat (chickens and ducks) and free-range eggs.
Pine Dove Farms – 5256 Wild Goose Rd. - (850) 504-8988 – Organic crops, fresh produce, fruit trees and pecan orchards.
The Dwellings Community Center – 5100 Blountstown Hwy – (850) 694-3846 – A non-profit program that supplies produce and food to the local community from the center's hydroponic greenhouses and gardens. Will have a workshops on hydroponic gardening.
Treehouse Permaculture Center – 9775 John Franklin Rd. - (850) 567-3121 – Fruit trees, annual vegetables, forest gardens, goats, poultry, milk and eggs.