Comments from local users indicate Cooperative Extension remains a well-kept secret in Shelby County. As a means to change this perception the Shelby County Horticulture and Agriculture Council implemented the Shelby County Good Neighbors Farm Tour for the fifth consecutive year in hopes of promoting Extension programming while connecting the community to local agriculture.

Cooperative Extension staff and a growing committee of Horticulture and Agriculture Council representatives and outside volunteers expanded the tour this year and collaborated with nine farms and agribusinesses to provide unique learning experiences to the community at large. Each tour stop offered hands-on educational experiences. 

This was the first year in which a great deal of promotion for the event was provided by previous attendees.  Large amounts of social media “chatter” touted the Farm Tour as a must-do activity.  Comments were posted such as, “We look forward to this every year, only wish it was for the weekend and not just one day,” and “(name omitted), this looks like something y’all would like to do with the girls!”  The initial promotional flyer post reached more than 8,000 people through post likes, shares, tags and comments!  Throughout the day of the Tour, participants, including Louisville Family Fun and Oldham Family Fun, posted pictures and comments highlighting their adventures.  “It was an awesome tour.  A great way to experience the beauty of Shelby County and tremendous agricultural innovation.   The hosts were spectacular.”

Participants were given the opportunity to provide feedback via an evaluation on the back of the Farm Tour Passport as well as via the Facebook page.  Input such as the following was common, “The tour was perfect, the families were friendly and hospitable and the routes were easy to follow!The only thing I wish we would have known was who to expect to be able to buy goods from along the way and what they were offering.  We will know for next year to be prepared with cash and a cooler.  Bull Run Farm was grilling and I wished we would have known.I know Mulberry Orchard had it written on the passport that food was available for purchase, but wish we would have tried lunch at Bull Run.  The hands-on experiences were wonderful for my children.  I loved the conversations we were able to have at the farms and during our drives.The drive around Shelby County was beautiful and the families could not have been more welcoming!” 

327 passport survey responses were collected with 96% of respondents indicating that they increased their knowledge about agriculture in Shelby County and 88% indicating an increased knowledge of the economic impact of agriculture in the county.  93% of respondents plan to seek more information about locally produced food, fiber and crafts and 92% indicated that their views about agriculture were expanded or changed in a positive way due to the Farm Tour.

The Good Neighbors Farm Tour is beneficial to not only the attendees, but to the host farms, as well.Hosts were surveyed following the event and when asked if they perceived any advantages to their farm/business from participating as a host farm, shared these comments:

• Yes – providing information to others
• Yes – created awareness of alpacas and a forum to educate the public about alpaca and the use of their fiber
• Exposure, gathering friends and neighbors at a nice time of year
• Promoted our cattle for sale
• Yes – get the farm name out there
• Yes – awareness is everything.  We need to market our product better in conjunction with the event.

Additionally, host farms offering products for sale were able to increase their income during the Farm Tour and attract future customers.  One farm had cash sales of ‘several hundred dollars” on the day of the Tour, as well as increased demand for their products, while another sold “around $300” worth.  100% of respondents said they would be willing to participate as a Host Farm again in the future, and made comments such as, “Yes – because it is fun, people get to visit our farm and learn about alpacas.” And “Yes! It’s fun to share our lives with people!  Education is a large component of what we try to do.”

Comments such as these few examples indicate the enthusiasm being generated about local agriculture by the Farm Tour, within the agriculture community, as well as among consumers. By bringing non-farm citizens to the farm, relationships are built that will serve to strengthen agriculture's image and help to offset the many negative attacks being waged by anti-agricultural and animal rights groups. An intentional side-effect is increased awareness of Cooperative Extension in the community and building a new audience for Extension educational programs.