(Image source from: Dallas Observer)

The June 16 tour of farms in McKinney areas rather than merely offering perks, the Farm Tour for the Farm Crisis Fund will be taking guests on a six-hour, three-course dinner and touring farms no father than 30 minutes away from McKinney.

The aim is not just to eat, drink and explore are farms but to raise money for the new fund that falls under a nonprofit Seed Project Foundation that "funds educational, agricultural and community initiatives that assists sustainability."

"We are really trying to get this Farm Crisis Fund off the ground farming, but local, within 100 miles. It’s for natural disasters and economic crises," says Meg Neubauer, executive director of the Seed Project Foundation.

Neubauer owns an organic pick-your-own fruit and vegetable farm in McKinney, a pure land which she runs with her father knowing how rough it can be for farmers who experience disaster or lost crops.

A lot can go erroneous in agriculture like loosing whole field of crops from due to natural disasters and economic factors that can cripple a small farm. The trade war with China has left soybean farmers of America in lurch after order from China dried up.

The fund was started by the foundation earlier this year, raising about $17,000 for local farms in crisis and it further hopes to raise more this year. The non profit Seed Project Foundation commenced the fund after umpteen from North Texans including Matt Hamilton, president of Local Yocal in McKinney and a huge player in the agricultural scene.

Guests starting off at McKinney square exploring Local Yocal's new barbecue restaurant will hop on a bus for the first farm tour.

The ride will be taking them to Lucas profound Microfarms, N&P farm and Dairy in Farmersville and McKinney's Pure Land Farm.

Guests will be trying dishes from Dodds, Lyford and Andrea Shackelford of Harvest Seasonal Kitchen along the way.

"Insurance takes months; you just need money right now to keep your farm going in a crisis," Neubauer says. "We’ll have a very fast turnaround."

By Sowmya Sangam