When you grow up on a farm or at least in the country, it is sometimes difficult to understand the fascination “city folk” have with farm life, as well as the misinformation they have about farming.

When I was in college I brought friends home for weekend visits. I would always escort them around and I discovered my friends knew nothing about farm life. I remember driving a friend through miles of bean fields. She kept asking me what we were seeing, and I kept saying “beans.”

She finally said she had no idea green beans would look like that. It never occurred to me that “beans” would mean anything other than soybeans.

Another city college friend had no idea tadpoles became frogs. That floored me; I could not imagine a life where you didn’t go out with a jar you took without your mom’s knowledge, her best colander and spent a day collecting tadpoles and minnows. I loved watching tadpoles turn into frogs. My mom lost many a colander to my fish and crawdad adventures.

Growing up in Parke County, Ind., also meant I met a lot of tourists every fall. Parke County is home to 31 covered bridges currently, and there were more than 40 when I was born. It turns out people are fascinated with covered bridges, and far-sighted people in the rural county realized they could bring a much-needed economic boost to the area by creating a festival.

The Parke County Covered Bridge Festival began in 1957. Except for the three years before I was born, I have only missed four festivals. It always starts the second Friday in October and runs for 10 days, so it is always in the middle of harvest.

In the beginning local farmers were amazed when people stopped to take their photos, not to mention just picking ears of corn as souvenirs. Farmers learned to pick corn closest to roads first to stop unwanted souvenir hunting.

The festival has changed a lot during the years, as all things do. I remember the glory years when everything sold on the Rockville town square was made by hand by local craftsmen.

Today the tent on the square has few local craftsmen selling their wares. No one has time, and consumers are loath to part with the cash needed to get something handmade when they can buy something made by mass production in a foreign country for much less money.

Whenever I tour with my friends through there, I always find the local booths still operating and encourage my friends to buy only from those people. This year on the opening day of the festival my friends bought a hand-turned wooden lid to fit a flour canister and apple butter from local vendors.

I stopped as I do every year for a hot cup of sassafras tea. I also bought some pottery from a local potter, and both friends did the same.

I always take people to Bridgeton, another town in Parke County that is full of activity during the festival. I want them to see the Bridgeton Mill. According to the current miller, it has been open every year for 180 years and is thought to be the oldest continually operating mill in the state, and possibly in the Midwest.

The Bridgeton covered bridge and the mill sit on Big Raccoon Creek, making for one of the more picturesque settings a person could find. Both of my friends stocked up on locally milled flours while we were there.

The Parke County Covered Bridge Festival runs through Oct. 21 this year. The headquarters are in Rockville, and there are plenty of websites to provide more information.