The Newberry County Ag+Art Tour will return this weekend and will showcase a variety of farms.
Andy Husk | The Newberry Observer
NEWBERRY COUNTY — The 2022 Ag and Art tour for Newberry County will be Saturday June 11, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, June 12, 1:00-5:00 p.m.
Five Newberry County farms will be featured in this year’s free, self-guided tour including Bower’s Farm (279 Ringer Road, Pomaria), Hi Brau Beef Company (260 Country Club Road, Newberry), Carolina Pride Pastures (1416 S.C. 34, Pomaria), Lever Farms (5057 S.C. 34, Pomaria), (not open Sunday) and West Ridge Farms (2311 Old Dutch Road, Little Mountain).
The S.C. Ag and Art Tour is the nation’s largest farm and art tour and will feature farms from Newberry, Fairfield, Lexington, Richland, Kershaw, York, Lancaster, Colleton and Charleston counties all on different dates. The Newberry County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Michelle Long said the Ag and Art Tour is extremely important, and showcases hardworking S.C. farms.
“Newberry County has been a participant in the Ag and Art Tour since 2017, the tour gives people a glimpse as to what goes into farming and that there’s so much more than just cows and chickens. We have timber farms, fruit tree farms, and even an alpaca farm here. It’s important for folks to understand what these farms provide Newberry County and how valuable they are,” she said.
Alicia Holbrook, of Carolina Pride Pastures, said there is so much that can be learned from the tour.
“Many of us that raise animals forget that there are a lot of people that don’t understand where their food comes from. There is so much hard work involved, you don’t just let a cow into a pasture and then have a steak on a plate,” she said. “This is also a chance to showcase our area, not only to the rest of South Carolina, but to the visitors we have that come from other states.
The Ag and Art Tour showcases more than just farms, Long said, as art will be on display at each farm.
“Everything from hats, decals, artwork and even baked goods can be bought at some of these locations, it’s not all about farming, we also want to display some of the incredible artwork and items that our residents create. Artists like Tyla Bowers will have paintings at Carolina Pride Pastures, and author Priscilla Shuler will be doing a book signing at High Brau Beef Company,” she said.
Long also hopes that the event continues to grow.
“Newberry County is full of so many wonderful artists and farms that we would love to have participate in the future. We anticipate for Newberry County to continue to be a part of this event each year as there is always something new to showcase,” she said.
Brochures can be picked up at The Chamber of Commerce downtown, 1209 Caldwell Street, Newberry and information on the Ag and Art tour that contains addresses, dates and times can also be found online on the S.C. Ag and Art Tour website (www.agandarttour.com).
John Kesler is an intern at The Newberry Observer.