DOWN ON THE FARM
The annual Butler County Farm Tour has been broken up into four regions. Here is a list of the locations that can be visited on Saturday and Sunday.
Yellow RegionAlpaca Palace — A farm that raises alpacas and produces clothes, throws, rugs and stuffed animals from the animal's fiber. An alpaca fiber spinner and knitter will be on-site during the tour.Chestnut Run Farm — A grain and dairy farm that will host informational sessions about its operations and also provide children's activities.Freedom Farms — The farm's Fall Festival will include a hayride, corn maze, pumpkin picking and sessions on gardening, agriculture, livestock and beer tasting.Harvest Valley Farms — A working farm that gets visitors acquainted with a variety of animals and equipment. The farm will offer pumpkin picking, hay rides, a corn maze and a straw tunnel.Metrick's Harvest View Farm & Market — This farm will offer visitors information on apple cider making and honey bees and activities like a wagon ride farm tour, corn maze and farm market.Silver Crest Equestrian Center — Visitors will learn about stable management, horse safety, care and health and be able to see horse grooming and tack-up demonstrations, as well as a sport horse demonstration. It also will offer pony rides.Butler Farm Market — The Renfrew-based farm market will feature local products, and the tour coincides with its fall festival with apple cider and apple butter making.Freedom Farms Donut Shop — This Pittsburgh Road business uses farm fresh ingredients to make doughnuts.Freedom Farms Farmers Market — The main location of the King family's farm market sells fresh meats, cheeses, eggs, baked goods and other products.Freedom Farms Sandwich Shop — Visitors can enjoy farm-to-fork lunch and dinner items.Mamma Rosa's Sauce Kitchen — Visitors can learn about homegrown basil and tomato sauce flavors, and sample or buy pasta, marinara, pizza and other sauces.
Green RegionArmstrong Farms — This 1816 farm will showcase how agriculture has changed throughout the years and display 200 years of farm equipment. Visitors will see cows and calves and learn about of farmland preservation.Har-Lo Farms — At this crop farm, visitors will learning about potato picking and packaging, as well as farm equipment. The farm also will offer hay rides, a pedal tractor pull and a corn bin.Horse on Course Equestrian Center — Visitors will watch a horse show and learn about the center's shows and riding lesson program as well as visit with a horse tack vendor. The Mobile Ag Ed Science Lab will be on-site for experiments.Jones Turkey Farm — The farm will offer free tours and samples of poultry and sweet corn.Whispering Pines Farm — The farm will feature demonstrations of crafts and topics such as farm life and blacksmithing. Antique trucks and a variety of vendors, activities and dining will be available.Bogacz Country Market — This Saxonburg-based market will offer farm foods and pizza-making demonstrations.Speckled Hen Chocolate Company — Visitors can watch demonstrations of chocolate molding and making and create their own popcorn at this Saxonburg-based business.
Blue RegionNorth Country Harvest Company — This Stoneboro-based farm produces Scottish Highland beef cattle as well as ingredients for some of the North Country Brewing Co.'s beers. Visitors can tour the farm's hop yard, heritage breeds and orchards, and sample some beer.Red Barn Alpacas — Visitors can meet and feed alpacas at this Slippery Rock-based farm, which will offer fleece samples and information on care and feeding of the animals.WestPark Alpacas — Visitors to this Slippery Rock-based farm can learn about how alpaca farming works as a business and how alpaca products are made, as well as mingle with the animals.Albert R. Miller's Garage & Farm Equipment — This West Sunbury-based business will show visitors about farm safety and showcase its collection of farm equipment, as well as offer children activities including pedal tractors.The Birdwatchers Store — Visitors to this Slippery Rock-based business can learn about bird watching and feeding, and observe songbirds. The business will offer information on how to create a wildlife sanctuary.DR Distillery — This Slippery Rock-based alcohol production facility will teach visitors the grain to bottle process and offer mashing and distilling demonstrations.The Glass Blowing Center — Visitors will be treated to free glass blowing and flame working demonstrations at this Hilliards-based business. They will see raw materials turned into natural glass.Moraine Preservation Fund — Visitors can enjoy a pontoon cruise on Lake Arthur and learn about the restoration of the land and history of Muddy Creek Valley and Moraine State Park on North Shore Drive in Portersville.North Country Brewing Co. — The Slippery Rock-based restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.North Country Canning Company — Visitors to the facility on Arrowhead Drive in Slippery Rock can enjoy a tour, sample two beers and buy beer.Willie's Smoke House — The Harrisville-based business will teach visitors about the meat curing and smoking process, and offer sausage stuffing demonstrations.Zanella Milling — Visitors to this West Sunbury-based business can learn about the flour milling process and the history of milling and buckwheat, as well as sample buckwheat pancakes.Red RegionAsgard Acres Alpaca Farm — Visitors to this Renfrew-based farm can feed and touch alpacas and learn about how the animals are raised and watch demonstrations of carding, felting, spinning and weaving. The farm will also offer pond fishing and a barn tour.Cheeseman Farm — This Portersville-based farm offers a hayride and pumpkin patch, as well as visits with farm animals and a hay maze.Fischer's Windy Ridge Farm — The home of Windy Ridge Dairy in Fombell will offer tours of its cattle barns, an opportunity to milk a cow and opportunities to observe its milking facilities.Pine Hill Farms — This Christmas Tree farm in Evans City will offer hay rides and demonstrations of tree trimming, wreath making and tree bailing, as well as tours to learn to identify trees.Mars Applefest — Mars' annual Applefest will offer visitors opportunities to interact with artisans and dozens of vendors, crafters and civic organizations that will showcase produce and provide information about groups.Portersville Steam Show — Visitors will see old farming equipment, and a complete Butler County dairy line and visit a flea market, print shop, machine shop, exhibit building and a vintage village.The Snowman's Horses — This Portersville-based group will feature a talk about horse basics and the horses that live at its East Portersville Road site. Visitors can meet, pet and feed the animals.The Harmony Inn — The Harmony-based restaurant will be open during normal business hours on Saturday and feature a live band on Sunday.
