Open Farm Days are returning to Alberta to open up the opportunity for consumers to see where their food comes from.
Tim Carson, CEO of the Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies says the two-day celebration gives farmers and agri-tourism officials a unique opportunity to connect with consumers across the province.
“This is a great opportunity for people on farm, or agri-tourism businesses to really take a hold and utilize the marketing tools that we use to bring people to your farm,” he says. “In this day and age we are sometimes three or four generations away from the farm these days and we don’t necessarily have the opportunity to connect to where our food is grown and where it comes from in Alberta.”
Last year saw 130 host farms participating and locally, Carson says Grande Prairie showed a high level of dedication to the event, and plans to grow the event even further in the north are in place.
“We had some very dedicated farms in the Grande Prairie or Northwest region of Alberta, we’re certainly looking to grow that number,” he says. “There’s great space there, and super agriculture in the area, I think there’s tremendous potential.”
Carson says farms are not the only ones who benefit from the event. He says the opportunity presents a chance for agri-tourism entities and individuals to use the Ag Soceities’ tools to educate themselves on trends.
Additionally, Carson says the event encourages Albertans to explore more than the traditional tourism hotspots through a mapping tool on the Open Farm Days website.
“We are one of the only provinces in Canada in general that actually produces more food than we consume,” he says. “This is a huge province with tremendous geography and it’s a great opportunity for people to go out and explore Alberta.”
Each year, Open Farm Days select a mascot or theme, and this year is the year of the alpaca. Carson says the camel’s fuzzy cousin is not only photogenic and loved by many, but serves as an important piece of Alberta’s growing fibre industry and shows the diversity of Alberta’s agriculture industry.
According to officials, Alpacas are a relatively new species to Alberta farms, but after arriving to the scene in the 1980’s, their population has skyrocketed across the province, with a reported 432 farms utilizing the animal for their fleece.
“One of the things that’s really important for us is to be able to shine a light on the diversity of agriculture here in Alberta,” Carson says. The variety that comes with that food production is really outstanding.”
Registration for farms and ranches to be part of this year’s event closes on April 30th, and interested individuals are encouraged to visit the Open Farm Days website to register.