The Sky Valley Chamber of Commerce invites everyone to come and "Get Your Mud OnGÇ¥ at the Sky Valley Farm Festival this weekend.
The festival, which will take place on Saturday, Oct. 4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., recognizes and celebrates the Sky Valley's rich farming history. The festival will feature informational booths, livestock, tractor-pulled wagon rides, children's activities, cooking demonstrations, arts and crafts and much more. Four local farms have come together to offer this streamlined event which takes place along the lower Fern Bluff Road in between Sultan and Monroe.
The festival, which is coordinated by Elizabeth Emmons and Debbie Copple of the Sky Valley Chamber of Commerce, invites folks from all over the region to explore and enjoy many different aspects of the Sky Valley's agricultural community.
This year's festival will include expanded opportunities for children.
"In addition to our farming partners, we are excited to welcome the YMCA of Monroe, Boys and Girls Club of Sultan and the Volunteers of America who will all have info to share and fun activities for the kids,GÇ¥ said Emmons.
Farms participating in the festival circuit this year are River's End Cattle Ranch, located off of Fern Bluff Rd. at 16603 275th Ave. S.E.; Johannsen's Farm, located at 16308 275th Ave. S.E.; Groeneveld's Dairy Farm, located at 29524 Fern Bluff Rd. and Stockings Garden and Nursery, located at 29900 Fern Bluff Rd.
All farms have Monroe addresses but are actually located just outside of Sultan.
Festival attendees are invited to park at any of the four farms located off Fern Bluff Road, but organizers suggest parking at River's End Farm or Groeneveld's, due to their ample parking areas. Tractor-pulled wagons will offer transportation services to families continuously throughout the day, taking them from farm to farm.
River's End Cattle Ranch will feature hayloft rope swinging, horseback riding, roping lessons, educational displays and arts and crafts. Usually R. Heritage Farm's prize sow Miss Pig Pig spends time at River's End, greeting guests and showing off her baby piglets. Unfortunately, she is recovering from serious illness and will not be able to make it.
R. Heritage Farm is grateful to report that Miss Pig Pig is on the mend and in the process of gaining her strength back, and looks forward to dazzling festival attendees with her baby piglets at a future farm festival.
"We all wish her well and look forward to welcoming her back next year,GÇ¥ said Emmons.
Guests of River's End Cattle Ranch can even experience a tractor-pulled wagon tour down to the Skykomish River.
Johannsen's Farm, located near River's End Cattle Ranch, will host a petting zoo featuring a variety of animals, including Porcelain the award-winning dairy cow. Porcelain, a 1,920-pound Holstein dairy cow, retired last year after 17 years of being shown at the Evergreen State Fair. Lunch will be available for purchase from the Snohomish County Dairy Women at Johannsen's, and guests of the festival can relax and take a few moments to recharge before moving on to the next farm.
At Groeneveld's Dairy Farm, guests will find an array of informational signs with interesting facts and details about dairy farming. This farm features a baby cow barn, where families with younger children can enjoy watching their kids literally get nose-to-nose with the little dairy calves. Folks can stay for the milking process, which begins at 4 p.m. and is available for viewing.
Last year's farm festival featured a delicate-looking baby calf that was only one day old.
At Stocking's Garden and Nursery, guests can attend cooking demonstrations detailing how to turn fresh produce into a delicious meal. There will be canning demonstrations and cheese making, plus free cookbooks offering featured recipes. Professional chefs Gordon MacDonald and Mimi Stockmann will be on-site, offering their expertise and providing a live demonstration.
Stocking's will also give festival attendees the opportunity to explore their corn maze at a discounted rate.
While the Sky Valley Farm Festival is a free event, organizers are requesting that families give a $5 donation. Donation bins will be located on the tractor-pulled wagons. The money goes for fueling the tractors and keeping the festival alive for another year.
Anybody interested in obtaining additional information about the festival should contact the Sky Valley Chamber of Commerce at (360) 793-0983. Questions can be emailed to Debbie@skyvalleyvic.net or Elizabeth Emmons at elizabeth_ben2003@yahoo.com. To view photos from last year's event, please see the Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sky-Valley-Farm-Festival/205750319439335.
Emmons shared that the ability of all those involved, working together collaboratively, has enabled the festival to be a continued success year after year. Additionally, local organizations who have stepped forward to provide sponsorships have been invaluable.
"Our event is made possible by the generous sponsorship from Stevens Pass and the Snohomish County Dairy Women,GÇ¥ said Emmons.
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment