NEWBERRY COUNTY — This weekend the nation’s largest free farm tour will be held in Newberry County.

This will be the first year Newberry County will participate in the South Carolina Ag+Art Tour, coordinated by the Clemson Cooperative Extension.

According to the Ag+Art Tour’s website, agandarttour.com, the South Carolina Ag+Art Tour is a free, self-guided tour of farms and artisans. During the tour visitors have the opportunity to see first-hand where their food comes from, watch artists in action and purchase their works. The tour is the largest free farm and art tour in the nation with over 20,000 visitors participating since 2012.

“We started talking about it at the Farmer’s Market last year, and gathering information on how to participate. We did our homework first. We talked to farmers who had been on the tour and we talked with Fairfield County, who had done the tour before, about some of the things that would be involved, their lessons learned as well,” said Michelle Long, executive director of the Newberry County Chamber of Commerce. “We did approach Newberry County Council to request some start up funds, some seed money, it was $10,000.”

After a year of working and planning, the Ag+Art Tour is here. The Tour will kick off June 24 at 9 a.m. and go until 5 p.m. Then they will pick back up on Sunday, June 25 at 1 p.m. and go until 5 p.m.

There are six stops on the tour, five farms and the Grow Newberry Farmers Market. The following is information of what to expect that day, which can be found on agandarttour.com/newberry.

Black Grove, 20977 US 76, Newberry

An Angus cattle farm that produces cattle with superior low input genetics that enhance the long-term economics of the cattle industry.nLunch will be available, along with Angus beef and pecans to purchase and take home.

Bowers Farm, 279 Ringer Road, Pomaria

A grass farm that is home to a variety of farm animals, Bowers Farm is diversified and raises pasture raised chicken, turkey, duck and rabbit, pasture/woodlot pork, and grass fed beef, lamb and goat.

All of the animals are managed using Rotational Grazing and/or Intensive Management. Their Pastured Poultry are moved daily in our field shelters or poultry netting. Their pigs, cows, sheep and goats are mob managed using electric fence and nets.

The animals are then processed and the meat is sold on the farm, at farmers markets around the area, as well as some wholesale to restaurant or other farm stores.

On the day of the tour there will be two demonstrations of how the farm works based on organic practices and view the farm’s evening chores.The demonstrations will be June 24 and June 25 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Carolina Pride Pastures, 1416 SC 34, Pomaria

Newberry’s very own alpaca farm offers fiber and fertilizer products for purchase. Throughout the day, visitors can feed the alpacas and observe fleece preparation including picking and carding.

Enoree River Winery, 1650 Dusty Road, Newberry

Enoree Winery offers guests a local wine tasting experience surrounded by vineyard views. With wines handcrafted seasonally, guests can taste a variety of Muscadine, Vinifera, fruit and blended wines throughout the year. Each season they bottle a limited supply of their wines for guests to purchase.

During the Tour guests talk about the operations of a vineyard and winery and tour of the processing part and vineyard.

Grow Newberry Farmers Market, 1201 McKibben Street, Newberry

The Farmer’s Market offers a selection of healthy produce, ready-made food products, and crafts produced by local residents.

During the tour the South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation Ag in the Classroom Ag Combine simulator will be on-site. The simulator is an interactive mobile educational display unit allowing users to harvest row crops through the magic of audio visuals in the cab of a real agriculture combine. Participants who “ride” in the combine are able to see and hear how SC’s farmers harvest a variety of crops.

Meetze Tree Farm, 458 Piester Road, Newberry

Meetze Tree Farm offers a view a sawmill operation, beehives and guest learn about pond and wildlife management including prescribed fire benefits.

“Our goal was to showcase a nice sample of what Newberry County has to offer,” Long said.

At each location there will be a variety of artist for guest to observe, and make purchases. Marquerite Palmer, arts and special program coordinator at the City of Newberry Parks, Recreation and Tourism, did a lot of the leg work to find the artist for the tour, according to Long.

At Black Grove, the artists will be Renwick Price, a potter, with demonstrations at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and Katie Werts, an embroiderer.

At Bowers Farm, the artist will be Kayla Sansom, who makes handmade soaps, lotions and candles, as well as makes locally roasted coffee.

At Carolina Pride Pastures, the artists will be Amanda Childs, with handmade soaps, lotions and candles, Tyla Bowers, a painter, who will offer painting demos, and Eric Moore, a sculptor.

At Enoree River Winery, the artists will be Debby Greenlaw, a weaver, spinner and natural dyer and Jeri Powtak, who makes fiber art, will will have spinning demonstrations.

At Grow Farmer’s Market, the artists will be Bryan and Alana West, who make metalworks, Katie LeHaye, who makes essential oils, Edith Hawkins, photographer and Dory Whittle, with pocket books and bags.

At Meetze Tree Farm, the artist will be Christie Eargle, who crochets and knits.

“I would encourage locals to take advantage of the free farm tours throughout the state, especially within their county if they do not know, or are unfamiliar with some of the produce in Newberry County,” Long said. “I think people would be surprised of what is out there. Just since planning this, I’ve lost count of the number of people who didn’t know we had alpacas.”

Also participating this weekend in the Ag+Art Tour are Union and Fairfield counties. For more details on those tours visit, agandarttour.com.

Renwick Price, one of the featured artist at Black Grove, painted the rock outside of the Shakespeare Fiberglass Paint to advertise for the Ag+Art Tour.
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_DSC_0875.jpgRenwick Price, one of the featured artist at Black Grove, painted the rock outside of the Shakespeare Fiberglass Paint to advertise for the Ag+Art Tour. Andrew Wigger | The Newberry Observer

By Andrew Wigger

awigger@civitasmedia.com

Reach Andrew Wigger at 803-276-0625 ext. 1867 or on Twitter @ TheNBOnews.