Many people do not know where their food comes from, other than the grocery store. In Kenton County   there is a diverse population where many residents live in urban or suburban and settings. For the past 8 years the Kenton County Extension Service Office has held a Farm Harvest Tour for its residents. One of the goals of the tour is to educate the urban and suburban population in the county on the connection of food to land and enhance appreciation of the rich heritage of farmers for many generations. Another goal is to aid the local farmers in obtaining a market for their agriculture products such as wine, meat, fruits and vegetables, honey, jams, and jellies.

KSU Family and Consumer Science’s Agent has participated for 8 years with various displays, this year’s  focused on nutrition and healthy snacks. Each participant had the opportunity to make a trail mix with raisins, Chex mix, and candy as well as learn tips on nutrition. Participants were exposed to pawpaw, a fruit with a tropical-like flavor, resembling a combination of banana, mango, and pineapple. The history of pawpaw, planting and growing seasons, ripening techniques, and storage processes were also explored.

2019 marked the first participation in the Farm Tour by the Kentucky State University Agricultural Department. The display on pawpaw’s was well received with lots of questions on the pawpaw tree, seeds, how to grow, and recipes for use. There were over 140 participants’ youth and adults who sampled the pawpaw ice cream. Additionally information was requested on classes at the university and majors in the Agricultural field. Positive verbal feedback was given by the participants.