Bow Creek Farm & Cattle Co. is the first of six farms hosting Luke Bryan and his special guests on this year’s farm tour. For the 15th year, the country music star is raising money for scholarships to farmers pursuing degrees at a college near the farm tour stops.
On Thursday, September 19, the five-time Entertainer of the Year will perform alongside Conner Smith, Tucker Wetmore, Peach Pickers featuring Rodney Clawson and DJ Rock at the Farm, 769 Ridge Road, Grantville.
Concertgoers may bring a sealed plastic bottle of water, a sign the size of half a billboard or smaller, and a blanket or chair to sit on in designated areas not directly adjacent to the stage.
Amy Hess of Bow Creek Farm & Cattle Co. said, “As far as concertgoers go, they should remember that they are coming to a working farm. … All parking is in fields. There could be holes. There could be ruts. And of course, we ask everyone to respect the fields. All the grass hay that is there is re-cut and fed to the cattle. So any trash or waste ends up in the cattle feed. And I would also like them to respect our neighbors as well.”
Concertgoers should expect that roads surrounding the farm will be congested on their way to the concert and should plan accordingly. Concertgoers should consider carpooling to avoid traffic congestion and drink responsibly at the event.
The fields located in front of the site as concertgoers drive on the field road will be opened for parking from 2:00 p.m. Admission for the concert, which begins at 6:00 p.m., begins at 5:00 p.m. Re-entry is not permitted. Event times are subject to change in any weather.
At the time of this writing, tickets for the Farm Tour VIP experience were sold out, but general admission tickets were still available. Tickets are $68 in advance or $80 at the gate. When purchasing tickets, parking passes are $10 in advance or $20 at the gate. A service fee and sales tax are added to the total.
Bayer is the main sponsor of this year’s farm tour. The international company is anchored locally through its production facility in Myerstown. The company expanded this facility at the end of 2022 after 75 years.
Citi and Fendt are also sponsoring this year’s farm tour.
Meet the farmers
Rob and Amy Hess of Bow Creek Farm & Cattle Co. spoke to LebTown about how they met a peanut farmer’s son turned country music star and what it means to prepare a field for a concert.
“I got a call from someone who said they were looking for a farm in the area and asked if we were interested. And at that point I said we were interested, but I knew they were looking at a lot of other farms,” Rob Hess said of being contacted by Dennis Freeman. “And then after a couple of weeks they came back and I guess they liked that site because it was all grass; they didn’t have to destroy a crop to do something.”
Rob said that it is his understanding that Luke Bryan’s team sometimes contacts law enforcement to help identify larger farms in the area. The team contacts the owners of potential farms to gauge their interest before making a selection and finalizing the agreement.
When Bow Creek Farm was chosen as the venue for the first stop on this year’s farm tour, it was originally agreed that the Hess family would mow a week before the concert. After a discussion with Bryan’s team, Rob said the final agreement was that their family would mow two to three weeks before the concert and store the hay in bales.
Bryan’s team will handle all other logistical preparations, including providing a stage and equipment, food and portable toilets for the concert at the farm. Also, part of the final agreement is that the team will return to the farm the day after the concert to pick up trash and anything else left behind.
“They seem to be a well-oiled machine. … You’ve talked to them more about logistics and things like that,” Amy told Rob, “but they really seem to know what they’re doing.”
Although the Hess family is not directly involved in planning the event, Rob said he knows that Bryan’s team has been in contact with local police, fire and school districts to prepare for the event.
As for the family’s impressions of the event itself, Rob said, “We weren’t particularly familiar with it. But it seems like a good event to recognize farmers. And we learned that a lot of the proceeds go to scholarships for students studying different facets of agriculture. So in that respect, I think it’s a good cause.”
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