Sunday, October 4^th from 11:00 am – 5:00pm

Farm Crawl 2009 was a great success with beautiful weather and over 1,000 visitors!
Thanks to all who came out. Hope to see YOU next year.

(A visitor to Farm Crawl 2009, Patrick Boberg, put together a short video about the farm crawl. To view the video click here.)

Seven independent family farm operations, all within an easy drive each other in south-central Iowa, are hosting simultaneous open houses.
Enjoy a leisurely autumn day “crawling” from farm to farm (Okay, you don't actually crawl, you drive yourself between farms).

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, purchase locally grown products and have lots of fun outdoors! Visit special guests at some of the farms.
Free admission onto all of the farms (there is a charge to enter the corn-maze at Dan-D Farm).

The seven farms include: Blue Gate Farm, Coyote Run Farm, Dan-D Farm, Pierce’s Pumpkin Patch
Reichert’s Dairy Air, Schneider Orchards, and White Breast Pottery.
(click on a farm name for more information on that individual farm)

Special thanks to our sponsors: Practical Farmers of Iowa and Marion County Farm Bureau.

Blue Gate Farm (Jill Beebout & Sean Skeehan)

Certified Naturally Grown, chemical-free produce farm with pastured eggs, and honey bees servicing our CSA and DM farmers market.

Sample homemade preserves & honey, tour the farm and high tunnels and take home some of our farm-fresh products. PFI Season Extension demonstration. Herb lemonade and homemade cookies available.

Special Guest: Willow Ridge Farm from Lucas, IA (they raise a number of fiber bearing animals, spin fiber into yarn, and make many other fine products - www.faktorwillowridge.com)

www.bluegatefarmfresh.com

Coyote Run Farm (Matt Russell & Patrick Standley)

A 110 acre farm rebuilding to profitability through relational marketing and sustainable agriculture that grow chemical-free produce & cut flowers, pastured poultry & eggs, hormone-free beef, hay, and mules. Tour the work in progress on reclaimed grasslands, retrofitted buildings, and developing markets.

Sample a wonderful borscht (a Russian beet soup) recipe made with fresh produce from the farm.

www.coyote-run-farm.com

Dan-D Farm (Dan & Jana Dennison)

18 acre corn maze, racing pigs, barnyard animals, hay rides, giant slide and much more. Refreshments available.

www.dandfarms.com

Pierce’s Pumpkin Patch (John & Joy Pierce)

Thousands of different pumpkins, squashes, gourds, decorative corn and a shop full of Halloween celebration décor.

Pork sandwiches and drinks available.

Reichert’s Dairy Air (Lois & Jack Reichert)

State licensed goat micro dairy that recently moved into a custom built milking barn and cheese-making building.
Sample some of the several varieties of delicious artisan cheeses and see the goat herd.

Special Guest: Grape Escape Vineyard & Winery from Pleasantville, IA ( www.grapeescapeiowa.com)

www.reichertsdairyair.com

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Schneider Orchard (Arnie & Jane Schneider)

Fresh Iowa grown apples! Stroll through a traditional pick-your-own orchard and enjoy Jonathans, Red and Golden Delicious, Criterion, and Gala apples.
Homemade pie available by the slice and caramel apples.

www.schneiderorchard.com

White Breast Pottery (Sharon Seuferer & Carol Oliver)

We welcome visitors to see how we use local clays in making pieces that reflect our area. We dig clays from beneath the waters of White Breast Creek. All of nature inspires us; leaves, grasses, and bark lend us their textures. We also share our loom-woven rugs. Our miniature horses also hope for some attention as visitors enjoy this beautiful valley.

www.whitebreastpottery.com

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