Asheville – The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) is excited to announce that 21 farms will open their doors for this year’s eagerly awaited Farm Tour on the weekend of September 21-22. This family-friendly event invites visitors to explore the vibrant agricultural landscape within an hour’s drive of Asheville, providing a unique opportunity to engage with local farmers and their practices.
Running from noon to 5 p.m. each day, the Farm Tour offers a blend of guided and self-guided experiences that promise to captivate attendees of all ages. Guests can look forward to farm demonstrations, animal interactions, u-pick options for fruits and flowers, and tastings of local food and beverages. To ensure inclusivity, several farms will provide Spanish-language tours.
This year’s lineup highlights the rich diversity of agricultural practices in the region, featuring everything from vegetable production and livestock management to orchards and homesteads. Among the participants, nine farms will make their inaugural appearance on the tour, including six new farms from Polk and Rutherford counties. These farms, previously part of the NC Foothills Farm Tour, will now be showcased under the ASAP banner.
To enhance visitor experience, farms are grouped into five geographic clusters, encouraging guests to select two to four farms to explore each day. Attendees are recommended to spend about an hour at each location. Detailed farm offerings, a map, driving directions, and useful tips will be available at asapconnections.org/farmtour, with a complimentary printed guide set to be released in mid-August.
The clusters include the Barnardsville Cluster featuring The Never Ending Flower Farm, Burley Stick Farm, and Good Fibrations Angora Goats & Fine Yarns; the Foothills Cluster with Encompass Farm, Wild East Farm, Crow Fly Farms, and Lee’s One Fortune Farm; the Henderson Cluster, which includes Stump Farms, Marked Tree Vineyard, Raspberry Fields, and Pilot Mountain Pears; the Polk Cluster showcasing San Felipe Farm, Looking Glass Creamery, TK Family Farm, Overmountain Vineyards, and Caitlyn Farms; and the Candler/Canton Cluster with Herb Mamma, KT’s Orchard & Apiary, Two Trees Farm (Sustainabillies), The Ruby Ranch, and Smoking J’s Fiery Foods.
Lyric East of Wild East Farm expressed the significance of the event, stating, “Opening local farms to the public demystifies rural agricultural life and reconnects folks to the beauty of this shared place. There is so much wisdom held in the hands and hearts of folks who live in close relationship with the land, and the Farm Tour is an opportunity for the greater community to share in and expand that wisdom.”
For those eager to join this agricultural adventure, advance passes are currently available for $35, allowing a carload of visitors access to all participating farms over both days. Passes purchased on the tour weekend will be priced at $45, subject to availability. Additionally, ASAP is seeking volunteers; those who volunteer for one day will receive free admission for the other day.
To cater to various interests, themed lists are available to help attendees plan their Farm Tour experience. The “Tasty Tour” sponsored by Explore Asheville highlights farms with delicious food samples; the “Show Me How It’s Done” Tour by Rutherford County TDA focuses on educational demonstrations; the “Find Us on the Menu” Tour, sponsored by Red Fiddle Vittles, showcases farms supplying local restaurants; and the “Kids Tour,” sponsored by WNC Magazine, offers engaging activities for younger visitors.
Major sponsorship support comes from the Henderson County Tourism Development Authority, with media partnerships established with WNC Magazine, The Laurel of Asheville, and Asheville FM. Additional funding has been provided by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Dogwood Health Trust, and Sunshine Now Foundation. A complete list of sponsors can be found at asapconnections.org/farmtour.
For more information and to purchase passes, visit asapconnections.org. This year’s Farm Tour promises to be an enriching experience, strengthening the bond between the community and the land that sustains it.