A child feeding a calf during Alberta Open Farm Days. (Courtesy: Alberta Open Farm Days)

By Jesse Gill

‘It’s tremendously diverse’: Registration deadline nears for Alberta Open Farm Days

Apr 24, 2024 | 5:07 PM

The deadline to register for Alberta Open Farm Days — an opportunity for Albertans to see where their food comes from with an on-farm experience — is at the end of April.

At least 141 host farms across the province are already registered for this year’s two-day event.

During the 2023 Alberta Open Farm Days, on farm sales reached almost $300,000.

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Each participating farm is expected to offer something for free to those that visit.

Tim Carson, CEO of Alberta Open Farm Days, said there is no cost for farms to sign up and they help with training, marketing and insurance.

“It’s tremendously diverse what can be happening as part of Open Farm Days,” Carson said.

“We also have our craft distilleries and craft alcohol industry with our craft beers and our craft wineries as well, and that is alive and well in southern Alberta and all across Alberta for that matter,” he added.

“This is a great way for people to get a taste, if you will, of what agriculture is producing here in Alberta.”

In past years, host farms have included corn and sunflower mazes, wineries, stables, petting zoos, craft breweries, along with honey, fruit, vegetable, grain and u-pick farms.

More traditional farms farms are also represented with cattle, poultry, bison, alpaca, sheep, llama and goat farms and ranches and organic operations.

Year of the Alpaca is this years chosen theme, a large contributor to the textiles industry in Alberta.

Carson said 40 per cent of the Canadian Alpaca heards live in the province.

Farms looking to participate in the 13th annual Alberta Open Farm Days on August 17 and 18 can register before the end of April at albertaopenfarmdays.ca.