The August Issue: A Farm Opens Its Gates Once a Year+Close-to-Home Agritourism+Start Planning September Outings
Farms do so much more than supply us with fresh fruit and produce. They welcome us to their landscapes with music, workshops, tours, and more.
Nestled in historic Bucks County, Pa., Fordhook Farm dates back to 1888, and is the home of Burpee Seed Company, which breeds and trials plants on its 69 acres. Once a year in late July, it opens its grounds for free to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Last year, the event attracted several hundred visitors. This year, by 2 p.m., more than 5,000 visitors had arrived.
Sunny and not a drop of humidity to be had, the day featured food trucks, live music, speakers, and self-guided tours through some 16 gardens. Among the gardens you could tour: a kitchen garden; a pollinator garden; an arboretum with more than 138 rare and unusual tree specimens; and a former creek bed now gushing with bright annuals and perennials.
I was especially interested in the stumpery garden, a 2-acre woodland shade garden made from parts of dead trees, including moss-covered stumps arranged like sculptures, and surrounded by ferns, shrubs, and trees. Jerry Fritz, of Jerry Fritz Garden Design, Ottsville, Pa., installed the garden last year. At this year’s open house, he spoke about the garden from (appropriately enough) atop a large stump inside the garden. (See photo above.)
Last year, I interviewed Jerry for a gardening article I wrote for The Washington Post—5 Reasons to Keep Some Dead Wood in Your Garden. As a freelance writer, I interview so many people whom I never meet in person that it was fun getting to see Jerry in person, and hearing his advice for the many folk in the crowd eager to build their own stumpery gardens. You can get some ideas from the article. Essentially, he suggests looking for stumps in the woods, but advises getting permission from the landowner before removing a stump. He also noted that when it comes to selecting a stump, “The deader the better.”
Local Farms Offer an Array of Outdoor Adventures
Fordhook Farm’s once-a-year event is a definite bucket-list item. But you don’t have to wait that long to take advantage of open days on a farm near you thanks to the popularity of agritourism, which blends agriculture and tourism. Here, small farms diversify their incomes by creating experiences. These events not only entertain us, but remind us of the importance of preserving farmland in our communities for future generations. You’ll find many opportunities to visit your local farms in August. Here are a few of them:
Evenings on the farm. Sunset’s golden hour is a perfect time to sit back and enjoy live music, food trucks, and local beverages along with stunning views of the fields. These popular weekend events might also include lawn games, picnic spaces, and extended farm stand hours. A farm near me features prepared food, artists, crafters, and music on Fridays til 8 p.m. along with the opportunity to stock up on items from its store.
Farm-to-table dinners. Imagine if you will sitting next to a field or orchard, or inside a large charming barn with the doors wide open, on a long communal table set with a tablecloth, pretty dishes, and fresh-cut flowers where you’re served a seasonal, sustainable meal prepared by a guest chef using ingredients sourced from the farm. Sure, it’s not inexpensive. But these dinners support local farms, and are a great way to celebrate an important milestone or event.
Pick-your-own flowers. Thanks to the slow-flower movement, which supports local, sustainably grown flowers, more flower farms have popped up in surprising places, including urban lots, backyards, and small sections of farmland leased by the flower grower. Here, you’ll find experiences such as tours, gardening classes, floral design workshops, and “sip n clips” that pair flower arranging with beverage sipping.
Lavender farms have become particularly good at drawing visitors and keeping them there for the day even after they’ve picked their bouquets. At these farms, you might find goat yoga, groomed trails, and picnic areas. Many by me also have fields of late-blooming lavender that flower in October.
Culinary skills workshops. With so much fresh produce available this month, look for farm-run workshops on improving your culinary skills. One farm runs workshops on how to preserve the harvest, and use homegrown herbs in dishes. You’ll also find these types of classes at farmers markets (see below).
Self-guided tours. Look for farms that allow you to stroll through the landscape at your own pace using maps supplied by the farm. At one historic farm, you can wander the heirloom garden, apple orchard, and cornfields along the river, then unwind on the dairy bar’s terrace with freshly made ice cream. Another farm created a sustainability trail with QR codes attached to guideposts dotting the grounds. Scan a code, and an audio narration pops up along with photos or videos, including members of the original farming family talking about farm life in the day.
Guided tours. Led by the people who really know the farm, you can learn about its history, or the crops they grow. I recently toured a farm that grows native plants for seed (see photo below). I also toured a farm with the owners who explained how they turned it from a conventionally farmed GMO corn and soy bean field to a regenerative and organic farm.
Astronomy. Many farms with dark skies and minimal to no light pollution have introduced star-gazing experiences. One farm invites local astronomers to set up telescopes and present talks about the night sky. Another farm sets aside a field for camping and stargazing.
Local, Social, Dirt-Cheap Outings in September
By September, the crowds are thinning, temps are hopefully a little lower, and the bugs are starting to chill. I mention this because you should start planning now as September outings fill up fast. I recently jumped at the chance to sign up for a September weekend of native-plant garden tours and talks at the Cape May Point Science Center. Before the day ended, it was already filled.