Central PA Local Foods Week & Farm Tour

Announcing the 4th Annual Local Foods Week & Central PA Farm Tour!

  Local Foods Week: Saturday August 1st through Saturday August 8th
  Farm Tour: Saturday August 8th from 12:30pm to 5:00pmsign

Local Foods Week Events
A weeklong celebration showcasing local farms, markets, restaurants, and businesses that support our regional food system.

Come out to the Farmers Markets for fresh products, live music, cooking demos, kids activites and more!

Tuesday, July 21st
BFBL at the Spikes!, Spikes vs the Lowell Spinners. Game starts at 7:05pm - Farm Tour information, a farmer first pitch, and more! Get game tickets here.

Saturday, August 1st
Bellefonte Farmers Market, 7am to 12pm at Allegany St & Howard St - BFBL will be at this market on August 8th!
Millheim Farmers Market, 9am to 1pm at the American Legion Pavillion

Sunday, August 2nd
BFBL at the Spikes' Green Night!, Spikes vs the Jamestown Jammers. Game starts at 6:05pm - fireworks, a farmer first pitch, and more! Get game tickets here.

Tuesday, August 4th
State College Downtown Tuesday Farmers Market, 11:30am to 5:30pm at Locust Lane
Boalsburg Farmers Market, 2pm to 6pm at the PA Military Museum

Friday, August 7th
State College Downtown Farmers Market, 11:30am to 5:30pm at Locust Lane

Saturday, August 8th
Central PA Farm Tour from 12:30pm to 5pm!
Bellefonte Farmers Market, 7am to 12pm at Allegany St & Howard St
Millheim Farmers Market, 9am to 1pm at the American Legion Pavillion - BFBL will be at this market on August 1st!

Each market is held weekly through November.

Farm Tour Details
Please do not visit the farms before 12:30pm or after 5:00pm. Many of the farms are not open to the public on a regular basis, so please respect their privacy.

Cost: $10 per car, $3 per bike
Purchase a pass at the first farm you visit and use the same pass to access all farms on the tour.
Farms on the Tour: Please visit our Google Maps page to see which Centre County farms are included on the tour. 

Visit our Google Map of the tour here! Or download a PDF of the map by clicking here.

map

Bike-the-Tour Routes...

To really get a sense of place, try riding your bicycle from farm to farm.  You'll feel more connected to the land, and will notice every change in the terrain (especially on the hills!).  You'll also receive a discount on your admission fee!  And you'll be travelling via sustainable transportation!

Some of the riding will be on busy roads, but the shoulders are generally generous, and most local drivers are familiar with slower-moving vehicles (bikes and buggies).  

For suggested routes, go to the following links. Routes are available for Penns Valley and Potters Mills.

To participate in a group ride, meet at 12:30 on Saturday at the Aaronsburg Community Center on Route 45.

Tips For Taking the Tourtruck full of veggies

-Bring a cooler!  Eggs, meats, cheeses, milk, veggies, fruit, and other products will be for sale. Make sure you have cash.
-Start with the understanding that you’ll only be able to visit 3 – 4 farms since you’ll spend time taking tours and traveling.
-Get directions from your home to your first farm before you leave your house.
-Wash your hands after you touch any animals.  Make sure kids wash their hands too!
-Leave your pets at home. 
-Do not visit farms before 12:30pm or after 5:00pm the day of the tour, unless otherwise noted.
-Remember that you are guests on the farms.  Please be courteous and do not enter private homes unless invited to do so.
-Bring sunscreen or raincoat, snacks and water (though some will be available for purchase at different farms).
-Wear old shoes, you might be tromping through mud, or maybe even a pig pen!
- Don't forget your camera!

Goals of the Central PA Farm Tour:
Our goal is to connect you with the farms in Central PA offering you the best in healthy, sustainably raised food.  We hope your experience will leave you with an understanding of how critical local and organic food systems are to preserving the beautiful agrarian landscape of rural Centre County.

What is Sustainable Agriculture?:
Sustainable Agriculture refers to a food and fiber production and distribution system that is environmentally sound, economically viable, and socially just.  To support a sustainable food system purchase from local farms that use practices such as integrated pest management (IPM) to reduce pesticide use, rotational grazing to recycle nutrients into the soil, or other farming practices that work in harmony with nature.


Local Foods Week and Farm Tour are brought to you by PASA and the Centre County Chapter of Buy Fresh Buy Local...
Centre County Buy Fresh Buy Local (BFBL) is a project of the Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture (PASA).  PASA is a nonprofit, member based organization dedicated to promoting profitable farms that produce healthy food for all people while respecting the natural environment.  Together, we celebrate and promote food that is homegrown and homemade working to encourage success of area farmers markets, stores, CSAs, and other partners supporting local agriculture. For more information and to learn more about our programs, join PASA as a member and sign up for the BFBL weekly e-newsletter.

Special thanks to our Local Foods Week and Farm Tour Sponsors:

Spikes of State College
Voices of Central PA
Wolfpack Design

Funding for Local Foods Week and the Farm Tour provided by:

Central Pennsylvania Convention & Visitors Bureau
Centre County Community Foundation, Inc

You can always get local foods at our Partners! For more information, visit www.BuyLocalPA.org/centre and view their profiles.

Nature's Pantry
Elk Creek Cafe + Aleworks
Harrison's Wine Grill & Catering
Herwig's Austrian Bistro
Otto's Pub & Brewery
Webster's Cafe
Over the Moon Farm
Tait Farm
Macneal Orchards & Sugarbush