(and Infuses Moo-la Back into the Community)
Tourists and townies, community members and agricultural enthusiasts once again gathered to travel the SLO Co Farm Trail to tour, taste and learn. They came out in droves; excited, engaged, and interested to truly connect to our local agricultural experiences. The energy was amazing, the smiles were infectious, and as promised, the animals were adorable. This year a new event was added to kick-off the 2-day weekend, An Evening of agriCULTURE at Studio’s on the Park. Their new exhibition, Farmstead, showcased agrarian art by fellow farmers, as well as the ever talented local artist community. Over $4,500 was raised to infuse back into our community, via youth ag ed programs by The Great AGventure, food related programs by must! Charities and continuing local ag promotion by FARMstead ED. And, we all made life-long memories rooted in a deeper understanding of what makes this community so truly special.
Truckloads of thanks go to our farmers and purveyors who jumped through hoops with planning and promotion, helped spread the word, and received the community with open arms (and gates) by hosting farm tours, workshops, demo’s, tastings and unique agricultural experiences. Guests blazed their own trail learning how to milk a goat, observed busy bees in their hives, strolled through fresh flower fields, sipped local wines, grazed on locally grown groceries, tasted exquisite olive oils, hand-crafted aromatic & creative take-a-ways to remember the day by, cuddled with barnyard babes, learned how their food is grown, and so much more.
Open Farm Day participants included AmByth Estate, Chapparal Gardens, City Farm SLO, Colony Culture, Couleur de la vie, Dallidet Adobe & Gardens, Giving Tree Family Farm, The Groves on 41, Hambly Farms, Hartley Farms, Life Elements, Nature’s Touch Nursery & Harvest, Olea Farm, Our Global Family Farm, Redwings Horse Sanctuary, Reves, de Moutons, The Shady Oaks Farm, Sierra Honey Farm, Taddo’s Tallow, Talley Farms Fresh Harvest and Casa Festiva. Extra huge thank “ewes” go to committee chairs Lynette Sonne, Jennifer Talent and Bobbi Matuk, to our head liner sponsor Travel Paso, and to SLO Co Farm Bureau, Brittany App, Heraldo Creative Studio, Holiday Inn Atascadero, the Groves on 41, Paso Robles Wine Merchant, Vicarious Ranch, Life Elements, Talley Farms, Jim Healey, EnjoySLO, Hambly Farms, New Times, edible SLO, Studio’s on the Park, Harvey’s Honey Huts, Olea Farm, Farm Supply, Honey’s Bait, Vines on the Marycrest, AmByth Estate, California Women for Ag, CAFF, Ben Thomas and so many more — Open Farm Day would not have been possible without them. These folks are the pulse of the SLO Co Farm Trail and we're so, so grateful for their generous support and sponsorship.
FARMstead ED: Bringing folks together with our locally grown via agricultural experiences and gatherings.
FARMstead ED benefits our local farms and producers as promotor of an agricultural network of likeminded people. Farmers, makers and end consumers alike are introduced to who’s growing and making what, and where they can be found on the SLO Co Farm Trail. In many cases, our locally grown becomes our locally made. From food sourcing for restaurants to ingredients to body care, our local farms and ranches produce top quality products that can be purchased direct from the farm, via farmers markets and local retail shops. San Luis Obispo County local, Lynette Sonne, founded FARMstead ED nearly 8 years ago to serve as a conduit between visitors and farmers; educating folks on the importance of sustainable practices, local land, and craft. Sonne organizes opportunities for both tourists and townies to learn about everything from meat to mixology via educational workshops & gatherings at held at local farms, ranches and other production related venues.
TOUR – TASTE – LEARN on the SLO Co Farm Trail
Sonne’s agri-cultural roots started growing again in 2019, adding the SLO County Farm Trail to connect agri-enthusiasts with ranches, farms, and purveyors of San Luis Obispo County with a printed and on-line trail map, and the county’s first ever Open Farm Day in 2021.
Visit www.farmsteaded.com for a copy of the SLO Co Farm Trail map and to learn more.