Kansas Farmers Union invites the public to its Newton area Local Food Safety Collaborative Farm Tour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 24.
Grazing Plains Farm is a fifth-generation dairy farm seeking environmental stewardship and economic sustainability. There is an on-site creamery where the rich Jersey cow milk is processed into artisan cheeses. As stewards of the land, they are always striving to find the best ways to use the resources with which they have been blessed.
Serenity Farm is run by Brad and Tiffany Dilts and their eight children where they grow high-quality, nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables and all of their livestock is raised on pasture with minimal grain.
Located in a restored historic building on Main Street in Newton, Kansas, Prairy offers visitors a unique collection of specialty food and drink experiences all under one roof.
Prairy is also the home of the Prairy brand. Tour attendees will get to watch thousands of tiny, all-natural Prairy Bites cookies roll through the ovens of the on-site production kitchen. Lunch will provided at no cost to tour attendees while at Prairy.
The final stop on the tour will be McGinn’s Grapes & Grains, belonging to Mark and Carolyn McGinn, has been family owned and operated since 1976. Because the vast Arkansas River Valley’s alluvial soils are made up of limestone and shale, from a once shallow inland sea, it is one of the most productive agricultural soils in the state. This rich soil has provided the McGinns the opportunity to raise their two sons while caring for the land and supplying food locally and abroad.
A number of the farms on the tour allow for on-farm direct purchases of products. Tour attendees are encouraged to support these local farmers and businesses by purchasing items during the visit. Cash purchases may not always be an option, so plan accordingly.
This tour is sponsored by National Farmers Union’s Local Food Safety Collaborative a collaboration between National Farmers Union Foundation and the Food and Drug Administration to provide training, education, and outreach to local producers and processors to enhance the fundamental knowledge of food safety, and help these local producers and processors comply with applicable Food Safety Modernization Act regulations.
The tour and lunch are free to attendees and registration for both is required at https://www.kansasfarmersunion.org/news.
