In case you haven’t noticed, a recurring theme in our day tripping is the idea of buying local. Not only is it healthy for the local economy, it instills a great sense of pride.  Whether it’s produce, products or services, you are buying directly from the people that create them.

With that said, this is an especially good time of year for locally grown produce.  Between now and the end of October, your local farmers markets will be bursting at the seams with bounties of fresh produce.  And if that’s not enough to entice you, this is farm tour season.  Every weekend you’ll have the opportunity to visit a local farm.  Last year we visited Garden Treasures, an organic farm, during the Historic Farming Festival in Arlington.  It was a very informative tour which, to be honest, we decided to attend on a whim.

Farm tours allow visitors to see first hand how produce is grown.  You’ll also find demonstrations of farming techniques and equipment, cooking seminars, planting classes, mazes, attractions for kids, etc.  And of course, there will be plenty of food!  The really nice thing is that the farms coordinate these events so that you can tour more than one farm each weekend.

So make a day trip out of this and visit several farms!

The festival dates are as follows:

September 12 – Whatcom Farm Tour
September 19 – Harvest Jubilee (Snohomish County & Camano Is)
September 19 – Clark County Harvest Celebration Tour
September 19 – Jefferson County Farm Tour
September 26 – King County Harvest Farm Tour
September 26 – Grays Harbor Farm Tour
Sep 26 – Oct 31 – Remlinger Farms Fall Harvest Festival
October 1-31 – Biringer Farm (Everett)
October 3 – Pierce County Harvest Fest (call 253-789-3276)
October 3-4 – Skagit Valley Festival of Family Farms
October 3 -4 – Whidbey Island Farm Tour
October 17-18 – Snohomish County: Farming Yesterday and Today
October 3-31 – Snohomish Festival of Pumpkins

Did we miss any?  Let us know!