Slow Food First Coast is hosting their biannual Tour de Farm November 19th from 12pm to 5pm. The event gives over 15 North Florida farms a chance to open their (barn) doors for a day. Each farm has a restaurant or an artisan food and beverage partner along with fun events for all ages.

President of the Slow Food First Coast, Kurt D’Aurizio, encourages all visitors to bring their adventurous spirit. “Consumers shape the future of local food through the choice they make. We want to spread the word about all of the delicious, beautiful foods being grown and produced right here in our area, and The Tour de Farm accomplishes that in so many ways,” he says.

The Tour welcomes anyone with an interest in food production, farm operations, food sourcing, and food advocacy. If you love food, you don’t want to miss out! Part of Slow Food’s worldwide mission is to give people the chance to meet their local farmers, chefs, and artisan makers. The Tour does that and more. Get in there and ask questions. Farmers want to share how they create the flavors in the cheese you love and coax honey from bees.

“Consumers shape the future of local food through the choice they make.”

It’s not just about the farmers though; Slow Food celebrates the people who prepare those local ingredients. The Tour gives you a chance to taste samples prepared by local chefs. Each farm is paired up with local restaurants like the upcoming Flour and Fig Bakehouse and favorites like Black Sheep, Southern Roots, and more. Each of these restaurants takes the mission of sourcing local seriously. These Slow Food approved restaurants are called Snails, and Slow Food First Coast provides a yearly vetting process to make sure they are maintaining their promise to source locally.

If you’re ready to grab your friends and get touring, you’ll need a Car Pass. A Car Pass is $20 and gives you access to all the farms registered to the Tour. The funds go directly back to helping Slow Food First Coast host events just like this. Each car is required to have a pass to participate, but there’s no limit on how many people you pack in—just be safe, y’all. You can purchase a pass online or that day.

After that’s out of the way, here comes the fun part: choosing your route! With over 15 farms, it’s a long day. If you think you’re going to hit all of them, you must have a time-turner. You can, of course, choose whichever route suits you, and The Tour organizers are kind enough to give you a few options. Tour de Farm Organizer Kyle McBride says, “Regardless of where you live on the First Coast, there is a Tour de Farm stop within a 30-minute drive of your location!”

They’ve broken North Florida farms into three main areas: East of the River, North by Northwest, and St. John’s River South. Kyle says there isn’t one right route because each area features amazing farms. “If you live at the Beach,” he says, “check out East of the River. It boasts 4 farms between Jacksonville Beach and Arlington including GYO Greens in Palm Valley and Ogier Gardens at UNF. St. Augustine resident? Try St. John’s River South. Start your day at Rype & Readi Farm in Elkton and head west towards Frog Song Organics in Hawthorne. If you live in Riverside or Springfield, go North by Northwest to Congaree and Penn and Trader’s Hill Farm.”

Whichever farms you choose, the message is clear: have fun and meet your farmer! For more information about the tour head to www.slowfoodfirstcoast.org/tour-de-farm.

 

See the “Slow Down with Tour de Farm 2017” story published on EU Jacksonville’s website.