ZELIENOPLE — Organizers of the 2017 Butler County Farm Tour have added new features that promise more farm-oriented fun for those who attend.

The tour will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 7 and 8. The event is free.

Participants can travel at their own pace to the six northern Butler County farms on the tour, where they will learn about each farm's purpose or production.

But this year, organizers at the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau have added various additional stops, where tour participants can eat, have a beer, see a demonstration or play a game with the children.

Tiffany Hernandez, the tourism bureau's communications and marketing coordinator, said the bureau wanted to showcase even more of Butler County and chose businesses that have an agricultural connection:

Playthings, Etc. in Clay Township will demonstrate on Saturday only how drones are used in agriculture

Zanella Milling in West Sunbury will demonstrate the milling process and offer buckwheat pancakes and sausage for $5

Jennings Nature Reserve will demonstrate the maple sugaring process.

Hernandez said 2017 also is the first year the tour will be held on both Saturday and Sunday. In years past, it was held on Saturday only.

“To look at all these farms, one day is not enough if you want to really experience them,” she said.

About 5,000 people usually participate in the farm tour each year, Hernandez said.

“Agriculture is huge here,” she said. “It's a big industry in Butler County.”

The focus in the past several years on eating and buying local is another reason the farm tour is important, Hernandez said.

“This is really a chance for people to know and understand where their food comes from,” she said. “It also shows how hard these people have to work to put that food on your table.”

The best way to learn how to participate in the farm tour, Hernandez said, is to log onto www.visitbutlercounty.com and click on the “Farm Tour” tab.

Farm addresses, activities at each stop and farm etiquette information is available at that website.

Hernandez is especially hopeful that people will read and follow the farm etiquette section.

“These are people's farms, homes and families and we want to respect their property,” she said.

The event also needs volunteers for Sunday. Prospective volunteers can visit the same website and click on the “volunteer” tab for more information.

Volunteers will receive a bag lunch and T-shirt.

Hernandez recommends that participants plan their route ahead of time from farm to farm and to wear the proper shoes.

She said motorists will be directed to the parking area at each farm and an information booth will be in plain view to instruct visitors on what to do once they arrive.

Cory Stuchal of Stuchal Farms in Slippery Rock said this will be the first time he and his wife, Nikole, have participated in the farm tour.

The Stuchal's raise grain, mostly corn and soy beans. He said the soy beans are mostly exported and most of the corn is used to make ethanol in Clearfield.

Stuchal said he agreed to make his farm a part of the tour to inform the public about the operations at a farm.

“(I want them to) just get a better understanding of crop production and some of the equipment we use,” Stuchal said.

Andi Dunmyre, the development director at Lutherlyn in Franklin Township, said the Lutherlyn Equestrian Center will offer a plethora of activities for adults and kids alike.

She said many people are unaware that the equestrian center offers many programs to the public.

“So many people are familiar with Lutherlyn and they don't realize the equestrian center is here,” Dunmyre said. “They think it's a very private thing but it's open to anyone.”

Therapeutic riding, trail rides and equestrian gym class for home-schooled students are some of the public programs offered by the equestrian center.

A farrier demonstrating hoof care and horseshoes, pony rides, examples of birds nests built by local birds, a taxidermy collection, a display of the amount of water and food consumed by one horse each day, and field boxes that children can stick their hands in to determine what's inside by feeling it will be available at the equestrian center during the farm tour.

“It's a little bit of everything,” Dunmyre said. “And of course, we'll have some of our friendlier horses in stalls for people to meet and pet.”

Hernandez said she hopes everyone who participates in the event will visit every farm and make all the stops along the way.

“It gives them a close-up view of the farms,” she said. “It's a really great opportunity.