Local farms gearing up for 2017 Farm Crawl season

May 23, 2017

Visitors can experience livestock, vegetable and niche farms

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

A number of local farms are preparing to welcome car loads of visitors during the 5^th annual Farm Crawl which kicks off this Saturday.

Since 2012, various producers between Hamilton and Brantford have opened their gates to visitors. The idea stemmed from three farmers who thought allowing the public to get a first-hand look at their operations would be beneficial.

“We were excited by reaction we had (to the first crawl). It far exceeded our expectations,” Kevin Beagle, a tour organizer, and lavender, hazelnut and bee farmer, told Farms.com.

Adult visitors were interested in understanding where their food was produced and children liked experiencing the rural lifestyle, including interacting with livestock, Beagle said.

“We realized not only was there a demand for (such tours) but farmers were excited to show off what they’re doing, especially to a more urban crowd.”

A dairy farm, winery, swine operation and berry farm are part of the 2017 Farm Crawl.

Visitors can participate in milking demonstrations and taste local products.

In addition to helping the public understand food production, the Farm Crawl helps farmers earn extra revenue.

“(Farm Crawls) are our biggest sales day of the year,” Beagle said. “And we’re being approached by farms wanting to be part of the tour.”

The first tour of the 2017 season takes place Saturday, May 27. Other tours are scheduled for Saturday, July 15 and Saturday, August 12.

Tickets for this Saturday’s tour are $20 per adult and $5 per child between 5 and 16.

Advanced tickets for the July and August tours can be purchased for adults for $15.

Any farms that wish to become a stop on the tour are encouraged to call 905-627-9208, or email farmcrawl@gmail.com.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.