By Tara Fatemi Walker

Digging up sweet potatoes, harvesting your own dahlia bouquet, learning about pollinators and seeing an apple butter-making demo: These activities and more are part of 2024’s Open Farm Tours, which takes place Saturday and Sunday.

When Open Farm Tours launched in 2014, the one-day event had six participating farms. Now, it’s two days with 13 farms. All utilize sustainable agriculture practices and grow organically. “I’m grateful for people’s growing interest in having access to healthy food and engaging with their local farming communities,” says Penny Ellis, lead organizer of Open Farm Tours. “It’s exciting to see more people wanting to learn about the healthy agricultural practices farms use to grow our food.”

Chris and Dana Laughlin, who launched Sea to Sky Farm in 2018, signed up for 2024’s Open Farm Tours after a fantastic experience in 2023. “Last year was loads of fun,” says Chris, a fourth-generation farmer who runs the daily operations. “Folks came out to pick dry-farmed tomatoes, dig up sweet potatoes, enjoy Taiko drumming, participate in the farm tours, and purchase farm-fresh produce,” she says. These activities will all be available on Oct. 12.

Two ranches make up Sea to Sky: The “Sea” Farm, with 12 acres, is north of Davenport. The “Sky” Farm, near Bonny Doon, covers 24 acres. This is where attendees will visit. Guided tours are at 10 a.m. and noon. Watsonville Taiko will play at 1 p.m. The group will open up the drums for the public to participate during the last part of the performance. All-female band Sugar by the Pound will perform around 2 p.m. There is a flower bouquet-making station inside the middle of the redwood fairy ring. Also, people can pay a fee to take home a customized flower bouquet they make themselves.

Beeline Blooms is part of Open Farm Tours for the second consecutive year. The entire DeLong family helps run the Ben Lomond farm, but Karla DeLong is head farmer, “meaning soil, water, bugs, plants and flowers are what I spend my days tending,” she says. DeLong calls herself a joy farmer. “Because joy is the reason why we do it. Our goal is to spread joy through flowers. It’s why we only sell directly from the field, and not anywhere else. We want people to experience the entire ecosystem up here. I curate our field by color so folks can immerse themselves in the vibrant beauty and find a little inspiration.”

DeLong welcomes people to Beeline for a “dahlia safari.” They grow 300-plus dahlia varieties. Visitors can harvest flowers to bring home ($30, includes jar). Because of a strong late bloom this year, there are many opportunities for beautiful pictures and fabulous bouquets. The farm will also sell produce grown on-site: quince, grapefruit, herbs and gourds.

Other vendors present include Bee40 Farms with refreshments like lavender lemonade and snack boxes, LocaLife Flowers with flower photos and floral arts, and Craft Apothecary selling medicinal-grade herbal concoctions for health and beauty.

The family launched the farm in 2022. “We grew Beeline Blooms from the ashes of the 2020 CZU wildfire as an offering of beauty and re-creation,” says DeLong. “Our farm continues to grow into a place where agriculture supports community through events and education.” They have weekly volunteer hours for all ages and skill levels. “Anyone can join in the fun of growing dahlias.”DeerBrook Farms owner Rosie Fry is participating in Open Farm Tours for the first time to increase awareness of several things she is passionate about. These include lavender farming, pollinator education, plastic reduction and teaching people how to make all-natural skincare products. Seeing herself as an educator, she has a strong belief in the philosophy “learn, do, teach.”

The Corralitos farm’s abundant lavender fields aren’t currently blossoming. But Open Farm Tours “attendees will find tranquility in the garden with the sounds of the fountain bubbling over and the bees and the butterflies skipping over the flowers,” Fry says. And visitors can explore the barn, which was renovated and completed six months ago and is the site of workshops and special events throughout the year. “The original farmhouse and barn were built in 1906 and are on the historical register as being locally significant,” she says. Remnants from the original barn were incorporated in the renovation.

A variety of lavender and skincare items will be available for purchase, plus items from local artists. Attendees can participate in guided tours (10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.), which include the chicken pen, chicken house, barn, greenhouse and potting area. “People will learn about how the vegetation was designed to attract specific breeds of butterflies and pollinators,” says Fry. In addition, the lavender steam distillation process will be featured with a demonstration on how it works.

Ellis, the organizer of Open Farm Tours, emphasizes that DeerBrook Farms is “unique in that it is a homestead that was created out of Rosie’s interests in being a steward to pollinators and the biodiversity of the land. She grows lavender and numerous plants that create a balanced ecosystem that supports the raw materials for the skincare products she makes.”

Ellis encourages community members to visit as many farms as they can. “People are usually surprised to learn that farming has more variables than any other profession,” she says. “Farming is an art, and each farm is uniquely different in how they approach farming. It’s great to see that firsthand.”

Additional activities Saturday include apple butter cooking demos at Prevedelli Farms, kids art (Thomas Farm, Esperanza Community Farms), and all-day lunch at Thomas Farm. Featuring local food from farms and sponsors, selections available for purchase include Corralitos Sausages, Lakeside Organic Gardens salad, Marianne’s ice cream, and Martinelli’s apple juice. Cash is required due to unstable cell/internet reception at this farm. Lunch proceeds benefit Open Farm Tours’ operations.

This year’s participating farms are Beeline Blooms, Blossom’s Farm, DeerBrook Farms, Dos Aguilas (olive grove), Esperanza Community Farms, Live Earth Farm, Luz Del Valle Farm, Mariquita Farm, Pajaro Pastures Ranch, Prevedelli Farms, Sea to Sky Farm, Thomas Farm and Whiskey Hill Farms.

There are two ticket options. A Friends and Family Pass enables five people in one car to tour nine farms on Saturday for $25 per carload. Due to limited access, four farms require scheduled tours. These are on Sunday, ticketed separately per carload (prices vary). Pre-register for events and find a complete schedule and interactive map at openfarmtours.com.