SOUTH COUNTY — The 41st Annual South County Ag Tour is set for Aug. 25, hosted by Monterey County Agricultural and Rural Life Museum, and will visit several agricultural destinations in South Monterey County.
“We always start here at San Lorenzo Park in the morning with breakfast and registration,” said Executive Director Jessica Potts. “We have a bus that picks up people in Salinas and we wait for that bus to get here.”
The first stop on this year’s Ag Tour will be at Creekside Farms in Greenfield, where tourists can explore for a bit before heading to the next stop.
Next up will be Peach Tree Ranch, a cattle ranch located on Highway 198 near Coalinga. The ranch was originally the Mee Ranch, and the tour guides will explain about the operations on the ranch that keep it running.
Lunch will be in San Ardo at the Grain Trowel, followed by a food safety talk and the increased regulations restricting those who can go in and out of agricultural areas due to health safety concerns.
The Ag Tour will end with 43 Ranch Olive Oil, just outside the San Ardo oil fields. The ranch is a family-run oil processor.
Tourists will then get back on the bus and return to San Lorenzo Park for a barbecue.
“The tours are interesting and people enjoy them,” Potts said. “Tourists get a lot out of the tours and are able to see areas that they can’t see normally.”
Over the years, the South County Ag Tour has gone from exploring Greenfield and Gonzales agricultural businesses to the Salinas area. The tour is one of Monterey County Agricultural and Rural Life Museum’s big fundraisers, along with the Clam Chowder Feed in February, and is part of the adult education portion that MCARLM provides to the community.
South County Ag Tour has sold at least 60 seats out of 100 available and, according to Potts, the tickets sell out quickly. Tickets are still available for this year’s tour at LA Hearne, Chevron, the Pine Canyon Store and at the museum in King City.
