Travel 'From Farm To Table' On Day Trip

The next day trip should be educational as well as entertaining.

From the Farm to the Table will feature a scenic trip to Clarksville and include tours of two nearby farms. The motor coach will leave at 9 a.m. June 22, from Civic Hall, 308 Civic Park Drive, and return to O'Fallon by 5 p.m. The deadline to register for the trip is Sunday.

"The purpose of the trip is to raise awareness about raising vegetables and fruit," said Paula Creech, recreation specialist for adult programs with the O'Fallon Parks Department. "We want to show how food goes from the farm to the table--getting people back to nature."

The idea for the tour came from someone with the O'Fallon Farmers' and Artists' Market. It was offered last year, but not enough people signed up, so it is being offered again.

"I'm really looking forward to the farm tours," Creech said. "There should be neat scenery, and the tour guides will describe the workings of the farm and how they do things."

One stop will be Vesterbrook Farm, a participant in the . The organic farm, which dates back to 1902, produces naturally grown vegetables, hay and fruit; free-range chicken eggs, heritage-bred turkeys and grass-fed beef and lamb.

"You'll see baby turkeys and lambs and between 70 to 100 varieties of vegetables, herbs and fruit," said Mike Brabo, who runs the family farm with his wife Carol.

Brabo had a personal reason for going organic. "I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer," he said. "I didn't want to do chemo or radiation treatments, so I changed my diet."

The change appears to have paid off. "I'm nine years cancer free," he said.

After visiting Vesterbrook, the tour will stop at Overlook Farm, where visitors will eat lunch at Clarksville Station Restaurant before touring the farm.

The more than 200-acre farm is owned by Nathalie Pettus. "I adore it here. This area is my Tara," she said. "It's beautiful. Absolutely stunning."

For years, Pettus said she wanted to open a bed and breakfast in the area. "In 2004 I opened the restaurant, then I added two inns," she said. "I keep doing more and more."

At Clarksville Station, food is prepared with ingredients fresh from the garden. "The food has improved over the years. We're currently partnering with organic producers for food we can't grow ourselves," Pettus said.

"We believe in the whole concept of 'know your farmer, know your food.' We want everything as fresh and safe as possible. That's a really big thing."

When the Overlook tour is over, the motor coach will drive into town for shopping at Clarksville's quaint specialty shops. The final stop of the day will be for wine tasting and a tour at Crown Valley Port House.

The cost for the From the Farm to the Table tour is $70 for O'Fallon residents and $78 for nonresidents and includes transportation, lunch, tours, wine tasting, an escort and gratuities.

To register call 636-474-2732 or 636-379-5606 or visit the parks and recreation website: www.ofallon.mo.us/parksandrec or come in person to the administration office, 400 Civic Park Drive, or the Renaud Spirit Center, 2650 Tri Sports Circle. The trip may be canceled if enrollment is too low.

For more information contact Creech at 636-474-8121 or pcreech@ofallon.mo.us.