This season of concert planning has left us completely wowed by the power of the Good Food Movement in North Carolina. Those of us here at Farm Aid are so lucky to get the chance to connect with amazing farmers and leaders in the Raleigh-Durham area and beyond; we couldn’t help but give our concertgoers traveling from around the country the same opportunities to get to know the farmer heroes of the region.

We are so excited to be offering three different farm tours on Friday, September 12th, the day preceding the Farm Aid 2014 concert at Walnut Creek Amphitheatre in Raleigh, NC. Get ready to learn from some remarkable farm entrepreneurs!

Tour costs range from $15-$20 per person and will include lunch. Vans for the tours will depart at 10am from 805 North Person Street, Raleigh NC. Returns times are approximations.

Please register by September 5th at farmaid.org/events and check below for details about each of these fabulous tours. We hope you’ll join us!

Farm Transitions Tour (10:00am – 2:45pm) From tobacco to organic produce, and the frontlines of war to North Carolina pastures, this tour features farmers who know a thing or two about transitions. The first stop, Cypress Hall Farms, boasts heritage pasture-raised poultry and livestock, an on-farm processing project and is part of a growing community of farmer veterans in NC. The next stop is Vollmer Farm, a 5th-generation family farm that shifted from tobacco to organic fruits and vegetables in the late 80s. A popular agritourism destination, Vollmer Farm has conquered market challenges through their CSA, roadside market, pick-your-own, and wholesale operation. $20

Operation Spring Plant & Olusanya Farm (10:00am – 2:30pm) Operation Spring Plant is led by resilient Dorathy and Phillip Barker, African American farmers who provide an antidote to an agricultural system void of fresh starts and fair chances. OSP facilitates workshops and resource-rich relationships throughout Eastern NC. Tour-goers will learn about Black land loss and the Barkers’ work to combat concentration in the dairy and vegetable industries, as well as their innovative on-farm biodiesel efforts. On the forefront of the food hub scene, this tour will also explore their long-standing aggregation facility and one of the few African-American-run dairies in the state. $20

Food and Farms in the Heart of Raleigh (10:00am – 1:45pm) This tour will visit Raleigh City Farm and Inter-Faith Food Shuttle’s Urban Farm for a close up view of what it takes to build soil and grow food in the heart of the city. Representatives from additional local food and farm efforts will be on-hand to round out a discussion about growing, marketing and distributing farm fresh, local food in the city limits. $15

For those local to the area, Carolina Farm Stewardship Alliance has you covered the next weekend. Check out their 9th annual Eastern Triangle Farm Tour of 27 farms on Saturday and Sunday, September 20 and 21!