PORT TOWNSEND — The Jefferson County Farm Tour is back, starting this weekend, to celebrate all the local farms that produce and contribute to the production of the area’s farm-made products.
The 15th annual Farm Tour will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 19 locations across East Jefferson County.
The Farm Tour is a self-tour of a number of local farms, many of which will offer live music, educational talks and samples.
The tour is open to the public, with a suggested donation of $10 per vehicle.
Maps of the tour are available at the Washington State University extension website at extension.wsu.edu/Jefferson/ agriculture/farm-tour. Donations are collected there, too.
On Sunday, the ReCyclery will host a ride of the tour. Those interested in participating can meet at the ReCyclery, 1925 Blaine St., at 9 a.m. or at the Chimacum Farmstand, 9122 Rhody Drive, at 10 a.m. for the 25- to 35-mile ride.
The annual tour brings thousands of people to local farms, connecting them with the people growing their food and creating other artisan goods, said Aba Kiser, farm tour coordinator.
This year’s locations include a variety of local farms stretching from Port Townsend’s Wilderbee Farm to Jacob’s Fleece Farm in Quilcene.
Other locations include Finnriver Cidery, which will host a pie party Saturday starting at 5:30 p.m. featuring a pie-eating contest and whole pies or pies by the slice.
The Chimacum and Port Townsend Saturday farmers markets also will participate along with the Port Townsend Vineyards tasting room, which is the newest addition to the farm tour.
The tasting room will be open from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday for wine tasting, food and live music at its 2640 W. Sims Way location. On Saturday, the tasting room also will host a grape-stomping competition at 5 p.m.
The vineyard location at 3405 Jackman St. also will be open for vineyard tours, more music and more grape stomping.
Kodama Farm on Center Valley Road is another newcomer to the farm tour. It will show off a greenhouse where the farm is growing bananas, Kiser said.
A number of permaculture farms will be open for tours. These include the Dirt Rich School at Rose Farms and Friends of the Trees Botanicals Farm.
Even Chimacum High School is getting in on the tour. The school was recently named the first “high school bee campus” in the United States due to the three hives maintained on campus.
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Jefferson County Editor/Reporter Cydney McFarland can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 55052, or at cmcfarland@peninsuladailynews.com.
