The Montgomery County Farm Tour and Harvest Sale will be taking place July 23-24, with over 19 farms across the county participating to host events for residents. The tour aims to help promote farms in the area and enrich community members in the diverse agricultural industry right here at home.
Leading up to this event, Montgomery Community Media’s multipart “Farm Tours Series” will focus on a select group of these participating farms each week. All photos are taken by Joe Ryan.
In part two of this series, myMCM will focus on the following farms: Button Farm Living History Center, Homestead Farm, King Barn Dairy MOOseum and Windridge Vineyard.
Button Farm Living History Center
The beginnings of The Button Farm can be traced back to 1767. It was then that the farm was first established, spanning 270 acres in its entirety as a result of a land grant. Since then, the next two centuries would bring various changes in ownership, with the most notable being a purchase in 1970 by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The Button Farm now serves as the home of The Menare Foundation, an organization that promotes the history of the Underground Railroad through “immersive learning experiences.” The farm is Maryland’s only living history center depicting 19th century plantation life, according to the company.
The Button Farm Living History Center interprets the period when enslaved labor shaped the landscape and modern agricultural technology had not yet been developed,” the company states on the farm website. “To bring this compelling story to life we recreate sensory experiences of the past, integrating the tastes, touch, smell, sights and sounds of the 1850s into the daily operations of the farm.”
The farm not only provides realistic experiences to guests, but it also allows visitors to participate in farming practices as if in the 1850s.
In fact, the farm’s realistic true-to-life adventures have even helped shape the big screen, such as in 1997 when Menare President Anthony Cohen created the setting to prepare Oprah Winfrey for her role in the 1998 film ‘Beloved.’
During the farm tours weekend, residents will have the chance to visit this historic site, with tours of the bank barn, farmhouse, museum garden and slave cemetery available.
“Enjoy hands-on history, heritage breed animals and purchase farm products,” the company stated per the event brochure.
The Button Farm will be open for the event only on Saturday July 23, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, residents can visit the official farm website, or call at 202-903-4140.
Homestead Farm
For residents seeking a hands-on experience, the Homestead Farm is a family-owned farm in Poolesville that allows visitors to pick their own fruit.
“[The] farm market has pre-picked produce, preserves, and local honey,” the company stated per the event brochure.
At Homestead Farm, admission is $3 for each guest, with the exception of children ages one and younger. For visitors that plan to pick fruit, the farm charges by the pound, and also sells produce.
According to the farm website, peaches and blackberries are currently in season and available for picking.
Homestead Farm will be open for the event on Saturday July 23, and Sunday July 24 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, the official website can be found here. The farm can also be reached by emailing homesteadfarmemail@gmail.com.
King Barn Dairy MOOseum
In the 1960s, the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission (MNCPPC) purchased what was then known as the ‘James & Macie King Farm’. The farm was part of the plan for a new regional park in Germantown.
With the creation of South Germantown Recreational Park over three decades later, the King Barn was the sole remaining building that had been preserved. It was as a result of this that the MNCPPC eventually approved the usage of the farm for the MOOseum project in April of 2002. At the time, the MOOseum was quite an ambitious project, with plans for various displays and programs in the works from the onset.
Finally, in the spring of 2010, the MOOseum Barn was opened to the public. Since then, the MOOseum has served as a non-profit and registered charity in Maryland for nearly two decades, with the purpose of being an “educational based heritage landmark that is compatible with, and enhancing to, the surrounding Park and Region,” according to the company website.
During the farm tours weekend, the MOOseum will be open for residents to view the several exhibits and interact with farm animals.
“Exhibits in the barn feature life-size dairy breed models (including “Astronaut”, Montgomery County’s prize Holstein bull), milking equipment, dairy farm locations map, farm family histories, a model of the King farm home, as well as craft and a milkable model cow!” the company stated per the event brochure. “Macie’s Attic, our gift shop will offer ‘All Things Moo’ for purchase.”
The King Barn Dairy MOOseum will be open for the farm tour on Saturday, July 23, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., as well as Sunday, July 24, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, residents can visit the official website, or call at 301-254-6575.
Windridge Vineyards
Located in Darnestown, Windridge Vineyards is a family-owned farm winery started in 2011. While the vineyard has been around for over a decade, the owners have farming experience in the county dating back to 1959.
According to the company, the farm is currently home to three vineyard sites, each chosen “for their unique geology and microclimates.”
“We believe that farmers are the first conservationists and have a responsibility to preserve the land and the environment for future generations,” the company stated on their website. “We take a holistic approach based on our diversity of farming experiences—ranging from row crops to honey bees—to minimize our footprint on the land.”
Per the event brochure, the company recommends reserving a table on weekends. This can be done by visiting the reservations on their website.
“We strive to provide spectacular experience, the finest wine, and stunning surroundings to create memories that will last a lifetime,” the company states on their website.
Windridge Vineyards will be open for the event on Saturday, July 23, from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and on Sunday, July 24, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The company can be reached by calling 301-750-9463.
Part one of this series includes Butler’s Orchard, Doc Waters Cidery, Red Wiggler Community Farm and Do No Harm Farm. Pare three includes Camp Olympia, Lone Oak Farm Brewing, Tusculum Farm and Waredaca Brewing Company.
