Next time you’re planning an activity for the whole family, consider giving your children a glimpse into Tennessee’s proud agricultural heritage by touring a working farm. Many working farms in Tennessee welcome visitors for tours and a taste of the farm life experience.
Touring a working farm will help you and your family get a better understanding of where food comes from and develop a deeper appreciation for the farmers who manage the state’s 67,300 farms.
Here are three things your kids might learn on a working farm in Tennessee.
How to Make Cheese
Sweetwater Valley Farm in Philadelphia, Tennessee, welcomes visitors for walking tours. Visitors learn how humans’ routines affect a cow’s diet and how computers are used to manage the herd’s health. Farmers explain the cheese-making process, and visitors can see the process in action. A selection of these cheeses is available for purchase as well, so your family can enjoy what the farmers and cows work so hard to produce.
How to Make Wool and Cashmere
You’ve probably wondered how your favorite wool sweater was made. Find the answer at a place like Mountain Hollow Farm in Tazewell, Tennessee. Goats, rabbits, llamas and sheep live on this farm. Workers show visitors how fibers like wool and cashmere are harvested and then spun into yarn for clothing. Mountain Hollow also offers knitting and spinning classes.
Learn about more family fun activities in Tennessee.
How to Preserve Food
Farmers often preserve food grown during the summer to use during the less bountiful winter months. Find classes on how to can and preserve various types of foods at Taproot Farm in Franklin, Tennessee, or find one that’s organized by the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Office. You’ll learn what it takes to grow food and the best ways to store it, so you’ll have plenty of goodies to eat later on.
So why not plan a family farm experience for your next outdoor excursion? Find a working farm near you through the Tennessee Agritourism website.
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