Farm Bureau adding fun to Antique Festival weekend
The historical Port Washington Road will take those participating in the Farm Bureau Passport Thru Holmes County event on Oct. 5 along some of the lesser traveled roads in the county.
As a way of introducing an entertaining new activity to the Antique Festival lineup, the Holmes County Farm Bureau has packed a day of visiting one of the county’s most notable corridors into the weekend.
The Farm Bureau Passport Thru Holmes County Port Washington Trail will take place Saturday, Oct. 5 and usher visitors through a series of attractions and businesses along Port Washington Trail.
“We are in the midst of the Holmes County bicentennial celebration this year, and the Farm Bureau wanted to create a way to help celebrate that,” said Eric Shaver, Holmes County Farm Bureau president.
Shaver said the group has led farm tours in the past, and they felt this endeavor would generate a renewed interest in exploring Holmes County in a new way.
“It’s a new spin on the farm tour,” Shaver said.
He said the board wanted to present places that reflect the history of Holmes County that have ties to the agricultural industry. They also wanted to add fun stops that would allow travelers an opportunity to stop and shop while perhaps experiencing places they haven’t been to before.
“The Port Washington Trail was the first state highway in the state of Ohio and was an obvious place to start,” Shaver said. “It links Millersburg to the Erie Canal, which is how agricultural goods were transported back in the day, so it was a perfect fit.”
The passport program will start at Rodhe’s Marketplace beginning at 8 a.m. and will be available for touring through 3 p.m. Participants can stop in anytime during the morning hours to pick up their packet and begin the tour, which will make stops all along Port Washington Road. The group will be located in the Rodhe’s parking lot under a big tent.
“The tour takes a couple of hours if visitors stop everywhere,” Shaver said. “People can do it on their own, or they can pay to participate in the prize portion of the event. We think this will give people a real flavor of Holmes County.”
The event is $10 for the driver of each car, and passengers can either ride along for free or purchase additional $10 tickets that will give them a better chance of winning the $250 Visa gift card that serves as the grand prize.
Participants can stop at Rodhe’s Marketplace on Glen Drive in Millersburg any time after 8 a.m., which serves as the starting point where people can pick up their packets, which will include the passport and plenty of directions that will help them navigate the trek. Eventually, they will arrive back at Rodhe’s by 3 p.m. with a passport featuring at least six of the eight stops to be eligible for the grand prize drawing.
The tour takes travelers along state Route 557 and adds the exploration of some of the county’s lesser traveled side roads.
The locations along the stop include Hershberger’s Farm & Bakery, Guggisburg Cheese, Charm Harness & Boot, Farmerstown Dry Goods & Shoes, Baltic Mills Winery, Becks Mills General Store and Miller’s Rustic Furniture in Saltillo, and a crew from Holmes Soil & Water will be camped out at Flat Ridge School.
The packet includes a detailed map to follow the progression of the tour along with Google directions for those more tech savvy. Signs also will be posted along the tour.
“It should be a really fun tour for people to experience,” said Kayla Jones, organization director with the Ohio Farm Bureau serving Holmes, Coshocton, Knox and Licking counties. “All of our participating businesses were really excited about the opportunity to participate, and we like the idea of giving people a chance to explore Holmes County in a new way that brings some attention to some of the local businesses that are featured. Plus, there will be plenty of beautiful scenery along the way.”
The Farm Bureau is hosting the event as a fundraiser for its Harvest for Hunger campaign, with the funds going to the Love Center Food Pantry.
“We have 517 Farm Bureau members in Holmes County, and we work hard to remain vital in the agricultural community, and the Love Center and our other food pantries have been incredible partners with us in feeding people throughout the community who might be struggling a bit to put food on the table,” Shaver said.
Shaver said if it’s well received, they will continue the tradition by touring many other areas around Holmes County.