Bend Backyard Farm Tour Draws Growing Crowd

It’s like a tour of homes for backyard farm enthusiasts, or those considering taking the plunge.

NeighborImpact is putting on a Bend fund=raising event this weekend that’s teaching you a little something about backyard gardens.

It’s a self-guided tour through 20 homes and community gardens in Bend.

Owners and volunteers will be on hand to offer advice on how to start up your own backyard farm.

With the recession still looming and recent food scares, more and more people are turning to this way of living — and eating right out of their own backyards.

“This backyard farm tour is great in showing people that you can grow things on your own in this climate,” said Sandy Klein with NeighborImpact. “And it’s a great business partnership with Celebrate The Season, and it’s terrific that people are opening up their homes to let other people see what works and what doesn’t work.”

“I want to encourage people to try preserving what’s in their gardens,” said Mary Lowe, a food preserver with the OSU Extension Service. “There’s several ways to do it by drying, canning and freezing, and to make sure they are doing it safely.”

The self-guided tour through backyard farms continues Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It costs $10 for a booklet that has maps, locations and all the details you need. You can find them all over town, at CE Lovejoy’s, Celebrate The Season, Strictly Organic and Bend Pet Express.

The donations go to help feed the hungry on the High Desert through NeighborImpact, a 21 Cares for Kids partner.