Call or check the farm's website to confirm their schedule for the day. Make a list of questions to ask the farm or farm workers. This can be especially fun for kids, and make the experience more educational! Check if pets are welcome to the location you are going. Some Farm Loop Members are pet friendly, but not all are able to invite pets onto the property. Bring appropriate gear/clothing, such as long pants and closed-toe shoes.

Follow farm etiquette by reading and obeying signs and supervising children. Stay out of buildings and off equipment unless specifically invited or marked by signs. Be careful not to step on crops. You might want to get a perfect photo, but if it costs the farmer their crop, it’s not worth it. Connect with the people and story of the farm rather than just buying products. Be aware that you are on a farm there might be loud noises, uneven ground, unpathed paths, and unique smells.

Share the information you learned with others. Continue to support local growers by visiting winter farmers markets. Make recommendations to friends and family, because personal endorsements are strong motivators for selecting travel locations.

Visit Oregon Farms

Farm Guidelines for Visiting

Here is Your Farm Checklist:

BEFORE YOU GO

Call or check the farm's website to confirm their schedule for the day.
Make a list of questions to ask the farm or farm workers. This can be especially fun for kids, and make the experience more educational!
Check if pets are welcome to the location you are going. Some Farm Loop Members are pet friendly, but not all are able to invite pets onto the property.
Bring appropriate gear/clothing, such as long pants and closed-toe shoes.

DURING YOUR VISIT

Follow farm etiquette by reading and obeying signs and supervising children.
Stay out of buildings and off equipment unless specifically invited or marked by signs.
Be careful not to step on crops. You might want to get a perfect photo, but if it costs the farmer their crop, it’s not worth it.
Connect with the people and story of the farm rather than just buying products.
Be aware that you are on a farm there might be loud noises, uneven ground, unpathed paths, and unique smells.

AFTER YOUR VISIT

Share the information you learned with others.
Continue to support local growers by visiting winter farmers markets.
Make recommendations to friends and family, because personal endorsements are strong motivators for selecting travel locations.

FARM APPROPRIATE CLOTHING

Check the weather reports before visiting farms. Be aware of the season and how they might affect the farm. Lots of rain in the spring might mean mud-wear boots, wind and cold temperatures during the Fall & Winter-bring a jacket. Always wear close-toed shoes to a farm. They may be open to the public, but it is still a working farm. Meaning uneven terrain, unpathed walk ways, exposure to the elements, etc. Plan ahead for your trip, because sometimes a farm visit can be cut short if your clothes are restricting you.

What's In Season?

Spring

Spring is often symbolized by renewal as we transition slowly from cold winters to slightly warmer spring temperatures. In early spring we are often times still thawing out as there's often still snow in some places, the days get longer, and green leaves start peeking out and soaking up that extra daylight. More daylight and less snow make visiting Oregon Farm Loop farms, vineyards, farm stores, and farm stands a lot more fun.

Flowers are a popular motif of spring, as the temperatures warm up they are some of the first farming activities of the season. From flower fields, festivals, u-pick, and nurseries, spring is the perfect time to enjoy the beauty of spring in Oregon and begin gardening. Several of our Oregon Farm Loop members are open and here to help you pick the perfect potted flower or hanging basket that will be a wonderful gift that lasts all summer! With Farmer's markets and greenhouses revving up this month, purchase your flowers and nursery plants locally.

By the end of spring, all the snow has melted, the days are longer, and there’s more sunshine. That sunshine for sweetening up the berries on the vine. Some berry varieties are in season by the end of spring. Take the opportunity to visit our members' farm stands, u-pick, and bakery operations to get your berry fix.

Summer

Let's take a stroll through Oregon Farms and discover all the summertime fun that agritourism has to offer!

In the summertime, Oregon's farms and ranches come alive, ready to welcome visitors for a whole heap of unique adventures. Think of it as a big, beautiful playground, filled with tasty treats and hands-on learning.

