JOHNSTON COUNTY

Johnston County (JoCo to the locals), 30 minutes east of Raleigh, is far enough away from the urban areas of The Triangle to offer visitors the charm of small-town living, but close enough to be accessible! Johnston County also sits at the crossroads of I-95 and I-40, making it a popular respite from the road for interstate travelers.

Agritourism and farming heritage is truly our strength, as it defines many of the visitor experiences available in the county. Smith's Nursery and Strawberry Farm is open year-round and has several pick-your-own seasons including strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and pumpkins. Boyette Family Farms is a working wheat farm until harvest time in September, and then it transforms into the Clayton Fear Farm until the end of October, and for the holiday season, they offer hayrides for enjoying Christmas Lights on the Neuse River. We have farms that have been providing products for generations, and new farms that are opening up each year - check back with us often to see what we have to offer!

For an educational experience on farming heritage, we offer several area museums to explore. If you grew up on a farm, many of these exhibits will bring back memories for you like cotton pickin’, harvesting tobacco, hard-working mules, or riding in wagons. Tobacco Farm Life Museum has been offering agritourism educational programs, group tours, and special events for over 30 years and continues to enhance the site with the Iredell-Brown restored homestead, farm life exhibits, one-room schoolhouse, weekly heritage demonstrations, and more.

Agriculture in Johnston County defines our heritage and continues to be a way of life for many families. For years, area farmers have expanded their operations to sustain the family farm, offering agritourism activities, farm markets, on-farm tours, promoting local products with pick-your-own operations, and even becoming wedding venues. In addition, local festivals continue to have prominent agricultural themes to celebrate local crops and farmers – the Ham & Yam Festival, Mules Days, and others have been annual events for decades. Visit JoCo to experience it all for yourself!