Rules

• No pets. Many farms are home to guard animals trained to drive off dogs.
• Do not visit farms before 1:00p.m.
• Do not visit farms after 6:00p.m.
• Do not enter private homes.
• Be alert for uneven terrain and other inherent risks of outdoor activity.

Driving

• Carpool.
• Look for farm tour signs to guide you to your destination.
• The map provided in the printed guide is not to scale and is only intended to give you a general idea of location.
• Check driving directions to make sure you understand them before leaving. Consult the individual farms for additional directions, as needed.

What to Bring

• Bring bottled water and packed lunches.
• Bring sunscreen.
• Wear shoes appropriate for walking outdoors.
• Bring a cooler. You’ll be able to buy produce, eggs, cheese, meat and other products at many of the farms.

Planning Your Itinerary

• Carpool.
• Be aware that, realistically, you’ll only have enough time to visit 3-4 farms each day of the tour.
• Read the farm descriptions to find those that interest your group. Most of the farms are kid friendly, but farms where animals are featured or where special activities are offered are especially popular with kids.
• There are many ways to enjoy the Family Farm Tour—you can visit as few or as many farms as you like, in the order that works for you. Plan ahead, gather directional information, and plot your course from one farm to the next along your chosen route.

Ideas for Your  Driving Route

Driving on mountain roads is an adventure, so plan your tour ahead of time.  Most directions are given from Asheville, so if you’re coming from elsewhere or travelling from one farm to another, you’ll need to create your own route. Organizing  your tour by county may not be the most efficient option.  For example:

• Everett Farm in Transylvania County is quick to access from Sunburst Trout in Haywood  County via the Parkway.

• Fields of Gold is on the Brevard side of Hendersonville, and Everett Farm is on the Hendersonville side of Brevard.  Consider travelling between the two with a drive on Crab Creek Rd., one of the prettiest country roads around.

• Round  Mountain Creamery has a Black Mountain mailing address, but is on the far south edge of Black Mountain near Fairview destinations such as Imladris Farm.

• Holler Ministries, which has a Fletcher address, is in the northeast edge of Fletcher, near Fairview. You could develop a route that uses Cane Creek Rd. to access locations such as Flying Cloud Farm, or head toward Henderson County farms.

• In Madison County, some farms are more convenient to see as a group than others. Bee Tree Farm and Vineyard,  East Fork Farm, New Directions Farm, and Spinning Spider are all located off the same road.

• Elk Knob Farm and Gardens and Sunswept Farm are both in the Spring Creek area of Madison County—and can be combined with a trip to Max Patch, a popular hiking area. Instead of accessing these farms with the directions given here, you could plan a route through Marshall/Hot Springs.

• Farm House Beef and Wake Robin Farm in Madison County are accessible from Leicester in Buncombe County. If you’ll be in Leicester, find a way to travel to these farms on a back road such as Bear Creek.

• If you are up for an interesting drive, or would like to hike a Pisgah Forest trail as part of your outing, Rt. 197 is an option. This partly gravel, very windy road through the national forest connects the cluster of farms in Barnardsville with the cluster of farms in the Burnsville/ Yancey County area.

 Get out your map and find connections that work best for your specific interests and itinerary. Everyone’s farm tour is unique. These routes are only general suggestions intended to inspire your planning. Please plan your own route carefully in advance.

Finding Food on the Tour

Several farms on the tour will have ready-to-eat food for purchase. These include:
Lunch: Wake Robin Farm, Bee Tree Farm, Flying Cloud Farm, Farm House Beef
Dinner: Arthur Morgan School (Visitors are encouraged to call ahead for a dinner reservation.)

Lunches are also available courtesy of Slow Food Asheville. Click here for more information on Slow Food's lunches.  

You are also encouraged to consult ASAP’s Local Food Guide to find restaurants throughout Western North Carolina that support local growers. The Local Food Guide is available in print and online at www.buyappalachian.org .