Open Farm Days gives a closer look at agriculture in Saskatchewan

The deadline to apply to be a host farm has officially closed, but Stone said there were a record number of submissions this year.

“We actually have 35 host farms signed up for this year, which is exciting. We have lots of new ones, which is always exciting to see some diversity and different stories to be told during the weekend,” she said. “And part of it, too is that we have hosts all across the province. All the way down to Val Marie to the north of Saskatoon, by Rosthern and east and west. We’re all over the province. I think the overall sense with producers is to be able to come and tell their story with everyone else. It’s being able to showcase the diversity of what Saskatchewan produces, the stories, the people and families behind it.”

Stone said there were roughly 4,000 people who took part in the event last year.

“Folks who want their grandkids to come and see what their experiences were like growing up on the family farm. Maybe they’ve stepped away from the farm now, but they still want their families to see those stories and understand where food comes from,” she said. It’s also for newcomers to Canada to explore the province and to see what’s growing in the fields.”

There is a wide range of agriculture operations signed up this year. Stone said there is everything from flower farms to Highland cattle.

“We also have some distilleries, cattle operations, some dairies, heritage sites, chickens, and pigs. We have equine experiences, and we also have some Highland cattle down in southwest Saskatchewan, which I know everyone loves. There’re also some new organic farms that have signed up on board as well. So, there’s quite a cool mix of the stories to be told.”

Stone said an important component of Open Farm Days is sharing the stories, culture and community behind agriculture.

“We’ve had people who said they had folks come all the way from China who are on a trip to Canada come and experience agriculture, but they just wanted to talk to host farms. They wanted to understand what they were doing and the family’s story.”

Information on Saskatchewan Open Farm Days and a list of host farms for a self-guided tour are available on their website. Tickets will be available in May.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

by Alice McFarlane

Open Farm Days gives a closer look at agriculture in Saskatchewan

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