This weekend farms across Saskatchewan will open their doors to those who consume the food they produce.
Tomorrow and Sunday, August 8th and 9th, 38 agricultural operations across Saskatchewan will open their doors to the general public as part of Saskatchewan Open Farm Days. Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan Executive Director Clinton Monchuk says last year's event attracted around four thousand visitors and at least that number is expected this year.
Quote-Clinton Monchuk-Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan:
Saskatchewan Open Farm Days started as another event and activity with Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan three years ago so this is going to be our third annual event and the whole purpose of this is to try and open up farms and ranches around big centers or even far out rural areas that allow consumers and urban people to come and visit farms.
We've been doing a lot of work on the area of Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan trying to figure out where is it that we can actually make a real influence with consumers and right off the start, it's making sure that there are conversations and engagements with consumers and the people who grow their food.
It's one of those things where I think if we go back in time and we think of what could we do better as an agriculture industry, it would be to talk to consumers more often. I'm not saying we're playing catch-up but we're back in the game and making sure that the people who have been so many generations now removed from a farm have an opportunity to talk to a farmer.
That is one of the things that will help the agriculture industry going forward, whether it's policies, whether it's just online comments that get put on through social media, it just opens up people's understanding and really that's what we want to do.We want to engage with consumers to make sure that they make informed and comfortable confident decisions with their own food choices for their families.
Information on Saskatchewan Open Farm Days including lists of activities and venues can be accessed at skopenfarmdays.ca.
For more visit Farmscape.Ca.
Source : Farmscape.ca