2012 Fall Harvest Trail leads visitors to a wide range of farm experiences

The Delaware Agritourism Association launched the 2012 edition of the Fall Harvest Trail Sept. 27 at Don’s Tree Farm in Greenwood. The Fall Harvest Trail is a geographic aid for locating family farms which offer a wide range of agricultural experiences from late September through December throughout the state.

Delaware’s farms are the place to be during the fall for picking, school tours, and on-farm markets.  “What happens on a farm in the spring and summer is very different from what happens there in the fall. A visitor can look at the same fields, pastures and orchards they visited in warmer months and see different crops, wildlife, foliage and farm duties. It’s an entirely different sight and experience,” says DAA President Greer Stangl.

The Fall Harvest Trail encompasses 17 unique working farms across the state - from you-pick pumpkin patches and apple orchards to dairies, Christmas tree farms, petting zoos, corn mazes and more.

Visitors should contact featured farms directly or go to  www.delawareagritourism.org for specific information about what is offered, hours of operation and special events.

This effort follows the popular Harvest Trail that DAA launched for the first time in fall 2011 and the Summer Adventure Trail that followed in summer 2012.

Throughout the state, family farms offer authentic agricultural opportunities, so the trail can be a useful tool for those looking to buy direct from the grower or looking to spend time on the farm. Regular visitors to stops on the trail enjoy the benefits of freshly made products as well as ingredients that can be taken home to cook, preserve and share.