In the Vineyard- Agritourism.Life
As the new year unfolds, and the stories of agritourism continue to be created, lived and told, we are excited about a special story to share with you in this edition.
February will be a busy month for Agritourism.Life as we promote, engage and benchmark the agritourism community.
We will be sponsoring two events that month, one of which will be the Iowa Specialty Producers Conference being held in Ankeny, Iowa. Since we are headed that way in our RV, coming off the heels of the 2022 NAFDMA Summit in Atlanta, Georgia, we thought it would be nice to learn more about some of the farms and folks of The Hawkeye State.
So, we reached out to the meeting planners and asked if we could connect and spotlight an agritourism destination we may visit on our way into town. And just like that, we got a chance to learn about Bob and Kristy Walker of Walker Homestead.
“We Are A Farmer’s Table, Gardens, An Orchard, A Vineyard, A Pasture Playground.” (Bob & Kristy Walker)
Talk about a quintessential example of the very soul of agritourism.
Bob and Kristy describe their beginnings as:
“Walker Homestead Has Humble Roots That Began With Five Acres And A Vision For A Little Bit Of Napa In The Iowa Countryside. After A Few Years Of Small Scale Farming And Collaboration With Local Chef, Chris Grebner, Owner Of Farmer’s Table And Provender, We Expanded Our Property To Include The Neighboring 80-Acres Of Land.”
Our Vision: A Boundless Venue For Agricultural And Culinary Delight
Their Mission: “We Are Committed To Being Stewards Of The Land, To Promoting Appreciation For Farm Life, Fresh Foods, Good Wines And Culinary Sensations. We Are A Community Who Takes Great Joy In Gathering Together To Celebrate The Bounty Of A Fresh Harvest.”
Ingredients of this amazing farm venture also include “Farm to Table” meals, wine tastings, education classes and more. The education piece makes a lot of sense since both Bob and Kristy are educators in their “other jobs” (Kristy at UI Tippie College of Business and Bob at UI John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center).
And education is always at the heart of agriculture: “Our mission is to build community through agricultural education and culinary delights, Bob Walker said. We figure that a lot of people don't know where and how their food is raised.”
Their website states:
“In Pursuit Of An Agricultural Educational Experience For Students Of All Ages, We Provide A Small Venue Fit For Special Life Celebrations And Everyday Blessings. We Are Situated On An 85-Acre Farm, Producing A Variety Of Foods And Wines, Raising Animals And Honey, And Growing Herbs And Flowers Using Techniques That Protect The Environment And Help Foster The Development Of Healthy Living.”
This Is Our Starting Point And Our Story Thus Far. Get In Touch And Come See Us. Let's Write The Next Chapter Together.
We look forward to meeting Bob and Kristy, and all of the other fine farm folks in Iowa on February 9th & 10th and we look forward to meeting many more farms, farmers and families along the way of our “Life’s Detour” in 2022.