Come visit south Marion County/north Lucas County (one hour south of Des Moines) to see each of our individual operations.  Tour the farms, visit the animals, meet the farmers, sample the goodies, discover locally grown & produced products and lots of fun in the beautiful Iowa countryside as you drive yourself from farm to farm!  At several of the host farms will be guest area businesses and farmers that produce fiber/yarn, photo cards, artisan beer, honey, desserts, sausage, wine, pork and more.

 

NO PETS - for the safety of our farm animals and guests, please leave your animals at home. 

Thank you to our 2016 sponsors: Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI) and South Central Coop!

 

Blue Gate Farm (Jill Beebout & Sean Skeehan) - Certified Naturally Grown, chemical-free produce, pastured eggs, and honey bees benefit our CSA and markets.  Sample homemade jams; guided tours of the gardens; visit our chickens and alpaca.  Guests: Peace Tree Brewing Co. (Knoxville), Aunt Louise’s Cinnamon Rolls (Russell), Glorybe Photo Cards (Columbia) and Still Waters Fiber Farm (Pleasantville).  Homemade cookies & herb lemonade available.

 

Coyote Run Farm (Matt Russell & Patrick Standley) - A 110 acre farm being rebuilt to profitability through relational marketing and sustainable agriculture with chemical-free produce & cut flowers, pastured poultry & eggs, hormone-free/ grass-fed and grain-fed beef, and mules. Self-tour the farm and high tunnel.  Refreshments available.

 

Crooked Gap Farm (Ethan & Rebecca Book) -  The Book family raises heritage and rare breed animals including woodlot pigs, grass-fed cattle, pastured lambs, pastured rabbit, pastured broilers, and laying hens.  Purchase meat and hand made soap.  Guests: blacksmith with demonstrations throughout the day and antique tractors on display.

 

Pierce’s Pumpkin Patch (John & Joy Pierce) - Thousands of different pumpkins, squashes, gourds, decorative corn and Halloween celebration décor.  Enjoy brisket or pork sandwiches, jumbo hotdogs and all the fixings.  Guests: Nearwood Winery (Knoxville) and Wallace Kettle Corn.

 

Reichert’s Dairy Air (Lois & Jack Reichert) - A small goat herd, micro-dairy with custom built milking barn and cheese-making plant.  Sample several varieties of delicious, award-winning, artisan cheeses and see the goat herd. Guests: Grape Escape Winery (Pleasantville), Lucky George Farm (Derby), and the Ice Cream Truck.

 

Schneider Orchard (Arnie & Jane Schneider) - Stroll through the orchard, enjoy fresh fruit pie ala-mode, apple crisp and caramel apples. For the kids: tractor wagon rides through the orchard, take a scenic sky high look from the tree house and games and activities with the Chariton FFA.  Rope making demonstrations.  Guests: Pipers Candies (Chariton) and Thelma Saxton's fried chicken (Chariton).   Live music from Albert Butler and friends.

 

White Breast Pottery and Weaving  (Sharon Seuferer & Carol Oliver) - Visitors will see how local clay, from beneath the waters of White Breast Creek, is used in making pottery that reflects the area.  View the beautiful loom-woven rugs made onsite.  Visit a herd of  miniature horses.  Pottery, broom-making, rug loom demonstrations and live music. Guests: basket weaving by Marlys Sowers, and the Pleasantville 4-H club will be offering refreshments

 

Winding Brook Farm  (Larry & Genie Snuggs)  Farm collectibles, farm toys (in multiple scales) and farming related books on display and for sale.  Also displaying several antique tractors and demonstration of vintage cream separators.  Guest:: Mark's Treasure Chest.  Refreshments available.

Visit the Farm Crawl website at www.farmcrawl.com for more details, maps and directions.