MO Organic Association Farm Tours

The Missouri Organic Association has brought back farm tours!  They have numerous tours planned for this summer and fall.  Below are the first two tours.  Be on the lookout on this blog for future announcements of upcoming organic tours.

June 13, 2011 - Sappington's Farmers Market and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Training

Join us on June 13 from 10am - 3pm for a tour of Sappington Farmers Market..."owned by a Missouri Cooperative effort of small family famers and rural entrepreneurs producing food the way it should be, naturally".  Nancy Smith, Sappington Marketing Director, will give a tour of the market and a presentation on the requirements of selling products through the store.

After a provided lunch, attendees will caravan to St. Louis University for a training session on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) taught by Sue Baird of SueBaird Organics LLC and MOA Board of Directors Chair.  Participants limited to 60.

This tour will begin at 10:00 am at Sappington Farmers Market, 8400 Watson Road, St. Louis, MO 63119, 314-843-7848.  After this tour is completed, the group will follow by caravan to St. Louis University for the GAP training at 3404 Rutger, St. Louis, MO 63104, 314-977-8523.  Training will be in Room 2030 on the Second Floor.  Lunch will be served at 12:00 pm at SLU.

July 8, 2011 at Rutherford Farms (Poultry) and Lavy Dairy

MOA Vice-President Desiree Rutherford gives a tour of Rutherford Farms, a Certified Naturally Grown farm growing without any pesticides or man-made chemicals on gardens or pastures. The farm free-ranges 350 Sexlink laying hens who are organically raised, and are strictly fed an organic, nutritious layer ration and produce eggs that are some of the very best in Missouri. The tour also includes the Rutherford Farms greenhouses for edible flowers, herbs, perennials, and vegetables.

After a provided lunch, a tour of Lavy Dairy Farm, a family-owned and operated certified organic Grade A licensed dairy. They milk Jersey, Holstein/Guernsey cross cows.  Lavy dairy Farm sells quailty organic raw milk and cows are cross bred for high protein and butterfat.  Participants limited to 60.

The tour will start at 9:30 at Lavy Dairy Farms, 125 Cemetary Road, Silex, MO, 573-656-3367

After Lavy Dairy Farms, the tour will continue to Rutherford Farms. It will start at 11:00 for a farm tour on Certified Naturally Grown/organically produced poultry, waterfowl, Red Wattle Hogs.

The address for Rutherford Farms is 741 Highway TT, Silex, MO 63377, 636-279-5350.  Lunch will be served at the farm.

Registration for each workshop is $25/person and includes lunch.  Make checks payable to "MOA" and indicate which tour you will attend.  Mail to:

Meghan Dixon, MOA Secretary
33519 Highway E
Green Ridge, MO 65332