Moving on to the Rock Ranch #ExploreGeorgia #GAAgritourism @therockranch

The Rock Ranch is located in The Rock, GA.  Just outside of Macon, it offers quite a bit to see and do.  You can spend the night in the Conestoga Wagons, or stay in one of the Farm Stay homes.  The Wagons are a great way to go glamping.  The Farm Stay homes are a great way to get away and still have the comfort of home (TV/WiFi not included).

You don't have to go on an over night escape, though, to enjoy the Ranch.  They play host to many festivals during the year.  From an Easter Eggstravaganza, Fall Family Saturdays/Sundays, to a 4th of July spectacular, with many others in between.  Not only that, but they have U-Pick, a farm market, and lots of activities for kids of all ages.  Pedal cars, pedal boats, zip lines, corn maze, and more.  Their tiny town for kids, is an awesome way for the younger set to get in some outside play time.

I was hosted by the Georgia Agritourism Association for this tour of farms.

Touring GA Farms #GAAgritourism #ExploreGeorgia #hosted @SouthernBelleFarmGA @FarmviewMarket

The first stop on our tour was Southern Belle Farm.  Located in McDonough, it is a former dairy farm.  It now plays host to a variety of U-Pick options (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and peaches) as well as activities for the family.  There is also a Farm Market on site that carries fresh baked goodies, fresh produce and more.  Southern Belle Farm made the move to agritourism so that the farm could continue on and grow into what the current economy will support.  Currently closed to the public, it will reopen late September with a corn maze, pumpkin patch and more.

We stopped for lunch at Farmview Market.  Not far from downtown Madison, GA you can shop for local grown/sourced products.  Did you know that your best bet for local honey is a 50 mile radius from where you live?  Otherwise, the benefits of helping with allergies is lost.  The Market prefers to use hyper local sourced foods in their cafe, but when unavailable will expand the radius until they find what they need.  The food was fantastic and definitely worth the visit.  They also offer classes, which you can find on their web site.

Georgia Agritourism - fun and learning done right #hosted #GAagritourism #ExploreGeorgia

I was given the opportunity last week to travel with some fellow bloggers and influencers to find out more about Georgia Agritourism and some of the farms that participate.  I've known for a long time that there are a lot of farms that open their doors to the public to allow them to pick their own berries and other garden products.  I wasn't, though, aware of just the variety that was available and some of the OTHER things they offer not only to the schools willing/able to travel, but to the general public as well.  Most of the farms aren't currently open to the general public.  The average opening date is end of September (Sept. 30).

Over the next week or so, I'll share some of what I learned as well as what I saw.  I'll also try to share some of their upcoming events and give information about how to find out more and to get there.  The picture below is just a sampling of 4 of the farms we toured.  It was an awesome experience and I look forward to taking my own kids out to visit again.

In the meantime, check out my instagram and twitter feeds for other pictures from my trip.  Many have already been posted for you to preview.

It's Farmer's Market Time! (and gardening)

I so look forward to this each year.  Tucker's Farmer's Market got started last Thursday. I plan to head out there this evening in search of fresh eggs and whatever other goodies I find.  Lilburn's doesn't start until June (bummer). 

In the meantime, I'm attempting (again) to grow some of my own veggies.  Nothing to show for it yet.  I'm reusing my recycled containers from last year.  Most have something different in them, though.  I'm trying for lettuce again, beans, cucumbers, squash, cantalope and onions.  I've also put some garlic in with my roses (supposed to be a good companion plant).  LOVE my garlic.  I'm not doing so much with the tomatoes.  Most of those went to waste last year.  Oh, and my strawberry plants have reseeded themselves and are quite happy currently.  I'm adding some more strawberry plants to the mix.  I've also got two muscadine vines I'm going to try growing as well.

Tucker Farmer's Market

My family knows I love to check out the local farmer's markets. Last summer I regularly visited either the one in downtown Lilburn or the one out in Snellville. The past few months, I've been catching the Farm Mobile when it gets to Tucker on Wednesday afternoons. This past Thursday, I managed to check out Tucker's newest entry into the farmer's market system.

They had local live entertainment as well as great food.

This is my booty for the day. Fresh eggs, fresh goat cheese (YUM!), sweet potatoes, peaches, carrots, smoked salmon w/ aioli, fresh blueberry honey. I have a feeling I'll be back next week. :)