Our Mission

The mission of the Rogue Valley Farm Tour is to increase the interaction between community members and local growers. By providing people the opportunity to learn about where food comes from, how it is grown, and by whom, we grow community, and in turn, economic prosperity for the Rogue Valley.

The first annual Rogue Valley Farm Tour was the cooperative creation of the Medford Food Co-op and Ashland Food Co-op. Held on July 22, 2018 with the support of generous sponsors, over a thousand people came out meet 24 of local farmers and ranchers. Despite smoky skies from regional wildfires, participants discovered the roots of good food, and learned about the rich soils that nourish and strengthen our community. After one day of exploring farms and ranches, the community was hungry for more.

The event continued to gain traction in 2019. The number of participating farms increased to 30 and the number of attendees jumped to 1,500. With an average of 60 people visiting each of the 30 participating farms, we bypassed the average of 40 people visiting each of the 24 farms in 2018. Each visit to a farm or ranch provides a unique and memorable experience of our diverse local food system.

With heavy hearts, we cancelled the 3rd annual Rogue Valley Farm Tour due to the pandemic restrictions on large gatherings. But we rallied again 2021 and community members were able to visit 23 farms on the Rogue Valley Farm Tour. Thank you for your participation and support for local farmers and ranchers in Jackson and Josephine counties!