Local farmers will host a weekend of wine tasting and farm-fresh food sampling at the 6th Annual Sierra Oro Farm Trail Passport Weekend October 9-10, 2010 in Butte County.

The Passport Weekend showcases the wineries and farms currently on the Sierra Oro Farm Trail Map for the price of one ticket.

"The Sierra Oro Farm Trail Passport Weekend is unique because all of the farms and specialty stores on the map will open their doors on the same weekend," said Heather Quilici, who co-founded the map with Jamie Johansson of Lodestar Farms. "Additionally, everyone will have something special taking place at their farm. Many of our members will be harvesting, it will be a great time to see the farmers in action."

The Sierra Oro Farm Trail Map and Passport Weekend destinations includes more than 20 specialty farms/shops and eight wineries. The Sierra Oro Farm Trail Map also highlights local tourist attractions, historic landmarks, hotels and fine dining. The map is easy to navigate and user friendly. For those who have less experience navigating country back roads, it offers a detailed view of directions to each individual farm.

In addition to a hard copy of the map, visitors can plan their own tour by visiting www.sierraoro.org. The website includes additional details about each farm and the ability to plan your own interactive tour through Google Maps. Visitors who would like to pre-plan their tour can map a route from farm to farm directly from www.sierraoro.org without using a hard copy of the map.

Sierra Oro Passport Weekend tickets are $25 per person and include free tasting at all farms on the map. All proceeds go to benefit the Sierra Oro Farm Trail Association to further develop agri-tourism in Butte County. Passport sales begin online in June, and will also be available at all farms on the Sierra Oro Farm Trail, at the Chico, Paradise and Oroville Chambers of Commerce.

Sierra Oro Passport weekend is sponsored by the Butte County Farm Bureau, Chico Chamber of Commerce and Tri Counties Bank.For more information about the Sierra Oro Farm Trail and passport weekend, visit www.sierraoro.org , email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call Alice Patterson at the Chico Chamber of Commerce at 530-891-5556 (800-852-8570)