Visit Folly Farm during the Aug. 10 Union County Farm Crawl and learn about gourmet hardneck garlic.

UNION COUNTY — The Farm Crawl is the perfect time to get a taste of the innovative agriculturally related businesses in Union County.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, make your way around some of Union County’s “farm stops” and discover the bounty of our region. Hosted by the Union County Chamber of Commerce, the Farm Crawl starts at the Chamber office, 207 Depot St. in La Grande, where you pick up your passport and guide.

At each stop, the farmer/proprietor will stamp the passport, show you around, and answer questions. After visiting all of the stops, you will find yourself at the Grassroots Festival in time for the “Farm to Table Dinner” at the City Park in Union, held from 4-6 p.m. Turn in your passport there to access your dinner.

Your passport will also be your entry in a raffle held by the Chamber of Commerce to win a gift basket. After enjoying dinner, Farm Crawl participants are encouraged to hang out at the Grassroots Festival and street dance for the rest of the evening.

The Farm Crawl takes you through La Grande, Union and Cove.

La Grande

While in La Grande, you will visit Hines Meat Company, a locally owned and operated butcher shop, processing custom orders and wild game, with in-house curing and smoking available. Community Merchants is also featured. Located in downtown La Grande, it is the place to access homemade goods and local meats, cheeses, and produce from local crafters, growers, and producers.

Avella Orchard is the next port of call. This two-acre heirloom fruit and nut forest within the La Grande city limits contains a collection of rare local pioneer trees created in the 1950s. This 250-acre gem includes apples, pears, plums, apricots, quince, mulberries, cherries, chestnuts, walnuts, filberts and almonds.

As you leave La Grande, Ladd View Ranch is the place to get to know Babydoll Southdown sheep and their relationship to the ecology of the varied features of the ranch.

Cove

Heading out of town, the next series of stops are in Cove, a veritable cornucopia of local sustainable agriculture. Vintage Finds: Cove’s Garden Greenhouse is bursting with all manner of vintage items, plants, and flowers. This 3-acre farm boasts Rainier cherry trees and offers custom-created floral arrangements and planters.

Pick ‘N Patch has been the go-to place for pumpkins in the Grande Ronde Valley for more than 16 years. They are open to the public and offer pumpkin-picking experiences for the entire family.

The Plantworks is committed to native plant production and ecological restoration. They supply custom-grown upland riparian and wetland plant materials propagated from seeds and vegetation collected onsite.

Your journey continues to Folly Farm, a small hobby farm specializing in gourmet hardneck garlic.

The Ascension School Camp and Conference Center is the final Cove destination. It is located on the ancestral lands of the Umatilla, Cayuse, Walla Walla and Nez Perce peoples. They have set aside 80 acres of land that is dedicated to habitat restoration in partnership with and under the guidance of the indigenous “culture-keepers” of Cove.

Union

The Farm Crawl finishes up in Union, where you will take in the history of farming and ranching at the Union County Museum with the “Then and Now Collection” and the Agriculture, Timber and Transportation exhibits.

Then head over to Hometown Hardware, where one can find any manner of needed hardware items, an espresso shop and liquor store and, in the spring, a well-stocked garden center.

Now take your stamped passport over to the City Park in Union and tuck into a well-earned Farm-to-Table dinner. Then stick around and enjoy the Union Grassroots Festival, featuring citywide yard sales, a wide range of vendors, the always exciting Catherine Creek Duck Race, a kiddie fair, lawnmower races, and a homemade hat contest, as well as live music and a family street dance.

For more information, contact the Union County Chamber of Commerce at 541- 963-8588 or call Donna at 541-786-1492 for any questions about the Grassroots Festival.

Self-guided tour

To further expand your knowledge about Union County’s farming heritage and agricultural production, the Union County Chamber of Commerce offers a self-guided, approximately two-hour experience with The Grande Ronde Farm Trail.

This driving tour takes you farther afield in Union County and highlights the diversity of agricultural pursuits in Union County. You can pick up a brochure at the Union County Chamber of Commerce to begin your adventure.