Mum's the Word for a Ride in the Country
Go downstate this weekend for a flower fest at Mariah's Mums and More
An Island of Beauty Among the Cornfields
My Buy Fresh Buy Local Illinois assignment for September was to focus on farms that participate in “agritourism,” a term that only recently came into vogue that covers U-pick apples, pumpkins and more, on-farm farmstands where you can buy delicious produce and products, and in a number of cases entertainments such as hayrides and corn mazes.
While I can’t give away too much of the story (which will be published very soon), I do want to take the opportunity to let you know about Mum Fest, a special event being held this weekend at Mariah’s Mums and More (aka Triple M Farm) in Clinton, located roughly in between the central Illinois cities of Bloomington, Decatur and Champaign.
Barb and I took the ride down last Friday, and as you can see in the photos, the chrysanthemums that are the farm’s claim to fame were really popping. The farm also is one of the few in Illinois that are successfully growing strawberries hydroponically in a hoophouse.
For Mum Fest, the married couple of Mariah and Greg Anderson are bringing in 70 vendors, including food trucks; live bands; and fun stuff for young and older alike. There’s a link below to learn more about the event.
Correction: Chicago Urban Ag Crawl is Sunday
There was an oops in that long list of local food events published in Tuesday’s Local Food Forum: The Chicago Urban Ag Crawl and Backyard BBQ is this Sunday (September 10), not Saturday as originally published. I apologize for the error, which has been corrected in the article online.