Open Farm Days offers a taste of agriculture this weekend

By Justin Seward - Lethbridge Herald on August 16, 2024.

Herald file photo Scott Cameron helps son Merric up on a tractor while daughter Selene peers into the cab at a past Open Farm Days event.

The 12th annual Alberta Open Farms Days is right around the corner and will give attendees across the province a taste of different aspects of agriculture from farmers.

“You can take a look at the different types of farms that are dotted across the province and sort of build your own experience and each of the farms have a free educational experience that they offer,” said Tannis Baker, an Alberta Open Farm Days executive committee member.

“So you can kind of pick and choose what you want to learn about and put together a fun little road map for the weekend.”

There will be 160 farms participating in this year’s farm open houses, which according to Baker puts them at their highest year ever.

“So (a) lot of different sort of diversity and stuff,” said Baker.

There are about 20 farms participating from the Lethbridge area and there is a fun add-on in the area this year.

“On top of it actually for Lethbridge, we have a fun little digital cookbook that will be actually posted next week and it has local recipes and it’s fun,” said Baker.

“It’s recipes from our farms, so some farmstead recipes, but also from local restaurants that use local farm products.”

There are farms that offer adult-only tours such as the grain story, to others that are family-friendly.

What farmers enjoy about the weekend is talking to people.

“There’s a gap in knowledge,” said Baker.

“What we hear back year after year from the farmers is it was so nice to have that time to actually explain how things really work and what always is I think rewarding for them is the general consumer is often quite surprised by what they learn and they think they know a little bit more than they do sometimes. By getting out there and seeing it first hand, you get a new appreciation for it. So I think kind of breaking down some of those barriers and learning about farming from the people that actually do it.”

People can also experience a farm-to-table culinary experience.

“All our farms are so different and you can find the farm that suits some of the things that you’re interested in,” said Baker.

“Perhaps the ages of the people that you’ll be travelling with and then also if you’re a bit of a foodie, many of our farms do sell food. They offer picnic lunches, long table dinners.”

Baker referred people to the Open Farm Days website on the culinary experiences.

This year marks the Year of the Alpaca through the United Nations and Alberta Open Farm Days decided to celebrate their theme.

“What we decided to do for this year is to join in with their theme and celebrate the alpaca but also to talk about it from a fibre story,” said Baker.

“We have a lot of craft fibre mills and things like that here in Alberta.”

Alberta Open Farm Days takes place Saturday and Sunday.

To find a farm near you, log onto http://www.albertaopenfarmdays.ca/ofd-farms and registration is free.