To say that Lincoln County is a 30-mile-long amusement park might seem silly at first. But it’s more of an amusement park than you think! We do not have a giant talking mouse in red shorts like they do in Florida, but we do have real live alpacas, llamas, long horned cattle, baby farm animals, milk cows, sheep, goats, and more scattered through the county, waiting for you to visit, watch, and learn! And you can even pose for photos with them, just like the big eared talking mouse! But taking a selfie with a fluffy headed alpaca is barely the beginning of what there is for you to experience in Lincoln.

The families that own and run our farms love to tell visitors their stories and share all the fascinating sights and activities that are hidden jewels of curiosity, adventure, great tastes, and learning on a working farm. It allows you to get away and learn, see, and experience many things that are far outside of your normal everyday life. These great experiences, activities, and opportunities are what we call agritourism, and Lincoln County is really turning into an agritourism capital for you to explore.

One of the beauties of agritourism is its variety and appeal to all ages. From the kiddie thrills of zipping down a hay bale mountain slide, to the grown-up pleasure of a guided tour and private wine tasting of world class selections (in the very vineyard and winery when they were produced), there is so much for ALL to enjoy.

Lincoln County Agritourism includes all the traditional farm fun, and more. Hayrides, pick-your-own berries, and great roadside and farm stands are all around. You can see a real milking parlor in action, and take home a real, grass fed dairy product, produced and processed from “grass to glass”, on a farm right here in Lincoln. There are goats to visit, along with excellent goat milk cheeses to taste and take home, produced right on the farm. Learn about organic farming and find local sources of organic foods. Visit apple and peach orchards, blackberry, strawberry and blueberry farms (in season), and enjoy many special events that are going on at our Lincoln County farms. Some of them might really surprise you. There is even alpaca yoga!!!! Seriously!!

There are giant slingshots set up on one farm, where you can sling “bad” apples at crazy speeds to see them explode on target. You can catch a hayride out to a pumpkin patch where you cross a foot bridge and pick your own perfect pumpkin for the front porch. Kids love the “corn pit”, which is basically a big sand box full of dry CORN to jump, and dig, and play in.

Agritourism always has a special draw in special seasons. Lincoln grows beautiful Christmas trees, that you can pick-out and cut for your holiday home. Santa visits, bonfires, hot chocolate, handmade kissing balls (the modern version of hanging mistletoe), greenery and fresh natural garland are all on farm and ready, at the right time of year. You can see sorghum molasses being produced like old times, and there is even grass fed, on farm produced, fresh EGG NOG to take home from one farm for the holidays. What can get better than that!

Speaking of special seasons and occasions; Many of our farms have very unique and interesting gifts available. There are some of the softest clothing items you will ever encounter, from fiber right off a Lincoln County alpaca farm. There are special wines, preserves, pickles, crafts, cheeses, FARM-CHURNED ICE CREAMS, decorations, and more.

Actually, the list of things to do and see, and gifts to give, goes on and on. And it’s growing, just like the things being grown on the farms.

The only catch is that you have to be able to find all of this! To do that, you just need to go to Lincoln Farm Fun. And please tell your friends and family to do the same. Lincoln Farm Fun is a little website designed especially for your smartphone. It is a growing list of agritourism farms in Lincoln County, at your fingertips. You can click once to call any of the farms, click to see their webpage, or click for a GPS map to take you right to the farm. AND with that little web page, you will have access to gifts, foods, treats, learning, and lots of fun. All right here in Lincoln County. Try it out!

Don’t miss the treasures all around you. You can fill quite a few leisurely days just trying to see and do all that is offered on farms in our county, with very little driving. I hate to make the famous giant mouse in the red shorts in Florida jealous, but there is just more fun to be had right here in “your own back yard” in my opinion. The mouse will get over it.

If you would like to receive an occasional update of cool agritourism events and opportunities in Lincoln sent to you, please contact our office with your email address. Your address will only be used for that single purpose. You can email your request to tom_dyson@ncsu.edu with N.C. Cooperative Extension of Lincoln County OR call 704-736-8461.

Meanwhile… try to find the new Lincoln Farm Fun billboards around the county!