Manchester DDA Hosts Successful Agri-Tour
Tour participants visit Hand Sown Farms.
The Manchester Downtown Development Authority (DDA) hosted its first Manchester Agri-Tour on Saturday, October 17, with 28 guests from Washtenaw, Jackson and Wayne Counties enjoying a variety of local agricultural and historical attractions. This bus tour was developed as a pilot for future offerings under the Community Tourism Action Plan (CTAP), funded by the Ypsilanti Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. The CTAP program helps the DDA with development of tourism programs to promote our local area and benefit our local businesses.
Guests visited the Horning Dairy Farm, the Mottice Historical Farm, and the Hand Sown Farm, all located on Pleasant Lake Road. The Horning family explained modern dairy operations, focusing on how technology is applied both in optimizing milk production and ensuring safety and quality. Bob Mottice showed visitors his reconstructed 1840s cabin originally built in Freedom Township, and various outbuildings and blacksmith shop, all located in a beautiful setting. Megan DeLeeuw led guests around her farm, discussing organic farming methods and principles. Our tour also visited the Sharon Mills complex, where host Faye Stoner of Washtenaw County explained the various water-powered mill industries which existed here before Henry Ford repurposed it into one of his “village industries” in the 1930s.
In downtown Manchester, guests enjoyed a fine meal at Frank’s Place, followed by a walking tour of downtown architecture and early historic settings in the village’s founding. While at Wurster Park, the tour stopped outside the historic Fargo house, home to the two Fargo brothers instrumental in the village’s early development. Rev. David Williams then hosted the group at Emanuel United Church of Christ, and Susan Fielder hosted at St. Mary Roman Catholic Church, for historical summaries of each church.
Transportation was provided by Manchester Community Schools. While travelling, the tour participants also viewed several of the local barn quilts in the area, a separate self-guided tour is available through the DDA’s Tour de Barn Quilts. The DDA collected feedback from tour participants as a tool for refining future versions of this tour, and expects to offer this tour in the future.
In addition to this first Agri-Tour, the CTAP program has funded the two new information way-signs installed in the downtown area, several brochures for visitors and tourists in the area, the new “Make It Manchester” logo, and the new tourism website. CTAP funding also contributed to the recent “Manchester Community Update” booklet. Please contact the DDA through this tourism website if you would like more information concerning the CTAP program or DDA activities.
Bob Mottice Greets Guests.
The tour stops at Emanuel Church.
Horning Dairy Farm.
The tour included lunch at Frank’s Place on Main Street.
Bob Mottice gave a tour of his log cabin built in the 1840’s.
Historic St. Mary’s Church was another stop in the Village on the tour.
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