Strolling of the Heifers has announced plans for the Farm, Food & Fiber Tour, on Sunday, June 6 as part of Strolling of the Heifers Weekend, and is looking for farms and other businesses to participate.

The Farm, Food & Fiber Tour is an expansion of the Farm Tour that Strolling has held in past years.

“This year we want to include not only farms open to the public, but also food processors and retailers of local foods,” said Raelene LaPlante, the tour’s coordinator.

Since 2002, Strolling of the Heifers has organized an annual parade and a weekend of activities, always on the first weekend of June, that aims to support family farms by “connecting people with the food they eat.”

“On the Farm & Food Tour, we want to be able to promise people an opportunity to visit farms, processors and retailers who can introduce them to locally-grown, locally-produced food and farm-raised fiber,” LaPlante said.

Strolling of the Heifers will widely promote the Farm, Food & Fiber Tour through its website, press releases, calendar listings, advertisements, newspaper supplement, rack cards, radio interviews and more.

LaPlante is looking especially for farms and food producers and retailers who can offer special tours, demonstrations or activities to the public during the tour. She said this may include:

• Farms of any kind that offer a staffed retail location and/or will hold an open house with tours, demonstrations or activities
• Food producers or processors such as cheesemakers, vineyards, maple syrup producers, jam and jelly makers, bakeries, etc. that use locally sourced ingredients
• Specialty retailers who offer primarily food products that are locally sourced
• Farms, processors or retailers of fibers and fiber products from sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas, etc.

“Geographically we’re looking for participation from throughout Windham County,” LaPlante said. ‘We will map out several suggested routes and provide roadside signs. Our website and newspaper supplement will feature.”

There is no cost to participation. Participating farms and businesses will be able to introduce themselves and their products to local residents as well as visitors to our area (who last year came from more than 390 different zip codes throughout the Northeast).

Farms and other businesses interested in participation should call LaPlante at 802/254-6016 ext. 1724.

On the Web: www.strollingoftheheifers.com