The Spring Loudoun County Farm Tour is May 18 and May 19. This year there will be free shuttle buses to take you to 30-plus Virginia farms opening to the public.
The Loudoun County Department of Economic Development, which organizes the yearly fall and spring farm tours said it got great feedback after piloting a “hop on hop off” shuttle bus during last fall’s tour on a much smaller scale.
The 20-passenger “hop on hop off” shuttle buses will pick up passengers at the Ashburn Metro station throughout the day and operate on a constant loop between the towns of Leesburg, Lovettsville and Hillsboro.
“From each of the towns, you’ll be able to pick up a smaller van and go on a guided tour of anywhere from three to four farm stops, without ever having to drive your car or having to navigate,” said Colleen Kardasz, assistant director at the Loudoun County Department of Economic Development.
Shuttle buses will be on a constant loop between farms from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.
Farms that open to visitors are diverse, from llamas and alpacas, to those that produce honey, mushrooms and protein, as well as produce growers.
“You can go to two different garlic farms on the spring farm tour. You could go to Green Hills Nursery and learn about the tea that they are growing, and buy some green tea grown in Loudoun County. Brookfield Dairy Farm is on the tour, and they are one of the last remaining dairy farms in Loudoun. You can see their practices and also purchase some ice cream made with their dairy,” Kardasz said.
Buddy Rizer, executive director of Loudoun Economic Development, said the tour “serves as a testament to the incredible diversity of farms that call Loudoun County home.”
“Each farm offers a unique experience, reflecting the ingenuity, passion and dedication of our local farmers,” Rizer said.
Many farms will also have educational components on agricultural practices and sustainability initiatives.
Attendance for the farm tours is tough to gauge, since many farms don’t count visitors, but during the fall tour, one farm said it had 2,000 visitors, with most of the other farms recording between 200 and 500 visitors.
A list and a map of farms participating in this year’s Spring Loudoun County Farm Tour is online.
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