News Summary
The 18th annual Fall Farm Tour in Tallahassee will take place on October 11-12, highlighting local food producers, including Play of Sunlight Mushrooms. The event promotes community support for local agriculture through farm tours, educational workshops, and product samplings. Visitors can enjoy hands-on activities while connecting with farmers and learning about sustainable practices.
Tallahassee Hosts Annual Fall Farm Tour Featuring Play of Sunlight Mushrooms
TALLAHASSEE – The 18th annual Fall Farm Tour is set to take place on October 11-12, coinciding with National Farmers Day. This event will provide community members with behind-the-scenes access to 34 participating local food producers, showcasing farms, ranches, wineries, and nurseries throughout North Central Florida and South Central Georgia. The tour emphasizes local agriculture, allowing visitors to connect with farmers, explore their operations, and enjoy activities such as hayrides and fruit sampling.
Among the featured producers is Play of Sunlight Mushrooms, located on Palmer Avenue in Tallahassee. Founded by Josh Saul in 2015, the farm specializes in gourmet mushroom varieties, including lion’s mane, chestnut, pioppino, hen of the woods, and assorted oyster mushrooms. Saul initially began foraging and growing mushrooms as a hobby while living in South Carolina and later moved to Tallahassee with the aim of transforming this passion into a professional venture. While overcoming challenges in mastering mushroom cultivation, the farm has benefitted from a growing public interest in both culinary and medicinal mushrooms.
Event Highlights and Community Impact
The Fall Farm Tour aims to strengthen community support for local agriculture. Majken Peterzen, the executive director of the Millstone Institute for Preservation, highlighted the importance of this initiative. Additionally, Madison County is serving as the current grand patron of the event, which boasts about two dozen sponsors. Local farmers, including those at Rocky Soil Family Farm, have expressed appreciation for the community’s support, particularly as agricultural production costs rise. Despite these challenges, many local farms have not increased prices for their customers, underscoring the significance of community backing for their sustainability.
The Fall Farm Tour booklet, which contains a map and a guide to all destinations, will be available for download online. Visitors are encouraged to prepare for their experience by bringing essential items such as suntan lotion, bug spray, water, and cash, as some farms may not accept credit cards. For those purchasing meat or produce, bringing a cooler is advisable.
Educational Opportunities and Public Engagement
In addition to farm tours, the event includes educational workshops and product samplings for attendees. These sessions are designed to enhance visitors’ understanding of local agriculture and promote engagement with regional food producers. This educational aspect reflects a growing trend among consumers who are increasingly interested in sourcing food locally, especially in the wake of the recent pandemic.
The rising interest in local produce has benefitted Play of Sunlight Mushrooms, which emphasizes a “quality over yield” philosophy. By focusing on rare and difficult mushroom species, the farm has developed direct relationships with local chefs, ensuring fresher products and bypassing traditional distribution models. This approach not only supports local cuisine but also aligns with the broader community efforts aimed at enhancing agricultural sustainability.
Overall, the Fall Farm Tour presents an excellent opportunity for Tallahassee residents to engage with local agriculture, learn more about food production, and support community farmers. As local food systems gain importance, events like this will continue to foster essential connections between consumers and producers.
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Additional Resources
- Tallahassee.com: Fall Farm Tour
- Tallahassee.com: Discover Benefits of Edible Mushrooms
- Tallahassee.com: Restaurant Trends 2022
- Tallahassee.com: Black Radish Restaurant Review
- Wikipedia: Agriculture
Author: STAFF HERE TALLAHASSEE WRITER
The TALLAHASSEE STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HERETallahassee.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Tallahassee, Leon County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Springtime Tallahassee, Tallahassee Jazz & Blues Festival, and LeMoyne Chain of Parks Art Festival. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce and United Way of the Big Bend, plus leading businesses in education, healthcare, and insurance that power the local economy such as Florida State University, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, and Capital Health Plan. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREJacksonville.com, HEREOrlando.com, HEREStPetersburg.com, and HERETampa.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Florida's dynamic landscape.
