Farm-to-Fork Experiences in Grants Pass
By: Cate Battles/Visit Grants Pass
May 2022
When it comes to agritourism, Grants Pass is the crème of the crop. Since before the turn of the 20th century, visitors have flocked to Grants Pass and Josephine County for its agricultural promise and temperate year-round weather. Home to three river valleys, the area’s fertile soil has sprouted countless vineyards, dairies, fruit orchards, lavender fields, and vegetable farms – many of which today offer guests a hands-on experience. Get a taste of the county’s bounty by shopping at a local Grower’s Market or farm stand, visiting a pick-your-own farm, touring a working ranch, or following the Southern Oregon Food Trail. Whether your taste buds are craving artisanal cheese, freshly picked berry pies, grass-fed beef, or award-winning wine, take a scenic drive around the county and experience the best of Southern Oregon’s agrarian gems.
The downtown Grower’s Market has been a Saturday morning tradition since 1980. For over 40 years, Southern Oregon’s oldest and largest plein air market has provided locally grown produce, baked goods, seafood, and handcrafted products. With over 100 vendors, visitors can score fresh-picked vegetables and fruits, flowers and handcrafted soaps and tinctures. Additionally, enjoy live music and a bevy of food trucks while strolling around the market. In conjunction with the Growers Market, the Makers Market across the street adds to the fun. The outdoor market takes place spring through fall at the corner of 4th and F Street and moves to its indoor location at the Josephine County Fairgrounds during the winter.
Cave Junction Farmers Market
The Friday evening Farmers Market in Kerby is a happening place to be. Located in the heart of Illinois Valley, enjoy an evening of live music, art, food, and farm-fresh produce. At this family-friendly market, bring the kids to the “Cultivate Kids” booth where they can learn about farm animals, beekeeping, first aid gardens, and more. Find the market spring through fall at 24100 Redwood Highway, just north of Cave Junction from 4-7pm.
Applegate Evening Market
The Applegate Evening Market takes place every Wednesday, May through October from 5-8pm. Nestled in the scenic Applegate Valley, this weekly community event takes place at Longsword Vineyards in Ruch. With over 30 local vendors, numerous food trucks, and a beer garden, there’s no better way to spend a Wednesday evening in Applegate Valley. Every week features a different cross-genre band and the fourth Wednesday of the month is open-mic.
Murphy’s Outdoor Market
The latest market to grace Grants Pass is located in Murphy, just a 15-minute drive from downtown. Located on Williams Highway, Murphy’s outdoor market takes place Fridays from 9am-1pm April through September. Vendor offerings include fresh produce, handcrafted goods, massage therapy, and food trucks
Experiences
Pennington Farms
Nestled in the pastoral Applegate Valley, you’ll find one of Southern Oregon’s most mouth-watering bakeries. This family-operated berry farm has been dishing out sweet and savory baked goods from Pennington’s fruit since 1980. The family utilizes organic and biodynamic methods of farming, and every berry is handpicked.
You also won’t find your run-of-the-mill berries here. They’ve cultivated more than 100 heirloom varieties, including tayberries (a Scottish hybrid of black raspberries and blackberries) and loganberries (a blackberry-raspberry cross from the 1880s). Though their specialty is berries, the farm also produces an assortment of other fruit, such as peaches, apples, figs, pears, and plums.
The farm stand itself is a rustic old barn situated on the 90-acre property, just off of Williams Highway. The shabby-chic bakery and gift shop inside the farm stand is warm and inviting, offering guests scratch-made baked goods, fresh picked fruit, along with canned gifts and jams. While there, enjoy a cappuccino and berry-filled pastry, or drop in for lunch and try their legendary chicken potpie. They provide indoor tables as well as an outdoor patio with spectacular views of the valley’s mountains. Visit the farm Monday-Friday 9am-5pm and Saturdays 10am-4pm.
Pennington Farms
11341 Williams Hwy
Grants Pass, OR 97527
English Lavender Farm
Perched on a hillside and surrounded by stunning mountains, the English Lavender Farm in Applegate Valley is as sweet as it smells. Ever since Sue and Derek Owen grew their first lavender plants in 2011, their Thompson Creek farm has blossomed into a striking sea of purple every summer. With multiple varieties of English and French lavender, and over 6,000 plants, the colors take on different hues throughout the growing season. The lavender, which has an assortment of uses from distilled oils, soaps, culinary products, to wreaths is all grown as naturally as possible, without chemicals and pesticides. Starting June 10th, the English Lavender Farm is open to visitors from 10am-4pm Friday through Monday.
