Annual Mat-Su farm tour set Thursday

WASILLA — Most Valley farms are humming with harvest activity by the end of July, which means it’s also time for the Alaska Farm Bureau Farm Tour. The annual event, set for Thursday, gives residents and visitors alike an up-close look at the people and places from which the region’s renown agricultural heritage comes.

The Alaska Farm Bureau’s Mat-Su Chapter hosts the event in collaboration with Alaska Farm Tours, a new agritourism business started by Valley resident Margaret Adsit.

After a hiatus last year, Thursday’s 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., six-stop tour will be the seventh year for a popular event which seeks to educate Alaskan consumers about their food and connect them with the farmers that grow that food, Adsit said.

“At all of the stops, the farmers will be present to talk about their farming operations and ask any questions folks might have,” Adsit said in an email Monday. “In addition, many of the farmers will be joining us for lunch, which is another great way for folks to learn about the people behind the farms. We will also be featuring a hydroponic system, sod harvesting (weather dependent,) as well as a chance to buy local products at a few of the farm locations.”

Typical years will see anywhere between 35-65 participants, Adsit said.

“This year we have space for 53 people and we still have tickets left to sell,” she said. The cost is $65 per person. “If people have the time, we’d love to have them on board,” she added. “Ideally, it would be great for folks to let us know by at least 9 p.m. on Wednesday night to make sure they are in the system.“This is a big bus tour, but we try to get to everyone’s individual questions throughout the day as we can,” Adsit said.

Tour stops include the Havemeister Dairy, Kenley’s Alaskan Vegetables and Flowers, Spring Creek Farm, Pyrah’s Pioneer Peak Farm, Bushes-N-Bunches Vegetable Stand and Grow Palmer. Lunch will be served at the Kenley’s stop, Adsit said.

Adsit said feedback from past events has been positive.

“People love the tours,” she said. “Eight hours is a pretty long tour day, but the breadth of knowledge and information they learn really is inspiring to them. They all walk away saying they learned something new, which is a huge part of why this tour is put on.”

For more information, call 519-7067.

Contact reporter Steven Merritt at 352-2269 or steven.merritt@frontiersman.com