The Butler County Farm Tour celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and it will feature farms in the Portersville and Moraine State Park areas on Saturday.

The free tour, which is a drive-it-yourself event, will showcase grain production, grass-fed lamb and beef, crop protection and agritourism.

"The whole goal all along has been for people to learn more about agriculture in Butler County," said Donna Zang, director at the Butler County Extension Office. Zang is one of more than 40 volunteers organizing this year's tour.

A pamphlet available at tour sites will highlight previously featured farms, and visitors who have their tour "passport" stamped at all four locations will be entered in a raffle for a gift basket of items made in the county.

"It's very important that people know about rural life," said Kathy Allen, one of the operators of Armstrong Farms, which was featured last year on the tour.

"It's a good, fun, educational experience," she said. "The Farm Tour is a tradition that needs to continue."

Here are this year's stops:

•

Tim and Linda Snyder Farm — 123 Snyder Road, Slippery Rock.This year marks the Snyder Farm's official centennial, but Tim Snyder's great-great grandfather bought the farm in the mid-1800s.The farm has a grass-fed sheep herd and is developing a grass-fed beef herd. Tours will highlight the health benefits of organic methods and grass-fed operation, in addition to samples of grass-fed lamb.•

Gene Cooper Farms — 154 Reichert Road, Portersville.The Gene Cooper Farm began as a dairy farm. It has expanded its operations to include buying, storing, selling and moving grain since Gene and Debbie Cooper bought it in 1990.The farm, which also produces corn, wheat, oats and hay, will offer free hayrides to the highest scenic point of the property.•

Northview Farms — 126 Studebaker Road, Slippery Rock.Glenn and Pearl Studebaker's seventh-generation farm became a century farm in 1983. Originally a dairy farm, today it produces corn, soybeans, wheat and oats.Tours will focus on the crop protection, seeds and fertilizer business, and livestock feeds and feeding.•

Vic and Betsy Cheeseman Farm — 226 Cheeseman Road, Portersville.Operational since the early 1800s, the Cheeseman Farm has been a dairy, poultry and hog farm. Today it produces corn, hay, sweet corn and pumpkins.The farm operates Cheeseman's Fright Farm and the Pumpkin Festival annually.The tour caters to families with children younger than 10, offering a hayride through the pumpkin patch for $4 per person and a free petting zoo.

<B>WHAT:</B> "World Vision Experience: AIDS" exhibit, 2,340 square feet transformed to resemble African communities inhabited by four children living with AIDS<B>WHEN:</B> 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Oct. 12 and 13, 1 to 11 p.m. Oct. 14 and from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Oct 15.<B>WHERE:</B> Grove City YMCA, 543 E. Main St. Ext., Grove City<B>COST:</B> Admission is free, but tickets must be reserved by logging on to www.worldvisionexperience.org.