Open Farm Days reconnects the farm to plate experience

It’s time to celebrate the farm.

Alberta’s Open Farm Days kicks off tomorrow with 16 stops across the Lakeland to enjoy.

This year’s participants include Bonnyville, St. Paul, Lac La Biche, and Smoky Lake.

There are various ways to enjoy the day – driving yourself and picking and choosing what/where you want to visit, or the St. Paul AG Society has coordinated a bus tour that will stop at eight stops and include lunch, supper and snacks from local businesses.

• Smoky Lake – Smoky Lake Farmers Market, Serben Farms, Linda’s Garden Market.
• St. Paul – AG Society (Bus Tour), Al’s Carrots, Majek Meats, Twisted Fork Restaurant, God’s Simple Prairie Farm, K Cow Ranch, Portage College, Lakeland Brewery, St Paul Museum
• Lac La Biche – AG Society (market/activities), Macor Farms, Christy Creek Honey
• Bonnyville – Rocky Meadows Orchard

Penny Fox with St. Paul Community Futures said the weekend is all about reconnecting with the farm and seeing how that connects with the end product.

“The message is about our agricultural heritage and how Alberta, like most of Canada, we all had a connection to the farm,” said Fox.

“If we didn’t live on the farm, we had grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins on the farm, so we would visit. We got to see cattle, we got to see horses, chickens and how they were raised…we got to be on equipment. But that connection is gone. We have more people living in urban centres than in rural ones. This is just to make that connection.”

The St. Paul tour includes stops to learn how to brew beer, smoke meat and the eating of course. Two delicious meals are provided on the tour, thanks to Portage College and K Cow Ranch.

Tickets for the tour are $42.95.