Agriculture is life for Mary Maranville, who grew up on her family’s dairy farm in the Adirondacks of upstate New York. “On my dad’s days off, he’d want to tour other farms,” explained Maranville, who’s been meeting the people and visiting the places that grow our food since she was 5 years old. “I’ve been touring farms my whole life. I love it, and I know people will love it.”
After 16 years of running the nonprofit Students for Eco-Educaiton and Agriculture — which was also the driving force behind the annual Farm Days in both Santa Barbara and Ventura counties — Maranville recently launched Heritage Farmland Touring Company to bring us all a bit closer to the farm. Offering four-hour tours that currently feature three stops — including lunch by Bob’s Well Bread , charcuterie, and wine tasting — Maranville hopes to expand her educational reach into a much more regular affair.
“Farm Day is only one day of the year,” she said. “We hope this grows into 365 days a year.”