Neighborhood Co-op Grocery to Host Farm Crawl Fundraiser Saturday and Sunday, September 14-15

Contact: Allison Hyland, Brand Manager, Neighborhood Co-op Grocery, (618) 529-3533, allison@neighborhood.coop or Jennifer Paulson, Executive Director, Food Works, 618-370-3287, Jennifer@fwsoil.org

Carbondale, IL – Area families and individuals of all ages are invited to participate in the 2024 Neighborhood Co-op Grocery Farm Crawl, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, September 14-15, from 1pm -5pm both days.

The Co-op’s annual Farm Crawl is a great opportunity for families and friends to come together to learn more about locally available produce, meats, and other sustainable goods from farms across our region. All proceeds from the event will benefit Food Works, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization facilitating the development of a regional food economy in Southern Illinois.

11 local producers will be opening up their farms for the event to share a bit of their lives with the community. Attendees will have the opportunity to experience demonstrations, meet farmers, hear about the history of their farms, learn about crops and livestock, as well as the unique ups and downs in farming.

The Co-op’s annual Farm Crawl started as a way to connect the community with local growers that sustainably supply our region with their goods. While the Co-op has been hosting some version of a farm crawl since 2001, it has had many iterations over the years.

“Last year, we changed the format from previous years, and we also expanded our reach to a wider geographical range of Southern Illinois,” said Allison Hyland, Neighborhood Co-op Brand Manager. “We introduced new farms to the crawl and new producers to the community. People loved it so much that we decided to take a similar approach this year and are excited to share unique farms on the crawl with the region.”

One of those unique farms on the crawl is Voss Pecans out of Carlyle, Illinois. They are a family-owned pecan farm which has been providing the region with pecans for over 30 years and has 3 generations of their family working to harvest delicious pecans every year. Ralph and Karen Voss have been supplying Co-op shoppers with pecans for years and are one of the top 10 local products the Co-op sells year after year. While their farm is typically closed to visitors most months of the year, they will be open for the event to share their farm history, harvesting process and equipment, pecan groves, and offer their products for purchase.

The 2024 Farm Crawl is a self-guided tour and will require your own transportation. Car passes must be purchased in advance to gain access to the farms for the event. Passes and event t-shirts are exclusively available for pre-order online for the month of August by visiting www.neighborhood.coop/farm-crawl. They may also be purchased in-person at Neighborhood Co-op Grocery in Carbondale, IL starting Wednesday, August 28. There are a limited number of passes available for this event.

Single day car passes are $15 to visit the area of your choosing: Northern Region (Saturday, Sept 14) or Central & Southeast Region (Sunday, Sept 15). Multi-day (Flex) passes are $25. Use them either day (or both days) to access up to 11 local farms! Each car pass comes with a reusable bag with informational brochure, map, and other event materials.

This family-friendly event will include education on sustainable growing practices, hi-tunnel houses, crop rotation, pollinator habitat, rotational grazing, and more. The farms will feature alpacas, sheep, cattle, pigs, chickens, rabbits, fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, and fibers. Activities include feeding and petting animals, free sampling, and more. Many farms will have items available to purchase.

Sponsors include SIH, Heartland Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, Visit SI, E-Z Rental Center, E.T. Simonds Construction, Banterra Bank, and AES Solar, with additional support from the City of Carbondale and Henry Printing.

For more information about the event, contact Allison Hyland at allison@neighborhood.coop or visit www.neighborhood.coop/farm-crawl. Watch for event updates online at www.facebook.com/carbondalecoop. For more information on Food Works, please visit fwsoil.org

About the Neighborhood Co-op Grocery

The mission of the Neighborhood Co-op Grocery is to serve the needs of owners and patrons by providing wholesome foods economically in the cooperative tradition, in ways that best promote the health of the individual, the community, and the earth. Learn more at www.neighborhood.coop.

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