Open farm days are already a hit in places such as the U.K. and Quebec, and they’re gaining fans across the country
As I prepare to leave for more global research in agriculture, I am recalling the innovations I saw on farms to engage the public in the production of food.
We tend to be a little private here in Canada about our farms and our work, but in many parts of the world that is not the case. Nor is it an option. As agricultural policy is now often rolled into food policy, it becomes the consumer’s right to ask the hard questions and to visit the farms where their food is grown.
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As a host for international visitors (we had 70 in 2012), I am often shocked at how much they know about the area in which I live. One Dutch guest had a map of all the unique farms in my community that she wished to visit for her research. I did not know these dynamic businesses were there and joyfully took the driver’s seat on the road to discovery. Perhaps one of the best summer exercises we can do is be a tourist in our own community. More importantly, ask yourself how your visitor sees you.
Surfing community and local food websites or visiting tourist bureaus can be an eye-opener. There are many specially designated farms near our town that sell both product and experience.
Show and tell is often a big hit in school. It seems the one time when every family secret is revealed or some huge mystery uncovered. Show and tell has never become outdated (a five-year-old I knew took a PowerPoint presentation to her kindergarten class!).
Even as adults, we learn best by seeing and interaction with a host. In the Netherlands, I saw many farms with boardrooms for industry meetings, roadside stands and interior glass-walled barns so we could see the animals. In the U.K., the big focus was on education, and field days and school visits to farms is the norm. Farms were fitted with special transport trailers and facilities for the comfort of the guests.
On Open Farm Sunday, hundreds of U.K. farms throw the doors open to the public. The interactive website www.farmsunday.org allows you to have a sneak peak at the farm before choosing. Check it out and see just how exciting a farm day can be. More importantly — look at what can be done with a few or a lot of acres, with a value-added or commodity farm and with a small family or a big crew. The possibilities seem endless.
For nine years, Quebec farmers have opened their doors to the public for an Open Farm Day (journée Portes ouvertes sur les fermes) in September. Tens of thousands pack the narrow roads for the excitement of visiting the farm. These are fun-filled days of great food and adventure, and we have enjoyed many of these farms. It opens your eyes to production practices in other provinces and you get to taste some great homegrown foods. The open door day nicely compliments the artisan status that farms may hold in Quebec which allows for farm gate sales.
In Australia, city families are matched with farm families for a day of fun, friendship and understanding. The site www.farmday.com.au explains that process and the adventure is heavily supported by industry.
Think of the knowledge transfer that can happen in just a day. We often have an extended Lebanese family visit us from the city. It is the most important day of the year for them. They love it all and go home with a car loaded with veggies, meat, and flowers. Together we learn about each other’s culture and food.
This year, Alberta hosted its first-ever open farm day www.albertafarmdays.com. This two-day affair featured great eats on Aug. 24, with farm visits on Aug. 25 across the province. It was the ultimate show and tell. Manitoba will open the doors of their farms Sept. 15.
You don’t have to be a city kid to enjoy these days — you could just go along for the adventure. Better yet, sign up to open your farm next year — the mutual gain is well worth the little extra time. If nothing more, look at the websites and videos of all the farms that hosted and discover who is telling the story in your very own backyard.
