Mid-Willamette Valley Food Trail

The Mid-Willamette Valley Food Trail offers a self-guided journey through a bountiful land of historic farms and trailblazing spirits. These businesses are committed to sustainable practices to last through the next century and beyond. Find your themed route below or download the official brochure.

Family Fun For All

Sweet Home to Philomath

Picnics, berries and sweet treats for the whole crew

Start your day with fresh coffee, pastries and kids’ activities at the Sweet Home or Lebanon Downtown Farmers’ Markets. 

Fuel up for your day of adventure at Lebanon’s Mugs Coffee House, where the little ones can devour fresh smoothies and grilled cheese. Two blocks down, treat the crew to a round of Strawberry Celebration Ales (or lemonades) and wood-fired pizza at Conversion Brewing. 

Venture along Highway 20 to load up on more local bounty at the Albany Farmers’ Market. Stroll down to Natural Sprinkles Bakery for petite sweets topped with custom natural sprinkles. Continue your quest for sweetness down the road at Bryant Family Farm, with more than 19 varieties of U-pick blueberries. 

When lunch calls, grab a tasty burger and seasonal brew at Block 15 Brewery and Tap Room, where a kids’ menu and a sublime bier-bread pretzel will keep the whole family happy. Tyee Wine Cellars and Buchanan Family Farm welcomes families for picnics, wine tastings in the parlor, and hiking trails through the hazelnut orchards, native woodlands and wetlands. Pick organic strawberries at nearby Fairfield Farm. 

Then head south to Monroe and visit eco-farm and tiny farm store, Lilliputopia. Leave your stress behind by visiting No Regrets Farm and Sanctuary for goat happy hour or head on over to Bluebird Hill Farm and Cellars for a glass of award-winning wine. 

Wrap up your day and load up for the trip home at Hiatt Farm where you’ll find scratch-baked sweet rolls, buttermilk biscuits and pies, outdoor seating and yard games.

A Taster’s Tour

Corvallis to Albany

Savor scenic views and liquid libations with the locals

If your visit coincides with summer, pick northern highbush blueberries at Kiger Island Blues or enjoy apples and sweet cider in the fall. Afterward visit bike-friendly First Alternative Co-op, a Corvallis staple since 1970, to pack a picnic of local organic foods. 

If it’s a tasty hot-cooked meal you prefer, stop in at The Dizzy Hen in downtown Philomath for phenomenal farm-fresh breakfast fare. 

Begin your afternoon adventure west of Philomath, where Pheasant Court Winery is known for distinctive big reds and dry whites. Neighboring Compton Family Wines produces fruit-forward, earthy wines using French cooperage. 

Nearby, a historic covered bridge acts as gatekeeper to Harris Bridge Vineyard and its specialty pinot gris and pinot noir vermouths. Enjoy your next glass in the picturesque setting of Cardwell Hill Cellars before heading to Lumos Wine Company where organic wine is poured in a former dude ranch barn. 

Linger along the hillside of Monmouth’s Airlie Winery, owned and operated by women, with nine signature varietals to enjoy.

Your farm-to-table dinner is served at local favorite Frankie’s Restaurant in Albany, a fine dining experience with casual ambiance. For a nightcap and games, treat yourself to Albany’s brewstillery, Deluxe Brewing and Sinister Distilling or end the night at Spiritopia Wine and Spirits Tasting Room for a specialty wine flight or mini cocktail. 

Makers and Innovators

Philomath to Albany

A farm-fresh feast through community art and history

Ease into the day and nourish your spirit with Sunday brunch at Eats & Treats Café in downtown Philomath, where offerings are made from scratch and gluten free. Then it’s time to peruse ceramic treasures made by a master potter at Donovan Place, a working Christmas-tree farm with lodging. Next, join a fun horticulture workshop at Starker Arts Garden for Education (SAGE), which grows food for those in need. 

Enjoy the offerings of local makers and growers year-round at the Corvallis Farmers’ Market on the downtown riverfront or the Corvallis Indoor Winter Market in the colder months. Later, enjoy craft beers on the roof of Sky High Brewery or try the current seasonal offerings at 2 Towns Ciderhouse. If wine is the preferred libation, Valcan Cellars offers in-town tasting and bottles to go. 

In Corvallis’ picturesque downtown, grab a bite at Block 15 Restaurant and Brewery where seasonal menus feature fresh ingredients, passionately grown by neighboring farmers. During the school term, students at LBCC Culinary Arts open the Santiam Restaurant, with gourmet dishes prepared by future chefs. Fueled up, head east to Thompson’s Mills State Heritage Site, for a free guided tour of Oregon’s last water-powered mill, built in the mid-19th century. 

Taste the region’s flavors with an elegant dinner at Sybaris Bistro, where a new eclectic menu is adopted every month. After-dinner drinks and games await at the shared warehouse of Vivacity Fine Spirits and Calapooia Brewing. When it’s time to end the night rest easy at 206 1/2 Historic Hotel in the heart of downtown Albany. 

Flora and Fauna

Alsea to Corvallis

Discover nature’s wonders in food and the outdoors 

Begin your journey along the Marys Peak to Pacific Scenic Byway, following coastal breezes into the valley. Idyllic mornings at Alsea’s Leaping Lamb Farm Stay might include feeding lambs before breakfast. Next, visit Alsea Trout Hatchery to see steelhead spawning from November through March, or reserve a nursery luncheon tour at The Thyme Garden April through August. 

The Coast Range’s highest point, Marys Peak, dazzles with wildflowers from spring through summer but year-round it offers stunning 360 views. Re-fuel on fresh produce, pastries and more from Philomath’s Gathering Together Farm, an organic vegetable farm and favorite among locals and visitors. 

On your way to Albany, Peoria Road Farm Market vendors await in a cheery red barn with some of the highest-quality and best-priced seasonal produce around. 

Continue along farmlands to Iron Water Ranch to take a fiber arts class and meet sheep, including newborn lambs each spring. Horticulturalists can grab organic supplies and garden-themed gifts at Urban Ag Supply. Just across the Willamette River, Springhill Cellars is an ideal stop for high-quality wines and views. Then amble over to celiac-safe Midway Farms to peruse the farm stand or join a cider pressing party, wine tasting, or twilight yoga. 

Oregon’s local ingredients take the spotlight at Castor Kitchen, featuring elevated Southern comfort food. Cap the day with craft cocktails and a panoramic view of Marys Peak at 4 Spirits Distillery where sales benefit military veterans.

More tasty stops

There are dozens of stops on the Mid-Willamette Valley Food Trail, from bakeries to restaurants, farms and growers markets, to wineries and distilleries and indulgent take-home treats. Make your base camp in one of these charming towns and find a delicious farm-to-table meal around the corner. Here are some of the locales to explore.