Lee and Dottie Fahrner with Sam (retired extension agent) and Diane Johnson from Warsaw enjoyed the 2016 Northern Neck Farm Tour to the Delmar/Chesapeake/Virginia Beach areas July 25-28.

The tours consisted of the Tuckahoe Steam and Gas Engine Museum in Easton, Md., with Mr. Paul Guntner, retired extension agent, serving a delicious lunch. This was followed by a visit to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum at St. Michaels, Md., and a stay over in Dover Downs Hotel and Casino in Dover, Del.

On July 26, they toured the Messick and Taylor Equipment Company in Harrington, Del. Messick and Taylor Equipment houses a huge John Deere Museum and they own one of only two of the largest steam engines in the country. They also enjoyed a visit to the Delaware State Fair in Harrington, Del; a tour of the Chesapeake Nurseries; and Collins Wharf Sod Farm, which everyone on the bus enjoyed.

On July 27, they had a guided tour of Wallops Space Facility; enjoyed seeing Dublin Farms with its potato packing shed and actually got to see potatoes being harvested. It was quite a treat at the Cherrystone Aqua Farms to see and learn the harvesting of oysters and clams that are farm raised.

On the way back home July 28, they met Mr. Roy Flanagan, extension agent for Virginia Beach, who gave a guided tour of the Farmers Market; explored the Mt. Pleasant Peach Farm; and had lunch at Bergey’s Breadbasket on the outskirts of Virginia Beach.

It was not only a fun bus trip with excellent food, but also educational.

Audrey Robinson is the Raines Tavern correspondent.