By Darrell Blackwelder
For the Salisbury Post

SALISBURY — The Rowan County Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring its 2017 “Beer and Cheese” Agricultural Farm Tour on Tuesday, Oct. 17.^. 

The bus tour runs from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. There are still a few tickets for this very popular annual agricultural event.

This year’s farm tour highlights local beer and cheese production in Rowan County.  Also included is a tour of the 1,000-acre N.C. Department of Agriculture Research Station and Patterson Farm, a fourth-generation family farm with emphasis on vegetables, vegetable repacking and agritourism.

Attendees on this tour with learn about a cheese made from water buffalo milk as well as about how local beers are produced. Participants will have the chance sample beer and cheese produced in Rowan County.

This tour is a great way to educate the community on locally grown products and farming’s economic impact in Rowan County.

Sponsors for the tour include: Rowan Chamber of Commerce and N.C. Cooperative Extension Service. Cooperate sponsors are Novant Health, Pinnacle Finance, Rowan County Farm Bureau, Carolina Farm Credit and Lazy 5 Ranch.

Below is detailed agenda of the tour.

 

Tuesday, Oct. 17

9 a.m.-4 p.m.

9 a.m. — Board bus at N.C. Cooperative Extension Office, 2727 Old Concord Road.

9:30 a.m. — N.C. Department of Agriculture Research Center, the 1,000-acre Piedmont Research Station in Salisbury for research on field crops, fruits, vegetables, poultry and dairy.

11 a.m. — Fading D Farm water buffalo creamery specializing in making delicious cheeses.

Noon — Patterson Farm, with lunch from Troyer’s Country Market. Fourth-generation farm with emphasis on vegetables, repack and agri-tourism businesses.

1:30 p.m. — Carolina Malt Tour & Briefing. Learn about brewers’ barley and sample local craft beers.

2:30 p.m. — Beer tasting from New Sarum & Morgan Ridge.

3:30 p.m. — Return to N.C. Cooperative Extension Office on Old Concord Road.

For more information about this tour or the chamber’s Agriculture Committee, please call the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce at (704) 633-4221 or emailmailto:info@rowanchamber.com.