Your Guide to the Marion Farm Loop

You can experience this agriculture in a variety of fun ways along the 30-stop Marion Farm Loop. The loop, part of the larger Oregon Farm Loop project, aims to connect visitors with the food they enjoy through farm tours, tastings, and other outings that can't be enjoyed just anywhere.

So after you've downloaded a brochure from the loop's official website, dig deeper into the heart of the Willamette Valley with this overview of the self-guided Marion Farm Loop.

Here are a few ideas for how to plan your trip:

• You can experience as many, or as few, stops as you'd like along the loop—and in any order that fits into your travels.
• Many farms and markets close between November and March, so check with your preferred destinations before heading out in winter.
• Consider making Salem your home base, as Oregon's state capital is centrally located within the broader loop.
• Give yourself up to a full weekend to visit a handful of stops along the loop.

The Marion Farm Loop sits entirely within Marion County, extending from the banks of the Willamette River in the north to forested farmlands—and the very western edge of the Cascade Foothills—in the south.

Salem and Keizer are the biggest cities within the loop, but other communities along the way include Aumsville, Stayton, Sublimity, Silverton, Woodburn, and Aurora.  

The loop heads through Salem but otherwise follows backroads and byways that gently curve through orchards and farmland. The only traffic jam you'll encounter on these roads is when you get stuck behind a tractor.