Fun Agricultural-Tourism Trends in Fredericksburg Texas

Learn About Fredericksburg Agricultural Tourism!

Source:  Wikimedia Commons

Nestled in the gorgeous Texas Hill Country, Fredericksburg is a charming city with a small-town feel, historic buildings, friendly residents, and ample open spaces encouraging visitors to escape from the hustle and bustle of urban and suburban life. It’s also one of the nation’s top destinations for agricultural tourism (or agritourism), a new trend in vacationing where visitors can immerse themselves in the picturesque ranches, farms, orchards, plantations, wineries, and vineyards.

During insightful tours of Fredericksburg’s most renowned agricultural hotspots, you can learn about the growing seasons and lifecycles of all types of fruits, flowers, vegetables, plants, and animals throughout the year in Fredericksburg.  This makes an easy and fun way to add a special touch to your vacation regardless of when you decide to visit.

Below, we’ve broken down a few of Fredericksburg’s best agricultural tourism experiences by category to make planning your vacation easier.

See Fredericksburg’s Coolest Farms, Ranches, Orchards, and Vineyards

Fun fact: Fredericksburg produces 40% of Texas’ peaches (it’s even called the Peach Capital of Texas), in addition to holding the title of the second largest wine tourism destination in the country. It’s also a rising star in the grape, lavender, wildflower, and herb industries, so you’ll find plenty of farms and vineyards here ripe for touring!

Fredericksburg and its beautiful outdoor spaces have something incredible to offer in just about every season. Plan your trip to Fredericksburg to line up with one of the awesome agritours or farm’s growing seasons below!

Fruit Farms

As we mentioned above, Fredericksburg is famous for its peaches. People come from all over to taste the diverse varieties of peaches, both freestone and clingstone, that are grown here. They’re said to be uniquely sweet, a product of the extraordinary climate of Texas Hill Country.

Vogel Orchard, Bariloche Farm, Marburger Orchard, Das Peach Haus, and Donald Eckbardt Orchards are just a few of the local farms and orchards that specialize in peaches, though many of these places also produce all types of berries, fruits, and vegetables. The exact picking season for peaches will depend on the variety, but visitors can generally find great picking from mid-May through early August.

Other berry growing seasons, such as pears, cantaloupes, tomatoes, watermelons, plums, nectarines, gooseberries, quince, apricots, figs, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries, range anywhere from April through May and from June through August.

Beyond their idyllic apple orchards and seasonal pumpkin patch, Love Creek Orchards is home to a small country store colloquially called The Apple Store. The farm is famous for its unique experimental apples and the vast range of apple-based products they offer, including baked goods, jams, jellies, butters, ciders, and the best apple pies around.

Pumpkin patches can also be found on many of these farms seasonally from early October through November.

Vineyards

Fredericksburg is home to Texas’ best wine country, rapidly developing in popularity with both grapes imported from California and Texas-grown grapes grown in distinct conditions. William Chris Vineyards, Pedernales Cellars, Messina Hof Fill Country Winery, Texas Hills Vineyards, Grape Creek Vineyards, Kuhlman Vineyards, and Woodrose Winery are among the most prominent of the abundant stops on the lengthy Texas Wine Trail. Fredericksburg’s portion covers 12 miles and 21 different wineries in the area along Highway 290.

You can visit these spots and other vineyards and wineries individually, or take a tour with multiple stops for a more comprehensive experience. Tour services like Discover Texas Wine Tours, 290 Wine Shuttle and Tours, Majesty Tours, Fredericksburg Limo, and George’s 290 Wine Tours, allow you to experience the best of Fredericksburg’s vineyards with half- and full-day tours.

Flower Farms

The idea for Wildseed Farms first stemmed from Former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson’s passion for Texas-grown wildflowers, which caused a spike in the popularity of wildflowers and led to the farm’s foundation. Spanning over 200 acres, Wildseed Farms is one of the few agritourism spots in Fredericksburg that is ideal to visit year-round, open daily to the public for free. Spring and summer bring on a wealth of blooms, while cold weather plants and pumpkins can be enjoyed during fall.

Becker Vineyards and Lavender Farm is another fantastic destination for witnessing the best of Fredericksburg’s blooms.

Livestock Ranches

If you’re looking for that traditional farm experience with animals you can see and interact with, Agarita Creek Farms and Greer Farm are both excellent places to start.  In particular, Agarita Creek Farms specializes in breeding two types of rare and endangered sheep, the Navajo Churro and Jacobs, for meat, wool, and milk. Additionally, you’ll also find exclusive herds of the threatened breed known as Dexter cattle, a smaller breed of cow.

Whether you want to taste your way through Fredericksburg’s famous Texas Wine Trail, sample succulently sweet peaches, or tour one of the local family-run farms and support a local business, you’ll find that Fredericksburg is the perfect place to plan your agritourist vacation.

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About the Author:  Carly Corderman is a freelance writer who blogs about activities, attractions, and other Fredericksburg-related travel topics for www.absolutecharm.com.
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