Ogle County Farm Stroll set for Sunday

    Have you ever wanted to see a beekeeper in action? Or pick your own apples and berries? Join the University of Illinois Extension for this year’s Ogle County Farm Stroll will be on Sunday, Oct. 13, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is a free, family-friendly event.

    Please follow a few Farm Stroll guidelines to make this an enjoyable event for everyone:

    • Dress appropriately for a farm visit. This event takes place rain or shine.

    • Be sure to follow each farmer’s instructions and be respectful of all the animals.

    • Wash your hands regularly.

    • Do not bring your pets for the safety of livestock and other participants.

    • Pick up, complete, and turn in a Farm Stroll Passport at any of the farms for a chance to win prizes.

    • Most importantly, be safe and have fun!

    The Farm Stroll is self-guided, so there is no beginning or end. Choose which farms to see via the brochure and map created for the event, gather friends and family, and enjoy a relaxing, educational, and fun afternoon satisfying local food cravings and curiosities.

    This is a free event, but bring cash to stock up on local, farm-fresh products.

    Follow the Ogle County Farm Stroll on Facebook for information, brochures, maps, and spotlight features on each farm: www.facebook.com/northernilfarmstroll. Contact the Ogle County Extension office at 815-732-2191 with any additional questions or if a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in this program. Event brochures can be picked up at the Ogle County Extension office at 421 W. Pines Road, Suite 10, in Oregon during their regular business hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or go to their website at extension.illinois.edu/bdo.

Participating farms

    • Barnhart’s Stone Corner in Oregon: Jon and Cindy Barnhart collect and display antique farm equipment and a collection of historical oddities. In addition, they maintain a unique collection of hundreds of tons of stones, many marked with dates and points of origin, all arranged in stone fences and sculptures on their property.

    • BerryView Orchard in Mt. Morris: Jeff and Julie Warren are growing the super-fruit aronia berries using organic practices. Taste aronia berries, learn about the benefits, and find ways to add them to cooking, baking, and juicing. Visitors can pick their own berries and apples, or purchase pre-picked ones. Sample jams, jellies, and cookies and walk the orchards and see what’s growing.

    • Dietrich Ranch in Mt. Morris: Their animals are 100% grass-fed using intensive rotational grazing and holistic management. They raise 100% grass-fed/grass-finished beef, lamb, free-range pastured chicken, and pork. All of the products the farm offers are raised without chemicals, antibiotics, or hormones.

    • Happily Homegrown in Oregon: The Bruns family lives on a 12-acre homestead, growing and raising most of their food. This includes pigs, cows, rabbits, chickens, and various fruits and vegetables. How do they get through the winter? A greenhouse, of course!

    • Hough’s Maple Lane Farm in Mt. Morris: Rob and Lynnette Hough with their two children collect maple sap in the spring and boil it down into maple goodness using the family’s sugar house. Each year, 20 to 30 gallons of maple syrup are made and sold. Other maple treats, including candy, cookies, granola, pickles, and dog treats, are also created.

    • Orion Organics in Franklin Grove: Tim Benedict’s apiary and garlic farm is surrounded by thousands of acres of native prairie and woodlands. He adheres to strict organic farming methods to produce artisanal raw honey from the native prairie wildflowers among the Nachusa Grasslands.

    Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities.