By Shelby Carroll

Pumpkin patches, apple orchards and corn mazes are just some of the fall family events we enjoy the most here in North Carolina. All three fall activities have one thing in common: they require local agriculture. Now that fall has arrived in the Carolinas, the best way to enjoy the season is by supporting the locals who worked all summer to prepare by growing all the pansies, pumpkins and apples you want in your household. If supporting local agriculture has always interested you, but you are still looking for producers, I would like to engage you in downloading the Visit NC Farm App.

You can easily access countless farming operations and food festivals located in Rowan County and across the entire state at your fingertips. By downloading the app, you will receive notifications on activities, festivals and information on what local produce is in season. Pre-made agricultural-based itineraries for different countries can also be found on this website, giving you an entire day’s worth of farm-based fun. This app can be found in both Apple and Android app stores for free.

If you prefer a computer-based setting, go to visitncfarmstoday.com, a website-based format of the app, and click on the Blog tab on the top right-hand side of the page. This will give you access to countless articles on seasonal produce, food festivals, county fairs, farmers’ markets and much more. Blogs are updated regularly to address what products are in season and current events. While on the website, subscribe to the email list and get updates on upcoming events across the state and fun recipes to use with the produce in season. Both the website and the app are full of locally run agricultural industries and want to push the same objective. Allowing community members and tourists to find locally grown products and gain knowledge on agriculture systems. They can help community members access locally grown products in their areas.

Visit NC Farms was launched by the N.C Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services in 2018 to help advertise local farms & fisheries, farmers’ markets & u-pick, farm stays & lodging, tours & trails, and unique agricultural events across the state. The goal of the app is to connect individuals with local agriculture. Currently, 80 communities are involved with the Visit NC Farm app. It aims to reach out to all 100 counties in North Carolina to advertise this state’s agricultural diversity. For any questions on how to research a local farm or marketing your own agriculture, contact slcarroll@ncat.edu.

Shelby Carroll is agriculture and natural resources Extension agent with the Rowan County Extension.