The COUNTRY BOOSTER, March 12, 2019 – Page 8
Open your farm to visitors for marketing, education By Murray Green
Farmers are encouraged to participate in this year’s ag-tourism showcase to help increase their sales. Becoming an Open Farm Days host is a great way for farmers, ranchers and ag-tourism operators to meet new customers and grow their businesses. Applications are open for farms and ranches to host visitors during Open Farm Days, Aug. 17 and 18. Last year, a record number of participating farms, ranches and visitors set a new high for on-farm sales. “We hope even more farms and ranches get involved in this year’s Open Farm Days. The event helps farmers meet new customers, share their story and grow their businesses. It’s also a fun and educational way for Albertans and visitors to take in Alberta’s agtourism experiences and learn more about where their food comes from,” said Ricardo Miranda, minister of culture and tourism. Now entering its seventh year, Alberta Open Farm Days features open houses, culinary events and tours. Farm sales in 2018 reached almost $190,000 over the two days, up 30 per cent from the year before. “Open Farm Days provides a unique opportunity to highlight agriculture’s importance and vitality as a core sector in the province. Alberta has some of the best food producers and processors in the world. I am proud that we are
Open your farm to highlight agriculture’s importance and vitality in the area.
strengthening our support for the local food sector which continues to grow. It’s important for Albertans to connect with the hard-working farmers who are feeding their families and communities,” added Oneil Carlier, minister of agriculture and forestry. Participating hosts
can access product development supports such as business coaching, industry learning opportunities and regional networks. The deadline for host applications is May 31. The overall year-overyear growth of Open Farm Days highlights ag-tourism’s continued potential
to diversify the economy and create jobs. The weekend’s selection of experiences also helps showcase the growing number of opportunities available to rural and culinary tourism entrepreneurs. “We are very excited about the 2019 Alberta Open Farm Days. Farmers
and ag-tourism operators tell the story of agriculture in our province, produce some of the world’s best food and create unique Alberta ag-tourism experiences. Becoming a host is a great way to grow your business,” said Tim Carson, CEO, Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies. “Alberta Open Farm Days was an awesome experience and a major boost for our farm. By offering fun and interactive education about bees and beekeeping, we promoted our business and products to more than 800 people. The event is a great way to share your passion for agriculture and ag-tourism,” offered Richard Ozero, president of Good Morning Honey. Open Farm Days is a collaborative project presented by the Government of Alberta, the Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies, Travel Alberta and participating farms, ranches, hosts and agricultural societies. The vast majority of Albertans (87 per cent) have participated in some form of farm-to-fork tourism over the past 12 months. The most commonly attended activities are dining at a restaurant serving Alberta ingredients (71 per cent), attending a farmer’s market (56 per cent) and farm retail purchasing (40 per cent).
Revolving land assists conservation areas By Murray Green
More land is going back into farmers’ hands with Ducks Unlimited Canada’s (DUC) Revolving Land Conservation Program. As we salute Alberta agriculture during Farm Safety Week (March 10 to 16) DUC shares news that 12 properties were turned back into farm land. The land will be sold back to the agriculture community and local landowners this year. RLCP provides an opportunity for greater conservation impact on the landscape. Through this program, DUC purchases a piece of land, restores its wetlands and grasslands and then makes it available to potential land buyers and the agricultural community after placing a conservation easement on the title. Proceeds from these land sales go back into DUC programs to fund further conservation work. The RLCP program was launched in 2013 and has conserved 12,700 acres of wetlands and uplands
Wetlands and crop land can share areas to benefit producers and wildlife.
for waterfowl habitat and grazing land for beef producers and farmers. Currently there are more than 5,100 acres being conserved as part of 16 RLCP projects in Alberta. With much of the con-
servation work completed, land slated for sale will be sold in the summer and fall. For more information about RLCP, contact Darwin Chambers, head of conservation programs at
email d_chambers@ducks. ca or call 403-598-1817. Hero program
DUC is asking youth, school and community leaders to be wetlands heroes. If you know someone who has made it their mis-
sion to help conserve wetlands, Ducks Unlimited wants to recognize them as a Wetland Hero. DUC’s program is a Canada-wide initiative that connects and supports groups that take conservation action to promote wetland stewardship. As part of the program network, Wetland Heroes are recognized for projects–large or small–that help conserve wetlands. Projects can focus on a number of areas including innovation, awareness and advocacy. Stories about project work conducted by Wetland Heroes are shared by DUC to inspire others. Anyone in Canada under the age of 25 is eligible to participate in the program. Participants can be self-referred or nominated by others. All efforts made by Wetland Hero program participants are officially recognized and exceptional projects may qualify for a financial award. For more information, visit www.ducks.ca//initiatives/wetland-h eroes or email c_mackenzie@ ducks.ca.