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Promoting ag-tourism with Alberta Open Farm Days

Aug 14, 2018 | 3:04 PM

A province-wide ag tourism event aimed at helping people understand where their food comes from returns to Alberta next weekend.

On August 18 and 19, Alberta Open Farm Days will see more than 110 host sites and culinary events across the province showcase Alberta’s fast-growing rural tourism sector and everything farm life has to offer.

Participating host farms will offer educational tours, opportunities to buy locally grown and homemade products, plus offer activities like corn mazes, hayrides and petting zoos.

Meanwhile, culinary events will feature some of the province’s top chefs preparing dishes made from locally grown products.

One local venue hosting events is The Jungle Farm, south of Red Deer.

Owner Leona Staples says in addition to being involved with the Feast on Main in Innisfail, The Jungle Farm will be offering behind the scenes tours via wagon rides, as well as lots of produce to ‘u-pick.’

“Helping people understand where their food comes from is a real passion of ours. We have so many families who just don’t have any direct connection family-wise to farms anywhere, so that education piece is so important,” Staples says.

“When you can pick something fresh, it tastes way different when it hasn’t travelled, plus to be able to create memories in a rural setting on a farm is important too.”

Space at some Open Farm Days events is limited, so visitors are encouraged to buy tickets ahead of time.

Alberta Open Farm Days, which began in 2012, is a collaborative effort presented by the Government of Alberta, the Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies, the Alberta Culinary Tourism Alliance, Travel Alberta and participating farms and ranches.

For more information or to book a tour or culinary event, visit albertafarmdays.ca.