During Southern Oregon’s Lavender Festival, taking place June 24th-26th and July 15th-17th, the English Lavender Farm is one of six participating lavender destinations in the area. Throughout the festival, walk through purple fields, pick your own flowers, and enjoy the sights, smells, and taste of lavender. During this annual summertime celebration, many farms will be hosting special events, from live music, wand and wreath making, essential oil distillation demos, serving lavender inspired food, to sip and paints. The participating lavender farms include Dos Mariposas Vineyards and lavender farm, English Lavender farm, Goodwin Creek gardens, Lavender Ally, Lavender Fields Forever, and Murphy Creek Lavender.
English Lavender Farm
8040 Thompson Creek Rd
Applegate, OR 97530
Rogue Creamery
Located along the banks of the Rogue River, just minutes from downtown Grants Pass, you’ll find the maker of the world’s best cheese. For more than 85 years, the certified organic creamery has drawn from the rich flavors of the Rogue River Valley to create its savory and delectable handcrafted cheeses.
In 2019, Rogue Creamery took the top prize at the World Cheese Awards in Bergamo, Italy, beating out 3,800 cheeses from 42 countries around the world with their famous Rogue River Blue. Not only was this a historic win for Oregon farmers, it was the first time an American cheese had been awarded this prestigious distinction.
Rogue Creamery is not only renowned for amazing gourmet cheeses, but also for innovative operations and commitment to sustainability. Their goal of fostering a healthy, happy, and stress-free environment for their 255 cows can be seen at their impressive milking parlor; a state-of-the-art robotic milking room. When the cows decide they need to be milked, they leave the pasture and head towards the loafing pavilion, where they get massaged and refreshed. By the time that’s over, the cows move to the parlor where they get milked to their comfort level before grabbing a nibble and heading to a new pasture. This voluntary and automatic system not only ensures the herd’s contentment, but it also increases farm production. Rogue Creamery also utilizes environmentally conscious practices, including the installation of solar panels to offset energy use, and recycling dairy waste into usable byproducts like fertilizer and stall bedding.
Free-guided tours are available Wednesday through Sunday at 10am and 2pm, where you can meet the herd and learn about Rogue Creamery’s state-of-the-art robotic milking room. Their farm stand and gift shop is open 10am-5pm Wednesday through Sunday where you can enjoy their famous grilled cheese or purchase cheese to take home!
Rogue Creamery Dairy & Farm Stand
6531 Lower River Road
Grants Pass, OR 97526
Plaisance Ranch
Courtesy of Plaisance Ranch
Since 1858, Plaisance Ranch has been a working ranch established and tended by the Ginet family. Steeped in history, the cattle ranch and winery began on the hillsides of Savoie, France before the first of three ‘Joseph Ginets’ brought his family’s grape cuttings to America. After traveling the country in search of a region to start his new vineyard, he laid down roots in Applegate Valley. Three generations later, Joe and Suzi Ginet have continued the family business on their 157-acre USDA certified organic farm. Their cattle graze on native grass hay from pastures that have never been plowed and they treat their grape vines with the same organic integrity. Their vineyard was cultivated with their own certified rootstock and is hand-managed with minimal irrigation, using regenerative farming and low impact agricultural practices.
Visit the ranch Wednesday-through Monday noon-6pm where you can try their award winning wine in their cozy open-air tasting room, a former dairy barn. Take a tour of the ranch where you can see the animals, grapevines, gardens, and orchards.
Plaisance Ranch
16955 Water Gap Rd
Williams, OR 97544
Fort Vannoy
For multiple generations, the Crouse family has owned and operated Fort Vannoy Farms, integrating sustainable agricultural practices to daily farm life. The best way to experience Fort Vannoy Farms is by visiting their beautiful 500-acre farm on Lower River Road. Their self-serve Farm Stand is open year round from 9am-5pm 7 days a week. There, you’ll find anything from fresh eggs, vegetables, and fruits. Unlike seasonal farms, their year-round production means you will find fresh produce 12 months out of the year. During the late spring to early summer, their “U Pick” strawberry patch is open Friday and Saturdays 8am-noon. Perhaps best known for having the sweetest corn around, their corn is harvested in late July and perfect for summer barbeques.
Every October, Fort Vannoy celebrates the changing of the season with their annual Fall Harvest Festival. Nothing brings back childhood memories like a trip to the pumpkin patch and this family-friendly fete is not to be missed! In addition to the pumpkin patch, explore their 8-acre corn maze, cow train, face painting, food vendors, farm stand, and Pumpkin Chunker. The festival is open daily from 10-6pm and the “23 Screams Haunted Corn Maze” is Friday and Saturday from 7-10pm.
Fort Vannoy
5791 Lower River Rd
Grants Pass, OR 97526
Rogue Valley Food Trail
The Rogue Valley Food Trail offers a self-guided adventure to diverse farms, artisans, and farm-to-table restaurants in Southern Oregon. Along this bountiful route, you’ll discover a community of growers and crafters committed to sustainable practices and land stewardship. The food trail is year-round, however, it’s always best to inquire with individual businesses as hours and operations change seasonally.
