A new passport is designed to promote agritourism in the Augusta area.
Inspired by similar programs with the Georgia Farm Bureau and the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, Debbi Wolfarth of EAT Local CSRA wanted to draw attention to local farmers, the businesses such as restaurants that support them and other forms of agritourism.
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“I’m hoping people will see their farmers up-close,” she said.
Meeting farmers at a market is one thing, but she hopes the program will cause people to go a step further. They can visit farms and pick berries, order a meal from a local chef who uses locally-grown items or go to an event related to one of the sponsors.
With each visit, participants will take a selfie, post it on Instagram and tag @eat_local_csra.
“Each selfie counts as a stamp,” she said.
Once 10 selfies are recorded, they will be eligible for prizes.
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While the South Carolina program has a lot of Aiken County farms included in its program, the Georgia Farm Bureau’s program is spread across the state of Georgia with the closest local farm in Wrens, according to the Georgia Farm Bureau website.
Wolfarth wanted to highlight the many growers in the Augusta area.
The program is in its early stages, and so far, she has partnered with several farms and businesses including Boondock Farms, Pig Feathers, J&L Farm and Stable, Agape Chocolates, Dutch Creek Animal Farms, local chef Dave McCluskey, Carolina Country Farms and Woodland Valley Farms.
Wolfarth sees the potential for expansion in the program by bringing on more restaurants who use food grown in the Augusta area. She’d also like to see some large events or classes added on to give people other types of experiences to earn stamps.
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Visit eatlocalcsra.com for a complete list of participants. Wolfarth said new vendors are being added on a regular basis. A printed passport will be available soon. Right now, it’s just a virtual one.
Anyone interested in becoming a site on the passport should email Wolfarth at contact@eatlocalcsra.com.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
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