MACON, Ga. — Looking for more adventure in your life? Discovery is made simple with the 2021 Farm Passport. All you need is an open road and a tank of gas to discover where your food comes from and the people who grow it. See towns not yet visited. Explore your next favorite trail. Stop at a new restaurant.
For the third year, Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) is offering its Farm Passport program. Chances are you’re within an hour of a GFB Certified Farm Market (CFM) and straight-from-the-farm goodness, whether it’s strawberries or peaches in the spring, fresh vegetables in the summer, apples in the fall or Christmas trees at year’s end.
“We visited so many places we would have never even known about because of the Georgia Farm Passport. From picking and tasting the wonderful muscadines, to eating the most-yummy peach ice cream at Lane Southern Orchards, to shopping in the adorable market at Jaemor Farms, we got to spend quality time as a family and explore the farms of Georgia,” said Jennifer Miles, a participant in GFB’s 2020 Farm Passport program. “We cannot wait to start our journey this year! We are hoping to double our number of stamps for 2021! Thank you Georgia Farm Bureau for getting my son to put down his phone and enjoy the great outdoors with his family! We had a blast!”
The farm passport guides travelers across Georgia to farms that offer food items for virtually any taste. Travel with the passport to live out your love of discovering Georgia, supporting local farmers and experiencing fresh food. Passport holders will learn about Georgia’s agricultural diversity firsthand as they get their passport stamped at each farm visited.
In 2020, farm passport travelers made more than 6,000 visits to GFB CFMs. That’s up from 2,400 farm visits in 2019.
Two participants – Jennifer Appleton and Sarah Ridgeway of Brunswick visited 77 of the 78 markets across the state. They missed one farm due to the farm’s strawberry season ending early.
“We had so much fun traveling the state, meeting the local providers, learning new things, and tasting all of the amazing locally grown products,” Appleton said of their travels.
Eight new farms have joined GFB’s CFM program this year, so Farm Passport travelers have eight new farm markets to visit.
“I started visiting Georgia farms last April. I wanted to explore more of what the state had to offer. I love that so many of the local farms are family-based, selling delicious homemade sauces, sweet preserves, and healthy snacks,” said Paige Overmyer, a 2020 passport participant. “I’ve grown to love spending time on Georgia’s back roads. I hope to spend 2021 visiting as many cute little towns as I can while I find more farms.”
Turn in your passport with stamps from five or more CFMs and you’ll receive a limited-edition t-shirt. Passports stamped from 10 or more farms earn participants the t-shirt and assorted ag swag items like a baseball cap and additional surprises. Travelers who get stamps from 15 or more CFMs get all that plus their choice of selected CFM products. Get 20 or more stamps and receive a farm-to-table dinner and farm tour along with all the other prizes.
The Georgia Farm Passport is available at county Farm Bureau offices and at the 83 GFB Certified Farm Markets. To find participating farms, visit www.gfb.ag/farmpassport. The deadline to submit your passport for prizes is Jan. 7, 2022.
The Farm Passport is a collection of GFB Certified Farm Markets. These markets sell directly on the farm or offer farm tours and a majority of goods sold are grown on their farm. Each farm is unique. Some farms offer a pick-your-own option, corn mazes, farm games, educational opportunities or host special events as specified in the Farm Passport.
One passport allowed per person. One stamp allowed per person per farm. Must be present to get your passport stamped. As you visit, share your journey on social media with #farmpassport #gafarmbureau. While no purchase is required to participate, please be kind and make one since these farms are their owners’ livelihoods. For potential travel routes, optimized to help you discover Georgia, visit www.gfb.ag/passport and email cfm@gfb.org for questions.
–Georgia Farm Bureau
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