Loudoun Economic Development invites residents and visitors to enjoy the best of what local agriculture has to offer during the 2022 Loudoun Spring Farm Tour, held rain or shine, the weekend of May 21-22.
All locations provide an educational component for visitors, and most will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.
From its first iteration in 1996, the annual no-cost, family-friendly, self-guided tour has blossomed into a showcase of western Loudoun’s vibrant rural industries. Farms on this year’s tour are leaders in the production of responsibly-raised meat, vegetables, fruit, hemp, flowers and fiber, as well as artisan-crafted wine, gifts and more.
For a full list of participating farms and details about each location, please visit LoudounFarmTour.com.
“We’re very excited about the 30 farms participating in this year’s Loudoun Spring Farm Tour, and encourage consumers to meet the quality people behind the products,” Loudoun Economic Development’s Executive Director Buddy Rizer said. “These small businesses and family farms are incubators for #LoudounPossible innovation, but they need your support. Bring your friends and family to experience local agriculture with all five senses.”
Back by popular demand, Loudoun Economic Development is deploying an interactive mobile app in support of the tour, rewarding visitors for making stops and interacting with the farmers.
The app includes a map of farm locations with links for navigation, social media, and a chat feature to ask questions throughout the weekend. To participate, download the Eventzee app on Apple or Android devices, set up a free account, and enter the join code “farmtour” (lower case, one word, no quotations) when prompted.
“Loudoun Spring Farm Tour weekend is something that our producers look forward to all year. These tours are the only time when the public sees behind the scenes of operations, and it’s an opportunity to build relationships with consumers,” Loudoun’s Business Development Officer for Agriculture and Business Services John Magistro explained. “We’re always looking for creative ways to enhance those interactions and encourage everyone to visit, talk to farmers, use the app and buy local.”
Loudoun County is home to more than 1,200 commercial farms, according to the most recent Ag Census from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Within those farms, there are many thousands of businesses in operation, including farm stands, bed and breakfasts, farm-to-table restaurants, wedding venues, equestrian centers and more.
Loudoun’s diversity is reflected in the ownership and operation of its farms, with more women-, Latino-, Hispanic- and Asian-owned farms than anywhere else in Virginia. Loudoun also leads the Commonwealth in farms owned by military veterans.
For full details on this year’s Loudoun Spring Farm Tour, please visit LoudounFarmTour.com.