Embark on the Rural Roots Road Tour in Scott County, IN

Nathan Lambrecht

Scott County’s strong agribusiness industry champions knowing where your food originated and having access to fresh farm-to-table goods. With the Rural Roots Road Tour in Scott County, IN – a collection of roadside stands offering homegrown food – in its second year and a thriving annual farmers market held from May through the end of September, customers can sample some of the county’s many offerings while supporting local farmers. Additionally, U-pick farms give customers hands-on experience, while local greenhouses sell plugs and liners to encourage more Southern Indiana residents to start their own gardening practices. 

Savor a Fresh Food Journey 

The Rural Roots Road Tour highlights farmers and artisans across the county while creating a fun, interactive experience for customers. Co-founded by local farmer Robin Smith, the tour incorporates a punch card system that encourages customers to visit the farm stands along the tour route and support Scott County’s agricultural legacy. 

“Agriculture runs in a lot of the families around here,” Smith says. “It’s been passed down from generation to generation.” 

For the 2025 season, the tour features 12 Scott County farms and artisans, who sell goods like goat’s milk soap, produce, flowers and baked goods. Punch cards and maps are available at any of the farm stands along the tour, which runs from around May through October. 

“Our mission is to buy local from our farms, our bakers, our artisans and really be able to highlight good things about Scott County,” Smith says. “I think the farms and artisans in the area are the shining light.” 

Nathan Lambrecht

Visit a Greenhouse 

For anyone interested in growing their own flowers or produce, Arbuckle Greenhouses has one of the widest selections of plugs and liners around. With 30 years in the greenhouse business, the Arbuckle family legacy continues a tradition of growing and selling quality products with a personal touch. 

“It’s really nice to watch everything come full circle, from starting that first seed to transplantation to watching it go out the door,” says Kim Daniels, co-owner of Arbuckle Greenhouses. “I feel like our blood, sweat and tears go behind the plants.” 

While the retail front doesn’t open until March or April, the greenhouses operate all year long. Customers are free to roam the five greenhouses to find what they are looking for, whether it be annuals, perennials, mums or herb starts. “We try to be kind of like a one-stop shop for Scott County,” Daniels says. 

Go on a Pick-Your-Own Adventure

At Krieger’s Farm & Orchard, Doug Krieger carries on the legacy of his family’s land, which was once a horse farm and is now home to an orchard, a produce farm, a U-pick operation and 30 beehives. 

“We’re providing for ourselves and the community,” Krieger says. 

Starting in May, customers can pick their own strawberries, followed by blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and gooseberries throughout the season. Along with its locally sourced bees and certified naturally grown produce, the farm grows unique offerings like persimmons and pawpaws, which are types of fruit. 

Krieger is always happy to share his knowledge from years on the farm, including helping beekeepers get started or new farmers raise their own chickens. 

“I just hope that visitors learn something and want to do some of the things that we do,” Krieger says. 

Shop at a Farmers Market

The Scott County Farmers Market is another great resource for anyone looking to buy local and support area farmers. In 2020, a grant from the Scott County Community Foundation sparked the construction of a new structure for the market, which farmers market treasurer Chris Wakeman says was a way for the foundation to honor Scott County’s 200th anniversary. 

Customers can find a range of produce, artisan crafts and baked goods at the market. Coinciding with the market is the weekly Barn Sale on the property, which consists of mostly donated items. The proceeds go to the Scott County Heritage Center & Museum, where the market is located. 

“The farmers market is a revenue source for sellers and a quality resource for buyers who like to know the people who they are buying from and who appreciate the relevance of the farmers market and its many products,” Wakeman says.