LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY: Kentucky’s roadside farm markets are attracting record numbers of visitors, drawn not only by the seasonal supplies of fresh fruits and vegetables, but also by the dozens of popular attractions and festivals that have turned the adjacent farms into tourist destinations.

To document the range of these farm market festivals and special activities, Kentucky Farm Bureau has published schedules of attractions and festivals that are on tap this summer and fall at the 77 Farm Bureau Certified Roadside Farm Markets across Kentucky.

The list of Farm Bureau-certified markets includes vineyards, vegetable gardens and farms which raise and sell a variety of food and specialty products. The certification program is designed to provide visitors an assurance of quality and freshness for the food products they buy.

This year’s farm market calendar lists such family-friendly attractions as nature trails, school tours, feeding and petting farm animals. Other activities on the listing include live music, barn dancing and bonfires.

The festival schedule, which runs from July through December, spotlights products ranging from strawberries and jams, to hot peppers and Kentucky-cured hams.

“There are many activities planned all across the state ranging from pumpkin festivals to celebrity milking contests,” said J. K. Henshaw, who coordinates Farm Bureau’s Roadside Farm Market program. “Folks have the opportunity to experience farm life and enjoy some of the great foods raised on Kentucky farms.”

Scheduled events for July and August are:

July
4-15 Summer Bounty Festival Amerson Farm Orchard Georgetown
22 Sweet Corn Festival Evans Orchard & Mill Georgetown

August
1-31 Parade of Ponds Lee’s Garden Center Hodgenville