Looking for something fun and different to do with the kids (big or small) this weekend? Something that says spring is in the air?

Then venture out to local farms and pick out this year’s bedding plants and garden starts for your garden. This spring on the Red Rooster Route, Garden Treasures Nursery & Organic Farm is introducing its newest farm festival–The Happy Soils Festival–on Saturday, April 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Happy Soils Festival allows youth and adults to learn about the key ingredients to building up tilth in the soil.

Free demonstrations on the farm show how adding compost and the right fertilizer creates an organic space that defends itself from disease and predators. Farm walks will also be organized throughout the day, allowing visitors to learn how a system of food production and distribution promotes healthy living and nurtures the environment.

“Our farm is committed to organic food production and promoting a sustainable lifestyle,” owner and farmer, Mark Lovejoy says. “The goal of our Happy Soils Festival is to take the mystery out of organic gardening and natural soil health.”

Not only does Garden Treasures Nursery & Organic Farm celebrate spring with a variety of nursery items and organic vegetable garden starts, but a host of seasonal produce such as spring mix greens, asparagus, and spinach are available. The farm also features a gift shop, garden center, nursery, CSA box program, and organic-only farm market stand.

This third year of the annual Red Rooster Route will also host a variety of upcoming spring and summer festivals including The Flower Festival during Mother’s Day weekend on May 7 and 8 at Foster’s Farm, The Strawberry Festival on June 18 and 19 at Biringer Farm and Garden Treasures Nursery & Organic Farm, Red Rooster Route Days on July 16 and 17 at all the farms on the Red Rooster Route and The Blueberry Festival on July 30 at Bryant Blueberry Farm & Nursery.

Offering a self-guided tour through the greater Arlington area, the Red Rooster Route is rich with pastoral views and plenty of recreational and u-pick opportunities. To learn more about the farms on the Red Rooster Route and to download a tour map, visit the group’s website.

Additional Information:

Happy Soils Festival, April 16 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Free Admission (donations gladly accepted).

Garden Treasures Nursery & Organic Farm located at 3328 State Route 530

Open Daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Red Rooster Route, off Exit 208 on I-5, is a non-profit association of small, family-friendly farms in the Arlington, Washington, area of Snohomish County. The farms are open to the public during the harvest season.

For more information and to learn about individual farms visit the website.

Photos Courtesy of The Red Rooster Route