Events to showcase farming in the Valley

PALMER — A couple of events are planned in August that will celebrate the Valley’s agriculture industry.

First, the Mat-Su Chapter of the Alaska Farm Bureau’s fifth annual Farm Tour in the Mat-Su Valley is Aug. 1. Cost is $65 and includes an Alaska Grown lunch and a certificate for $50 in produce redeemable at Southcentral farmers markets.

Farms featured this year include VanderWeele Farms, Rempel Family Farm, Little Pitchfork Ranch, Pyrah’s Pioneer Peak Farm and Havemeister’s Dairy.

For more information about the tour, contact akfarmtours@gmail.com.

One week later, Alaska Agriculture Appreciation Day — from noon to 6 p.m., Aug. 8 at the Matanuska Experiment Farm, 1509 S. Georgeson Drive — will highlight the wide variety of agricultural endeavors in the 49th state.

The day’s agenda includes a goat-milking demonstration, old-fashioned games for children, a petting zoo, prize giveaways, hay wagon rides, a GPS activity and live music. Special activities include a “sheep to shawl” demonstration by the Mat-Su Fiber Arts Guild. There will also be demonstrations on how to grow peonies, deal with invasive plants, recycle and make tinctures and lotions from local plans. The event is free, but attendees may wish to bring money to purchase food and crafts from vendors.