Organic Food & Farm Tours
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| Seasonal Highlights Group Size All Lanuages Welcome | Example Tour Price Housing Options |
             | Organic Food & Farm Tours Learn about the culture of organic foods and the beauty of farming. Find inspiration in the soil, harvesting natures bounty or planting seeds of promise! Find romance in local foods, falling in love with the wild flavors of the forest or the fresh seasonal veggies and fruits of the land. Explore nature, canoeing the Kickapoo River or hiking along the banks of the mighty Mississippi. Visit with nutritional experts, whole foods aficionados, organic pioneers and sustainable living communities. These tours are great for all ages, families and group sizes. Together, you'll reconnect to the life of the land! Seasonal Highlights The Little Country School offers “Organic Food & Farm Tours” any week from April 23rd to June 8th with another session any week from August 30th to November 3rd.
Group Sizes Our tours are small in size. We design your experience to be personal and to give us flexibility in where we can venture within our community. We require a minimum of 4 people to run a tour and a maximum of 12 people. Larger groups and solo adventures are available upon request through our Customized Tours page. All Languages Welcome! We feel strongly about offering our tours to all nationalities so we can help spread the organic revolution! Tours will be mixed with both native English speakers and non-native English speakers. We offer free ‘Practical English’ lessons for non-native English speakers who want to learn the vocabulary for the day. We will have an on-staff Japanese translator. We also have Spanish, German and French translators available, upon request. | Tours Schedule 2008 -Organic food & farm tours- June 28 - July 5 - 8 day Tour (weekend-weekend)
(weekend-weekend)
September 27 - October 4 - 8 day Tour (weekend-weekend)
October 4 - October 11 - 8 day Tour (weekend-weekend)
October 29 - November 2 - 5 day Tour (long weekend)
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- Here is an example week -
Day 1 Saturday L/D    Everyone will arrive in Chicago by mid-morning on the first day. We’ll head straight out to get our tour started! The first stop will be less then an hour down the road, where we will have a lovely organic picnic on the shores of Lake Michigan (one of the Great lakes). The second stop will be in Wisconsin Dells where we will take the famous Duck tour in the golden hours of the day. We’ll wind up the exciting first day with dinner at "The Cheese factory," which is known for delicious organic and vegetarian entrees. We’ll pull into our base hotel later in the evening. |   |
| Day 2 Sunday B/D After breakfast, we will pick you up and give you an introduction to our quaint little town, Viroqua. We'll stop by the local natural food coop where you can pick out food to take out into the countryside. We’ll enjoy our picnic lunch with an exquisite wine tasting at the beautiful Vernon Vineyards. Then we'll head down to Harmony Valley Farms, a local organic vegetable farm. We will tour the farm and select some vegetables for cooking throughout the week. Pick fresh wild mint and have tea time, because wild-foods cooking will be next! You’ll spend 2-3 hours picking your dinner right out of the woods and pastures. Then we’ll cook with your wild plants, creating a flavorful dinner to be proud of. |    |
Day 3 Monday B/L  After breakfast we’ll take you on a tour of the Amish communities in our area. You’ll learn about their sustainable living techniques and shop for hand-made, traditional crafts. We’ll stop by a real Wisconsin cheese factory, as well. Lunch will be an all-organic feast at the Organic Valley ‘Milky Way’ cafeteria. We'll tour Organic Valley’s 4-million dollar, green-design building and learn about its eco-friendly features. We’ll also learn about how Organic Valley operates as the largest, farmer-owned organic food Cooperative. Then, we’ll spend the afternoon picking fresh fruit and make jams and pies with our bounty! You may select from several wonderful eateries in Viroqua and enjoy dinner on your own for the evening. |   |
Day 4 Tuesday B/L/D  After breakfast, we'll head out to tour an organic dairy farm and learn about milk production. We’ll take fresh milk and learn to how make old-fashion butter and homemade ice cream. We’ll have a picnic right there on the farm and eat our fresh goodies. Then we'll drive up to Tomah to see the impressive cranberry bogs. Cranberries are one of only three Native American fruits that are exported. Then we are going to swing by M&M Ranch for some Wild West flavor. You’ll get a free wagon ride and an old-fashion western dinner while enjoying real acoustic cowboy music! You may try riding a horse, for a small extra fee, if you choose. |    |
| Day 5 Wednesday B/L/D Right after breakfast, we'll head off to Turkey Ridge Organic Apple Orchard and Star Valley Flowers. We’ll learn how organic farmers harness natures’ cycles and see the largest decorative stick farm in the USA! We’ll head to Organic Valley to enjoy another organic, buffet-style lunch. In the afternoon it’ll be time to canoe the great Kickapoo River! The Kickapoo has beautiful bluffs and sand stonewalls that stretch up from the windy rivers edge, making it one of America's top canoeing spots. After canoeing, we’ll get cleaned up and head to the Driftless Café in Viroqua, to enjoy a dinner of local and organic food while listening to live music. |    |
Day 6 Thursday B/D  By day six, you should be pretty tired! You will have the morning off to rest and relax. You’ll be on your own to locate some lunch in Viroqua. After lunch, we'll take you to one of the area’s most diversified Organic farms. You'll learn about organic shiitake mushroom growing and making yarn out of sheep wool. Then, the farmers are inviting you to dinner! They’ll serve up a feast of organic foods grown right on the farm! |  |
| Day 7 Friday B/D After breakfast we're off to see the mighty Mississippi. We’ll hike to a wonderful overlook where you can see the only mountain island on the Mississippi. Then we’ll drop down to the shores and visit the burial mounds and Effigy mounds of Native Americans. Afterward, you will head to La Crosse, where you can wander the historic downtown and buy your self a lunch. You’ll have a few hours to shop the stores in La Crosse. Then we'll meet up at the Cameron Park Farmers Market, which takes place every Friday afternoon in downtown La Crosse. You'll find organic farmers vending their goods and local artisans selling their hand-crafted arts. After an afternoon of shopping, we'll wrap up a wonderful day by boarding the Mississippi Queen! Enjoy a dinner cruise together under a lovely, Mississippi sunset while reflecting on the weeks’ adventures. |     |
Day 8 Saturday   It’ll be an early morning as we head for the Chicago airport, homebound! We’ll grab coffee on the road and arrive by 9 a.m. We can grab a late breakfast at the airport, and say our good-byes! |  |
The Organic Food & Farm Tours
Base rate is $1,580.00+Tax→Opening Special rate $1,380.00+Tax
Housing Options:
Base rate is $1,580.00+Tax→Opening Special rate $1,380.00+Tax
Housing Options:
| Included in base rate fee. | Local Hotel in Viroqua:
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*Upgrade cost:
| Same Local Hotel in Viroqua |   |
*Upgrade cost:
| Old fashion bed and breakfast
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| *Upgrade cost: Please contact us | Rustic countryside cabin:
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