CENTRE HALL, Pa. (WTAJ) — Farmers throughout Centre County are used to designating one Saturday in August to showing locals the importance of agriculture by giving visitors face-to-face tours of their farms.
However, this year’s Centre County Farm Tour was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instead, Centre County Farmland Trust developed a self-guided driving tour to last through September and October for anyone interested in learning more about the hands and lands that feed us in the area while keeping a safe distance.
With no face-to-face even, map organizers decided on a more educational approach to the driving tour, focusing on location descriptions of each location as well as appreciation for the agricultural roots they came from.
“We have beautiful land here, as anyone out here drives through can see beautiful farms,” said Dan Guss, a Board Member of Centre County Farmland Trust, “and so why not get out and enjoy it, and also learn a little bit about preserved land, farming and where the food comes from?”
The tour consists of three separate routes in Centre County, all including places like farms, farmers markets, agricultural landmarks and farm to table restaurants.
With around 16 destinations, each route has a unique feature to it, such as the Red Barn Route, which includes a historical landmark people can drive by.
The routes also provide farms where people can stop by and check out fresh, organic and locally grown products.
Find out more about the self-guided farm route tours and get your map by going to Centre County Farmland Trust’s website.