The Mizzou Center for Agroforestry will welcome families from throughout central Missouri on Saturday, Oct. 10 for its signature field event, the Missouri Chestnut Roast Festival.
Hosted at the MU Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Farm (HARF) in New Franklin, Missouri, the event is free and open to the public.
“October is a beautiful time of year to share the farm with the public,” said Gina Beebe, research and education program specialist at the Center. “There will be so much to explore and learn for all ages.”
This year’s event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will feature roasted chestnut samples, a pumpkin patch, a sunflower field, live music, kids’ activities and wagon tours of some of the oldest chestnut and black walnut research orchards in the country. Visitors can purchase a lunch made with farm-grown tree nuts and fruits prepared by Thompson’s Tables and engage with more than 25 vendors and exhibitors.
Exhibitors include Forrest Keeling Nursery, Buck’s Ice Cream, Grow Native!, Missouri NRCS, MU Extension, Missouri Nut Growers Association, Master Gardeners, the Forest and Woodland Association of Missouri and more. Ironweed Bluegrass Band and other acts will provide live music.
A free presentation series will occur during the festival that explores the history of the Boonslick region, taking visitors through time to understand the geological processes that made this region what it is today and discover how our shared landscape has shaped food, culture and art across centuries.
This year’s festival will also include a fun run with Show Me State Games to benefit Cooper and Howard County elementary schools.
“Missouri is a leader in agroforestry, a suite of farming practices that bridge conservation and agriculture,” said Ron Revord, director of the Center for Agroforestry. “Our community has a lot to celebrate every fall, and we’re excited to welcome the public to the farm to showcase what’s possible for landscapes and local food systems across our state.”
HARF — located at 10 Research Center Road — is the primary research site for the Center for Agroforestry and a part of the Central Missouri Research, Extension and Education Center (CM-REEC). The nearly 700-acre farm includes numerous experimental nut and fruit orchards, five lakes and ponds and one of Missouri’s oldest brick homes, the 1819 Thomas Hickman House.
The CM-REEC is a part of the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station and is composed of 14 different properties covering approximately 7,200 acres in central Missouri. Research and education efforts at these sites are tailored to their locations and the interests of local producers, covering natural resources conservation, livestock management, agroforestry, specialty crops and more.
For more information about the Missouri Chestnut Roast Festival, visit the event page on the Mizzou Center for Agroforestry website.