4 minute read
Alberta Open Farm Days at Chatsworth Farm
Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser
Alberta Open Farm Days has been a growing success story since it’s inception a decade ago.
Just one of the examples of that success is Chatsworth Farm. Located approximately 25 kilometres northeast of Mannville, Chatsworth Farm has been a host farm for the past four years.
The farm is owned by the Wasylik family. Rick and Johanna, along with Charlotte, Rob, Nick, Alex and Breanne. Here they raise beef cattle, sheep, chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese as well as grow cereal and legume crops on more than 2,500 acres of beautiful rolling parkland.
The family has a passion for raising “sustainable, ethical, and quality beef, lamb, poultry, eggs, and grains.”
August 19 was a very busy day at the farm during Alberta Open Farm Days. “We had over 350 visitors check in at our welcome tent, we had 24 volunteers, 18 farmers market vendors, and five other display tents,” stated Charlotte.
“This year’s Alberta Open Farm Days at Chatsworth farm was another record-setting year and some of the highlights of the day were definitely the farm tours and giving visitors the opportunity to hold day-old chicks, pet kittens, and feed the horses; the bouncy combine; the hot dog barbecue featuring hot dogs made with our own beef roasts, the artisan farmers’ market, all the different demonstrations and hands-on activities including the new cow birthing model where visitors got to try pulling a calf; and musical performances all afternoon from singersongwriter Mallory Chipman.
Open Farm Days is a wonderful opportunity to share with our visitors where their food comes from and how it’s grown and raised. And it’s wonderful to be able to include other farmers, producers, and makers during our big day to help showcase their wares and introduce them to new potential customers. whether it’s the Old School Cheesery making cheese in Vermilion, the Copper Cork Distillery making their alcohol from locally grown wheat, rhubarb, Saskatoons and more, local bakers with their homemade baklava and cupcakes.
A lot of Albertans still don’t realize how many wonderful products are being created right here in the province and that they can “shop local”, even in small rural towns, whether it’s for beef and eggs, or pasta, beer, and vodka. And while they may know that you can find market gardens, soap, pottery, jewelry, and honey.
They might not know about some of the newer growers and artisans, so it’s great to be able to highlight them as well. Rural sustainability is vital to support our small towns, and Open Farm Days is an ideal way to show visitors how their support of local farms and businesses helps everyone in these communities.
We’re also so happy to be able to promote awareness of all of our wonderful sponsors and partners who not only helped us to create this special day, but also help Alberta agriculture and farmers throughout the year, from grocers and financial institutions to machinery dealerships, seed companies, feed stores, utilities and media companies, and more.
One of the vendors at the artisan farmers’ market was Hornet Farms Homestead & Apiary, owned and operated by Shaun McKenna and Molly Grant of Vegreville. Shaun is the gardening and bee expert, while Molly is the foodie with great taste and natural aesthetic.
Gardening and bees go hand in hand and while its more like a hobby for the couple, they have a genuine knack for inventing and creating products that are organic and unique. They have seven bee hives that they keep at Rod’s Greenhouse, located a few miles north of Vegreville.
This year’s batch of Wildflower honey was for sale, along with freeze dried peppers and their signature fermented hot sauces that contain, onions, garlic, bell peppers, vinegars and of course, unpasteurized honey. While they are new to the food industry, the young couple are proof positive what can be accomplished when you follow your passions and are just another great success story, and they are very grateful to folks who support “small and local.”
According to Alberta Open Farm Days, since 2013, the event has included nearly 150,000 person visits to over 900 Alberta farms, and injected more than $1.1 million into the rural economy through on-farm sales.
