KEOSAUQUA, Iowa — The J40 Farm Crawl returns for the 11th Annual celebration of all things local on August 10. A day filled with farms, food and fun for kids of all ages. The J40 Farm Crawl showcases seven businesses ranging from family farms to local artisans and crafters. Highlights include: an Amish school benefit breakfast, live music by The Galvinators, farm tours, horse drawn wagon rides, petting zoo, glassblowing and blacksmith demonstrations, bread baking, free ice cream and demonstrations by several other local crafters and artists, along with special discounts at the participating farms and shops.
The farm tour at Lengacher’s Greenhouse will feature horse-drawn wagon rides, bounties of beautiful mums and fresh produce. Don’t forget to stop at their new business, Shallow Creek Variety Store filled with household and craft items. Enjoy wood-fired clay oven bread baking and garden tours at Bloom and Bark Farm. While at Bloom and Bark, stop by Crane Winery to taste their delicious sweet wines and Hershey’s Honey who will be sampling all the good stuff made by bees. Make sure to visit the internationally renowned Milton Creamery to sample their wonderful cheese. The Troy Academy, one of the first institutions of higher education west of the Mississippi, will be open for guided tours. Yoder’s Indian Creek Furniture will have their showroom full of beautiful handcrafted hardwood furniture along with discounts on poly furniture. In addition to all the eye-catching beauty, the kids will enjoy a petting zoo and taste buds will be enticed free homemade ice cream.
Featured artists you can find at Bloom and Bark during the Farm Crawl include; Douglass Blackwolf who will be demonstrating the ancient art of Blacksmithing. Fiber artist Sonja Hoie will feature yarn and textiles created from her flock of Icelandic Sheep that graze on the Thomas Home Farm. Join Villages Folk School artist Pat Crawford who will be creating dyed fusion art along with other Folk School artist who will be demonstrating and selling a wide array of their art. Glass artists Tim Blair, Jim Topic, Ian Anderson and Tristan Edmunds will be demonstrating their glass blowing talent shaping molten glass into beautiful pieces of art continually throughout the day. Make sure to stay for live music performed by The Galvinators from 1pm-3pm. VB Art Club will be serving up hotdogs and brats and the Fairfield Swim Team will be spinning and serving cotton candy.
The J40 Farm Crawl begins Saturday, August 10 at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 5:00 p.m., with the Amish School Breakfast served from 8:00 a.m. – 12 noon (free-will donation). The Farm Crawl is a fabulous opportunity to share summer family fun along Iowa’s Historic Hills Scenic Byway and celebrate the local businesses that add vibrancy to the Iowa landscape. Maps and brochures can be downloaded at www.villagesofvanburen.com and www.bloomandbark.com, check out our J40 Farm Crawl Facebook page, or contact Kim Steele-Blair at bloomandbark@netins.net or (641)233-8210.
— J40 Farm Crawl
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