Farm Tour Marks 45 years with Seven Stops Nov. 20

Posted On: October 29, 2026

Residents can spend a day on the farm – or several of them – during the 45th annual Volusia County Farm Tour on Friday, Nov. 20. The tour is offered without charge.

Presented by UF/IFAS Extension Volusia County and the Volusia County Farm Bureau, the tour has been a popular fall tradition since 1981. This year’s lineup features seven local producers, including a magnolia grower, a citrus and vegetable farm, two horse farms, a family apiary, and a working agritourism ranch.

The tour offers a firsthand look at an industry that remains a vital part of the local economy. According to the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, Volusia County has 1,374 farms covering nearly 96,000 acres. Those farms sold $251 million in agricultural products in 2022, a 28% increase since 2017. Nursery, greenhouse, floriculture, and sod products accounted for $240 million of that total, ranking fourth among Florida counties.

Participants can choose one of two tracks, each with three morning stops. Track 1 visits farms in Pierson and DeLeon Springs in west Volusia, while Track 2 visits farms in Daytona Beach, Port Orange, and New Smyrna Beach on the east side. Both tracks end at Feral Ranch in Lake Helen, where an Extension Open House, celebration cake, and food trucks will wrap up the event.

Track 1

The Magnolia Company Farm, 850 Chesser Hammock Road, Pierson: 9 to 10 a.m. Visitors can walk through hundreds of rows of southern magnolias, many of them more than 30 years old, on this 900-acre farm.

The Magnolia Company Nursery, 1576 S. County Road 3, Pierson: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Artisans will turn fresh-cut magnolia leaves into wreaths and garlands as guests watch. The stop also includes a behind-the-scenes look at how the nursery propagates and grows thousands of new trees.

Vo-LaSalle Farms, 601 Johnson Lake Road, DeLeon Springs: noon to 1 p.m. This citrus and U-pick vegetable farm will lead tours of its hydroponic vegetable operation and its 2.5-acre citrus screenhouse. Fresh-squeezed orange juice and vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, and cabbage will be available to taste and buy.

Track 2

Bar J Performance Horses, 1625 Tomoka Farms Road, Daytona Beach: 9 to 10 a.m. This stallion and mare stable focuses on breeding and training horses for show jumping, dressage, and rodeo. Guests can meet the horses, see the ranch’s working dogs that help manage its cattle herd, and learn about the tack and training behind competitive riding.

Innovation Arabians, 2552 Tomoka Farms Road, Port Orange: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. One of the county’s largest horse farms, Innovation Arabians was founded in the 1980s by Dr. Diane Lapham of Port Orange. The property includes five barns, four riding arenas, and hundreds of acres of riding space. Her daughter, Dr. Ava Lapham, and son-in-law, Scott Clark, took over management in 2021 and continue to run it as a family farm.

S&S Apiaries, 3812 Strawberry Lane, New Smyrna Beach: noon to 1 p.m. This family-run beekeeping operation will demonstrate sustainable practices, from honey extraction to colony health. Visitors can sample local honey, shop for beeswax products, and learn how bees support local ecosystems.

Final stop for both tracks

Feral Ranch, 840 Pineda Road, Lake Helen: 1 to 2:30 p.m. This working agritourism farm focuses on animal husbandry, agricultural education, and community connection. Guests can meet Scottish Highland and miniature cattle, goats, miniature donkeys, emus, pigs, and poultry. The ranch’s country store, Feral Finds, carries handcrafted goods from more than 60 local artisans.

The final stop also features an open house hosted by UF/IFAS Extension Volusia County. Extension faculty will showcase their programs, answer questions, and share free resources on how research is applied to everyday life. To mark the tour’s 45th anniversary, celebration cake will be served, and food trucks will have lunch available for purchase.

Organizers have built a 90-minute window into the final stop so guests coming from either track don’t need to rush.

Registration

Participants are asked to register in advance at 45thAnnualFarmTour.eventbrite.com. The full tour brochure, with the schedule and details on each farm, is available on the UF/IFAS Extension Volusia County website.

For more information, contact Ashley Stonecipher, agriculture and food systems agent with UF/IFAS Extension Volusia County, at 386-822-5778 or ams2904@ufl.edu.