Meet Your Local Farmers
Beginning in the late summer of last year, staff from Ashland Food Co-op and Medford Food Co-op started collaborating to bring a large farm tour to fruition. And we’re happy to announce that on Sunday, July 22nd from 10am to 4pm, everyone is invited to the first annual Rogue Valley Farm Tour! Twenty-five local farms, ranches, and vineyards welcome the community to participate in a variety of activities: from field tours to tastings, demonstrations, kids activities, and more.
The mission of the Rogue Valley Farm Tour is to increase the interaction between community members and local growers. By providing residents the opportunity to learn about where local food comes from, how it is grown, and by whom, we increase support for local food and grow the local economy. Food brings us together and grows community.
This FREE family-friendly event connects us to the source of our food by bringing us directly to the farmers, land, and animals that produce what’s on our plates. Visit a farm you like to purchase vegetables from, or take the opportunity to explore a new part of the valley. The farm tour is self-guided and flexible, so you can visit as many farms as you want to fit into the day, and spend as much time as you want at each farm. Farm tour participants can win $500 to local businesses by visiting two or more farms on July 22 – see the brochure for details on how to participate in the drawing.
Pick up a Rogue Valley Farm Tour brochure at Ashland Food Co-op, Medford Food Co-op, Grange Co-op locations, the Fry Family Farm Store, Grants Pass Growers Market, or the Rogue Valley Growers Markets in Ashland and Medford. Or view and download a digital brochure on our website. The brochure includes a brief description, address, and contact information for each participating farm, as well as a key to indicate what activities to expect at each location. The brochure also includes a map to help with planning, details about the $500 drawing, and some tips to help you enjoy the day. Please be respectful of the farmers, their land and animals, and plan to leave pets at home.
The Rogue Valley Farm Tour is made possible thanks to the Rogue Co-ops: Ashland Food Co-op, Medford Food Co-op, Grange Co-op, and Rogue Credit Union, as well as Organically Grown Company, GloryBee, Organic Valley, Rogue Valley Food System Network, and What to do in Southern Oregon. We are incredibly grateful for the support from these sponsors, as well as the participation of the twenty-five farms who are taking time away from their busy schedules to share what they do with the community. We hope to see you on the tour on July 22nd!