Four farms around the Grande Prairie area are participating in this weekend’s Open Farm Days event.
August 19th and 20th is the 11th annual event, where farms and ranches across Alberta open their properties to the public for a behind-the-curtain view of how our food is produced. CEO of the Alberta Association of Agriculture and Open Farm Days, Tim Carson, says the event allows people to meet and learn from producers from u-pick flower and vegetable farms to craft breweries and bison farms.
“Host farms register with us by May of each year, and there is a tremendous amount of resources, education and information we provide host farms so they can participate and grow their capacity to create a unique experience for the consumer,” Carson says.
This year there are 131 participating farms across the province, including the four around Grande Prairie. Carson says Grande Prairie is one of the regions they would like to grow the program.
This year is the year of the Bison, and Open Farm Days is spotlighting the bovine species.
“Alberta has over 470 bison ranches in it, and they make up nearly 50 per cent of all the bison ranches in Canada,” Carson says. “We do even have a few bison ranches that produce white bison, which is quite a unique thing to see.”
Those interested in taking advantage of the two-day event are encouraged to find participating farms on the Open Farm Days website.
