This whimsically painted ‘flower bed’ made from discarded items, was featured in artist Christy Buchanan’s painted garden during Fairfield County’s Ag & Art Tour last year.
FAIRFIELD COUNTY (June 15, 2016) – The rural, fair fields of Fairfield County will be busy with visitors this Saturday and Sunday during the County’s third year participating in the Ag + Art Farm Tours. Terry Vickers, President of the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce, said this year’s exhibits are going to top everything tour visitors have seen in past years.
Bit and Annabelle, the Barbados Blackbelly Sheep, and their family will greet guests at Gypsy Wind Farm, as will Mangalitsa pigs with long, curly hair. A number of artists will be on site – one will be milling white, yellow and blue grits in a stone-ground grist mill.
Magnolia Farm in Ridgeway dates back to the early 1800s with the original smoke house, barn and chicken coops still on site. The farm is home to The Barclay School with its curriculum for students who learn differently. Their raised-bed garden is configured as a sun. The students have cured hams hanging in the smoke house, and their farm animals include pigs, horses and goats. The kids will be making goat’s milk cheese. Samples of cheese and fudge will be available for tasting. The children’s art will be available for sale as well as the works of Plein Air Painters Yongue, Holland and Finch.
Visit Forevermore Farm’s exotic miniature Zebu cows and Pygmy Dwarf goats and chickens of all kinds. A backyard critter encounter featuring a ferret habitat, baby cows, baby goats and chickens is a must for everyone. Artisans on site include Matthew Dickerson’s Dulcimer Music Concert on both Saturday and Sunday at 2 and 5 p.m. One Eye Ink, an acrylic painter, will be presenting on-going painting demonstrations both days.
Triple J Farm is relatively new and produces grass-fed beef using controlled grazing. It also features pastured poultry and fresh eggs. Katie Langdale of Rosewood Farm will be featured in a freestyle riding performance with her Andalusian horse, Maluso II, on Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Artist Julie Rambo will use barn tin for canvas and barn wood for frames. Julie is a three-time first place winner at the S.C. State Fair.
For the whimsical in all of us, The She Garden will be a popular spot again this year at the Painted Picket. This fun studio space offers unusual garden creations including a thriving container garden in file cabinet drawers and a wine bottle house with a live herb garden on the roof. Also of interest are several free-range chickens and ducks, handcrafted honey, goat’s milk products with 100 percent essential oils in Earth-friendly packaging. And meet the goats as well. NaNa’s Art will be on hand cleaning, burning and drilling gourds in preparation for de’coupage and embellishment. Brenda Tobin-Flood will also be at The She Garden selling her Ruby’s Naturals dog, cat and horse treats made from all-natural, human-grade organic ingredients.
Kick off for the Ag + Art Farm Tour will be a Farm-to-Table Dinner on June 16. Ingredients will be supplied many of the farm sites. Tickets are available online at eventbrite.com. For information, call 803-635-4242.