Here are just some of Oregon’s bounty that you might discover as you travel around the Oregon Farm Loop in the summer:

U-Pick: Get ready to fill your buckets with ripe, juicy berries and other seasonal bounty. Summer is all about berries and we have so many kinds here in Oregon: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, marionberries, and more! Plus so many other types of U-Pick operations for the many summer seasonal produce items. Juicy stone fruits, like cherries, peaches, and plums.
Farm Markets: Farm markets will be bursting with fresh-picked produce, flowers, and other farm-made goodies. It’s the perfect way to find ingredients for a summer picnic, or for a summer BBQ!
Tours and Educational Events: Many farms offer tours where you can learn how food grows and how farmers tend to the land. Some might host special workshops on gardening, cooking, or other farm-related crafts.
Farm-to-Table Dining: Indulge in a delightful farm-to-table dinner experience, where the ingredients come straight from the fields to your plate. It's a grand way to enjoy the flavors of the season.
Festivals and Events: Summer is festival time! Farms and ranches may host harvest festivals, farm to fork dinners, or other special events with fun activities, music, and local eats.
Alcohol: Enjoy the outdoors and visit local vineyards during their peak season. Learn more about the process of wine making while you can see the fruit on the vine. Visit an outdoor beer garden and learn about the hops that make it at the seasonal Topwire Hop project.

So, if you’re looking for a great time in the countryside, be sure to check out all the agritourism opportunities on the Oregon Farm Loop! You’re sure to have a grand time making summer memories.

Fall

Here in Oregon, autumn is the perfect time to experience farm life with harvest festivals, farm stands, and u-pick. You can take a hay ride or find your perfect pumpkin. Plus, tasting fresh locally grown produce may be the most lasting memory for visitors.

Now, what goodies can you expect from our Oregon Farm Loop farms in the fall? Why, here's a peek:

Apples
Pears (Oregon’s State Fruit)
Hazelnuts
Pumpkins
Fresh Vegetables like Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, and Squash

Agritourism connects consumers and tourists with agricultural products and places. These venues may provide hay rides, pumpkin patches, and opportunities to feed animals. Our Oregon Farm Loop members are offering something even better. The chance to learn about local agriculture to teach those young and old about the different seasons and where their food comes from. Fall is a very popular time to visit farms and gather the autumn bounty, and we hope that as you get that tasty bushel of apples, you also learn a little bit about our agricultural community.

Winter

Imagine walking through a Farm Winter Wonderland. Surrounded by the beauty of Oregon in the Winter, and hopefully holding onto a warm drink! Many don’t think of Winter to be a farming time of year, but agritourism in Oregon extends into the winter months. Offering unique experiences that connect Farm Loop visitors with what’s in season. Though some farms may be closed during this time of year, many of our Oregon Farm Loop Members are open year-round.

Although the growing season has slowed, farms and ranches still provide valuable agritourism opportunities. Christmas tree farms are a classic winter agritourism destination where visitors can select and cut their own fresh trees. There are still local produce options like onions, squash, hazelnuts, cabbage, and more. Take a look at these Winter & Year Round Farms, and you might see there’s more going on during this time of year than you expected.

Year Round

Agritourism in Oregon can be a year-round experience! There are so many types of activities offered during our four different seasons, don’t miss any of them. Visit some of our year-round Oregon Farm Loop farms and ranches. Agritourism connects visitors with agricultural products and the state's landscapes through farm visits, meeting producers, and tasting local products. Make it a challenge to visit one of these year-round operations in every season and take away something new with each season. Whether it’s a tasting foods utilized in a farm to fork dinner, taking the grandkids on their first u-pick experience, a friends wine tasting at a vineyard, or life long memories. Visit these year round Farm Loop members to have these experiences.

Our Oregon Farm Loop Members offer diverse experiences, including direct sales, educational activities, and outdoor recreation. There is something fun to experience and something new to learn for all ages, young and old, here on Oregon farms. Here are some examples of what you adventures are awaiting you at Oregon Farm Loop farms any time of year:

Direct sales of fresh produce and handcrafted items
Educational opportunities
Wine tasting
Farm-to-table dinners

Animal Experiences

In-season photograph for the entire year