MILTON — The 50th Annual Santa Rosa County Farm Tour is Tuesday, Oct. 4. The event begins at the Santa Rosa County Extension office, 6263 Dogwood Drive in Milton.
"Santa Rosa County has long been a state leader in the production of crops such as cotton and peanuts but many people are not aware of the diversity of agriculture and forestry in the county," said Michael Donahoe, director of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Santa Rosa Extension, and one of the event organizers.
The daylong tour will highlight the range of agriculture in the county. This includes a small sustainable farm and peanut and cotton farms that dot the county's landscape.
The tour will visit and award the Farm Family of the Year, the John Davy and Glen Strange families of Panhandle Growers LLC. A catered lunch will be provided at the Jay Community Center, where Jay Historical Society member Bobby Boutwell will give a brief history of agriculture in the county. Traditionally, and continuing this year, the tour will end at Holland Farms to enjoy some of Santa Rosa County's famous boiled peanuts.
Bus space is limited. The fee to reserve your spot is $20. Register at www.SRCFarmTour2016.eventbrite.com. Contact the Santa Rosa County Extension Office, 623-3868, for more information.
Santa Rosa County agriculture generates $95 million per year and provides an estimated 7,200 jobs to its citizens. The Santa Rosa County Farm Tour, one of the longest running farm tours in the state, aims to help citizens understand the value of agriculture.
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This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Farm tour coming next month