Enjoying the natural beauty of farms.

The Appalachian Mountains swell with rivers, streams, parks, hiking trails, national forest land, hot springs, and an immense diversity of plant life (a veritable seed bank left by glaciers dragging the northern plants southward). While summer brings the masses out camping, hiking, fishing, or just take a drive to get out in nature, others have found a unique, quieter way to access the natural world: visiting farms.

Farms and summer vacation may not seem related, but the rise of agritourism is proving how well they go together. Summer is a perfect time to head out to the country to visit the bounty of farms, learn about the practice of agriculture, or teach the kids where their food comes from. Not to mention buying or picking your own delicious, fresh food our region has to offer.

Farmers have been called the first environmentalists. Industrial agriculture that replaces natural systems with barren single-crop landscapes is a recent phenomenon. For thousands of years, people who grew and raised food have understood that pest problems, low fertility, and disease come when the natural health of soil, flora, and fauna are disturbed. The small farms of our southern Appalachian region largely reflect this awareness. Most are scenic places, surrounded by natural beauty and often bordering on rich forest ecosystems.

Agritourism ranges from simple farm visits, guided tours, or pick-your-own trips to weekend or week-long stays in cabins on farms. For those who live in the city or suburbs, it's a chance to experience the majesty of the mountains or countryside, enjoy a less developed natural world (what, no cell phone service??) that can seem so distant. It's a chance to have fun and relax in a special environment that's within an hour from home. Agritourism is a way to learn about an important part of our economy and culture: food and farming.

For farmers like Pete and Mary Dixon of Broadwing Farm in Hot Springs, NC, it can be a chance to keep the farm. In addition to growing produce for market, the Dixons offer two comfortable, well-equipped cabins to rent, each with their own natural spring-fed hot tubs. Nearby is the raft-friendly French Broad River and easy access to the Appalachian Trail, along with many other trails suitable for day hiking. Overnight visitors can enjoy Broadwing Farm's organic vegetables and pick some berries of their own.

Mary says the extra income from their cabins was a way for the family farm to stay alive, as Pete already received income from another job. Their guests come mostly from close by: Asheville, Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and Eastern Tennessee. Though busy with farm and family, Mary thinks the guests notice and appreciate the slower, comfortable pace of life in the mountains. Browsing through the journal of past guests, the contentment and appreciation of the visitors shines clear: "We want to live here forever. Love nature, big bathroom, smell of the wood in this cabin, and the hot tub, wow! The strawberries, oh so sweet. Thanks again for a really relaxing time."

Deb DeLisle started Appalachian Vacations and Adventures, a Madison County-based travel service, because she believes in agritourism as a way for farmers to find a new value for their farm, something else to sell. It takes a certain kind of farmer: some are not interested at all in entertaining visitors, but to some it comes naturally, and is enjoyable and profitable. Agritourism can be a way for farmers to share their way of life with others and to dispel myths about how modern, small-scale farmers live.

Appalachian Vacations links customers with their specific wants and needs. From the website, you can browse vacation options, day visits to U-pick berry farms, garden tours of June-blooming lotus ponds, and where to share the love of livestock with the farmers that care for their goats, chickens, and cows.

How else can a person find a farm to visit, or a base camp out away from home to make some day trips? A good starting point is the book Farms, Gardens & Countryside Trails of Western North Carolina published by HandMade in America, an organization furthering farms, crafts and community. It's a sort of Lonely Planet or Fodor's for locals. This book is filled with ideas of creating your own tour, and has plenty of maps, useful contact information, and history and lore of the region.

Resources for Farm Tourism in Western North Carolina:

Appalachian Vacations and Adventures www.ncvalley.com 1-888-404-9622

Broadwing Farm Cabins www.broadwingfarmcabins.com 828-622-3647.

Handmade in America http://www.handmadeinamerica.org 828-252-0121

ASAP Local Food Guide www.AppalachianGrown.org 828-236-1282

Jonathan McCarthy is an Asheville resident and intern with Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project. He has lived and worked on farms in Virginia and Pennsylvania for the past several years.