McHenry County Farm Stroll 2023 Offers Tours of 11 Family-Owned Small Farms and McHenry County College Student Farm
Woodstock, Ill. – Come out for an autumn day in the country! On Sunday, Sept. 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., McHenry County will host its annual Farm Stroll, a free self-guided tour of the county’s diversified family farms and McHenry County College student farm. A total of 12 farms will be part of this educational agriculture-centric tour. Fruits and vegetables, dairy and beef cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, horses, honeybees, perennial plants, and more will be featured within these 12 farms.
Because this is a family-friendly, free, self-guided tour, there is no beginning or end of the route—just choose the farms that interest you and visit them during the designated timeframe -- from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Farm Stroll is organized by the McHenry County Farm Bureau, University of Illinois Extension, and the Center for Agrarian Learning at McHenry County College. McHenry County Extension Master Gardener and 4-H volunteers will be onsite to assist farm families in accommodating guests and conducting demonstrations and tours.
There is no charge for the Farm Stroll, but most farms will be selling food, produce or other farm-related products. Bring cash to purchase items directly from the farmers. Bring a cooler, too.
Remember, these are working farms: dress appropriately, and supervise children at all times. No pets, please. A few farms will have toilet facilities, but most do not.
Visit McHenry County Farm Bureau for more info at mchenrycfb.org or call 815-338-1520. Also visit University of Illinois Extension at extension.illinois.edu/lm or call 815-338-3737. Lastly, McHenry County College at McHenry.edu/cal.
If an accommodation is needed in order to participate, please email sfarley@illinois.edu. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet an individual’s access needs.
SOURCE: Sarah Farley, Extension Educator, Local Food Systems and Small Farms, University of Illinois Extension in McHenry County
WRITER: Ann Min, University of Illinois Extension McHenry County Master Gardener volunteer
Visit extension.illinois.edu/lm for more information about the Lake and McHenry County Extension or call 847-223-8627 (Lake County) and 815-338-3737 (McHenry County).
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. Illinois Extension is part of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.