Crawfish, Cane & Camellias:
A close look at agriculture in Central Louisiana
| Tour: Day One | |
| Breakfast | Hotel |
| Morning | SPRING
Louisiana Crawfish - See first-hand what this mudbug business is all about! • Visit Farm/Pond and the Processing Station where the crawfish are hand-sorted Seasonal and by special appointment FALL Cane, Cotton & Corn: Louisiana staples • See crops in various stages from planting to harvest. • Learn more about Sugar Cane, Cotton & Corn, their importance to this area, the global food horizon and commodity markets • Hear about life on the farm and what that means in 2020 from members of local farming families. Seasonal and by appointment |
| Lunch | Lunch in the Country at Loyd Hall Plantation
• See antique equipment and early days “technology” • Hear from a local farmer about today’s agricultural markets • Depending on the season, perhaps you’ll hear about Sugar Cane, Corn or Rice • Seasonal and by special appointment only |
| Afternoon | Get grounded in Forest Hill, The Plant capital of the South
• Travel a 7-mile stretch of two-lane highway and see 200+ family-owned plant nurseries • Learn why and how this home-grown multi-million dollar industry came to be in the village of Forest Hill, population 800 • Windshield Tour along Hwy 112 or one-on-one nursery visits by appointment |
| Afternoon | When Lumber was King ... Southern Forest Heritage Museum/Timber Town
• A showcase of the southern forest and early days of the timber industry • The oldest complete sawmill in the area with the original Planer Mill, a restored machine shop (circa 1913), the on-going restoration of locomotives/trains and other equipment and outbuilding across the 57-acre property • It’s been called a “time capsule of American industrialism” and “a one-of-akind experience of what the world of 1913 was like and an experience almost not to be repeated anywhere else in the USA” • Also see the Civilian Conservation Corps, Camp Claiborne and World War 11 Museums on the property |
| Dinner | Experience .Windows in the Wilderness on the grounds of Southern Forest
• (Spring/early Summer: Crawfish Boil) OR (All year: Pig Roast, Fish Fry, BBQ, etc.) • Live music and dancing: Cajun band, Square dancing, Blues, etc. can be arranged |
| Tour: Day Two | |
| Breakfast | Hotel |
| Morning | Forts Randolph & Buhlow
• Walk the produce gardens at historic Forts Randolph & Buhlow, site of two Civil War forts • Hear from the head Horticulturist about the crops of yesterday and today • Black Pot/Outdoor-cooking demonstration |
| Lunch | Southern Creations
• Homestyle Southern Buffet with all of those old-fashioned favorites • A long-time favorite of locals and visitors alike |
| Afternoon | Kent Plantation House
• Pristine example of an authentic Creole plantation home from early 1800s • Take a behind-the-scenes. look at the operations of a working cotton plantation • Tour the main house, milk house, kitchen, blacksmith shop, and outbuildings • See the on-site sugar mill where local sugar cane was once processed by hand and perhaps even taste a bit of Louisiana Cane Syrup |
| Afternoon | Littlepage Commisary
• Family-owned pecan orchard and operation that is almost a century old • A stop here will delight with an ever-changing selection of local produce and homemade baked goods, jams, soaps and, of course, pecans, candied pecans, pecan oil and more. Hear from a family member who will share stories of farming, the history of the Commissary and their family’s “nutty love of pecans” • And there’s always a fresh pot of coffee brewing and a counter full of muffins and candies! |
| Dinner | Tunk’s on the Lake
• Enjoy seafood and other southern favorites perched above Kincaid Lake |
| Lodging | Hotel |