This year’s fourth annual PolkFresh Farm Tour has been set for Saturday, Sept. 21.

Applications can be obtained online at www.polkcountyfarms.org or through the county’s interim director of agricultural and economic development, Dawn Jordan. All applications must be completed and turned in by Aug. 5.

Organizers are looking for about a dozen farms and vineyards to participate. Participants will be announced in early August. Criteria for participation on this year’s tour will be based on Polk County’s diverse offerings and for those looking to expand their business through promotion and sales.

All farms must be in Polk County. Size or appearance of farm is not necessarily a factor, according to organizer Mindy Wiener.

“Last year, when I spoke to people about participating, so many were afraid that their farm was too small, wasn’t fancy enough or that by September, the fields were unkempt,” Wiener said. “The irony is that those are most likely the farms that should have been on the tour. For any of us who have farms, the projects are never finished and perfection doesn’t exist. Rather, knowledge gained through trial and error is what the average person visiting the farm is so often looking for… We often forget that even in our rural county, many people have never seen animals milked or know about where their food really comes from.

“This is the opportunity for participants to share their successes, failures and future endeavors with people who could very well be future customers or fellow farmers.”

The PolkFresh Farm Tour will be held in conjunction with ASAP’s (Appalachian Sustainable Agricultural Project) annual Farm Tour. Ticket holders for the PolkFresh Farm Tour can use their tickets for surrounding counties and pass holders in other counties can also come to visit Polk County farms.

Proceeds raised will directly benefit the farmers of Polk County. The event is made possible by the agricultural and economic development department, which runs local farmers markets, as well as the PolkFresh Food hub distributing food from farmers to restaurants and businesses all the way from Polk to Charlotte and beyond.

For more information, contact Dawn Jordan 704-692-4358 or d.jordan@polknc.org or Mindy Wiener at mindywiener@gmail.com.

– article submitted by Mindy Wiener