3rd Annual Georgia Mountains Farm Tour itinerary set

ATLANTA - The Georgia Mountains Farm Tour is an annual event showcasing the sustainable food producers across northeast Georgia.

The 2014 tour will take place the last weekend of June, the 28th and 29th, from 1:00 - 6:00 each day. Participants will have the opportunity to visit an award winning apiary, a vibrant community garden, beef farms, an orchard, an historic gristmill and a variety of produce farms.

Seven venues are included the first day and nine the second. (Click on the link below for a complete list and a map showing where each site is located. A couple are actually in North Carolina.)

Participants on the tour purchase one weekend pass good for a carload of guests to visit as many tour locations as possible over thetwo day tour. Half of the tour locations are open on Saturday and half are open on Sunday. Tour participants should expect to have time to tour 3 - 4 locations each day.

Among the products featured from the farms on the tour are numerous fruits and vegetables; pasture-raised eggs; pasture-raised beef; and water wheel milled grains and associated baked goods. Other highlights include a farm demonstrating the lost art of horse-powered equipment, soil management techniques, and several farms using hoop houses for season extension. Optional meal stops will feature light farm-to-table meals each day. Produce, eggs and other farm products will also be available for purchase at many locations.

The Georgia Mountains Farm Tour is a project of the Georgia Mountains Farmers Network (GMFN). GMFN formed in 2010 to facilitate professional development and resource and knowledge sharing within the region's farming community. GFMN members meet several times per year for a tour of a member's farm and for workshops on sustainable farming practices. The goal of the Georgia Mountains Farm Tour is to celebrate the local, sustainable food producers in the Georgia mountains, introduce the public to local food sources, and encourage more people to join in the fun.

Cost of the tour is $30 per carload for weekend passes purchased by June 7, or $35 for passes purchased after June 7 or on the day of the event from any farm on the tour. Passes can be purchased online or at several locations across northeast Georgia starting in May.

For information on how to purchase passes, visit the Georgia Mountains Farmers Network website,http://georgiamfn.blogspot.com/ and click on the FARM TOUR 2014 tab.

For additional information please email [email protected] or call 706-754-9382.