Miami County Farm Tour May 13-14, 2023

Miami County farms will welcome visitors from across the region May 13-14 for a fun look at rural life in Eastern Kansas.

The event offers an inside look at farm life with interactive educational opportunities set within the region’s natural beauty. The tour is free and consists of 14 farm stops, including one recently returning to the tour.

• NightHawk Winery & Vineyard: This 20-year-old winery boasts a beautiful vineyard and 100-year-old walnut grove. Visitors will get an educational look at the vineyard and learn about growing grapes and the wine-making process.

The farm tour offers families an opportunity to spend time outdoors enjoying the more rural aspects of Miami County. Each site offers educational activities. Animals range from alpacas to Hereford cattle and bison. Most stops offer picnic and rest area amenities. Those on the lookout for the perfect photo should keep an eye out for selfie stations.

Returning to the tour this year is a digital scavenger hunt. Registration is free. Participants should look for the QR Code at each location or find it on the tour website, www.MiCoFarmTour.com. As visitors explore the farms, they will be given a clue that leads them to identify something special at each site. By snapping a picture of the item and uploading it to the app, families enter for door prizes.

are selected will receive intensive horticulture-related training from university experts. In return, newly trained recruits must volunteer a minimum of time each year.

EMG volunteers get involved in various projects, including maintaining demonstration gardens, staffing a gardening hotline, and giving presentations through the speakers’ bureau. Youth programs are also another avenue for volunteer participation.

If you are interested in applying for the program or want more information, please contact Johnson County Extension at (913) 7157000 or visit www.johnson.k-state. edu and click on the Extension Master Gardener link for details.

Weather plays a big role in the weekend, so visitors are encouraged to watch the forecast. Warmer weather may limit the activity level of some animals, so visitors may want to schedule those stops earlier in their day. Bees and other flying insects are important to nature’s cycle. Many of the farms intentionally feature plants that encourage pollination. Visitors with allergies are encouraged to be prepared.

Several stops will have products for sale that may require refrigeration. As a result, participants are encouraged to bring a cooler. Products include cheese, pecans, fresh vegetables, honey, wine and several types of meat.

This self-guided tour celebrates the county’s diversity and highlights local farm products found on the back roads of Miami County. Watch for directional signs the day of the tour and visit as many of the tour stops as you like. Parking areas are designated at each stop. Please be aware that weather and terrain may create some physical challenges.

Although this event is child friendly, each site is a working farm. Visitors are asked to encourage to respect for the farm’s operations, plants and animals. Pets should be left at home.

For more information about the farm tour or to receive a map of the sites please call 913-294-4045. The tour’s web site, www.MiCoFarmTour.com, features a map of the sites and information about their location.

Garden Tour

Native Plant Sale

Garden Art Sale

Sat,