City folks will get a taste of how the food they eat is grown during the 7tn Annual Santa Barbara County Farm Day, Saturday, September 6, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Hosted by Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG), this free event consists of over 20 farms, ranches, wineries and agricultural organizations across Santa Barbara County. All will open their doors so the public can learn how food is grown, meet the hands that feed them, and enjoy a fun-filled day of agricultural activities for the entire family.
 
Guests will experience behind-the-scenes tours of farms, including tractor rides, produce tastings and giveaways, and plenty of kid-friendly activities.
 
Locations include Babë Farms, Ballard Walnut Grove, Bonipak Produce, Central West Produce, Growing Grounds Farm, Growing Minds Farm Education, Las Cumbres Ranch, Mark Richardson CTE Center and Agricultural Farm, Plantel Nurseries, Rancho Laguna Farms, Reiter Affiliated Companies,  Riverbench Vineyard and Winery, SEEAG’s Farm Lab at Allan Hancock College and Sunrise Organic Farm.
 
New locations this year are Farm Cart Organics, Folded Hills Winery, Rancho Olivos, Santa Rita Hills Lavender Farm, Wolfe Family Farms, Tutti Frutti Farms and Rincon Farms.
 
Rincon Farms is a family-owned avocado farm in Carpinteria. “We want the public to know more about us and spread the word about what we do,” says Sean Bettles, Rincon Farms' farm operations manager. Visitors will see its organic avocado orchard and other fruits in season, including Dragon Fruit, Passion Fruit, pears and persimmons. “It's so important for people to know how their food is grown. You are what you eat after all. And the farmers get to engage with the public and share with them their methods of growing.”
 
Farm Day venues are in southern, central and northern Santa Barbara County. To view the 2025 participating locations and descriptions, visit SEEAG’s interactive Farm Day Trail Map (www.sbcfarmday.org/map).
 
Visitors to Bonipak in Santa Maria will explore the fields where celery and leafy green vegetables are grown and look inside a 150,000 square foot cooling facility.
 
Bonipak is also the site of this year’s SEEAG Street Fair, where visitors can check out booths from SEEAG, local businesses and food vendors, and take home free produce. Ag-related booths include Driscoll’s Berries (berries), The Patch (pumpkins), San Luis Salsa, English Air (ag helicopters) and Cal-Coast Machinery (harvest tractors).
 
In Solvang is Ballard Walnut Grove is an 18-acre walnut and Christmas tree farm with approximately 900 walnut trees and 700 Christmas trees. “Visitors will take a 45-minute walking tour through the orchard while learning, up close, about the life of a walnut and the challenges of growing them,” says Kerry Morgantini, one of the owners along with her two siblings. The farm was purchased by her parents nearly 50 years ago. “A walnut tasting is included in the tour, and there will be a children's area with walnut crafts.”
    
Farm Day sponsors are AgWest Farm Credit, Bonipak, California Giant Berry Farms, Central West Produce, Community Bank of Santa Maria, Driscoll’s, Grower/Shipper Association, Legacy Growers, LLC, Maverick Farming Company, Reiter Affiliated Companies, Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, Santa Barbara Foundation, SB Noozhawk, Santa Maria Valley Chamber, T-Mobile Foundations, The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County, the Wood-Claeyssens Foundation and Wish Farms.
 
"This year, Santa Barbara County Farm Day has expanded to locations throughout the county, making it easier to participate in this free event,” says Caitlin Paulus-Case, SEEAG executive director. "With over 20 locations from Santa Maria to Carpinteria, the day offers everyone a unique opportunity to connect with the hands and lands that feed us.”
 
For more about Santa Barbara County Farm Day, visit https://sbcfarmday.org or call 805-892-8155. Due to food and safety regulations, pets are not allowed at the farms. Pre-registration is encouraged. To preregister and receive updates on site additions, QR code access to all locations, and be entered to win a custom Santa Barbara County Farm Day map, go to https://my805tix.com/e/7th-annual-santa-barbara-county-farm-day
 
Also, mark your calendar for the 13th Annual Ventura County Farm Day, taking place on November 8.
 
Santa Barbara County Farm Day is organized by the 501c3 nonprofit Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG). SEEAG’s mission is to educate students and the greater community about the farm origins of our food and agriculture's contribution to our nutritional well-being.