Calgary 
On August 15 and 16, you can step beyond the city limits and into Alberta’s rural heartland during Open Farm Days.
Credit: Open Farm Days
For one weekend, farms, ranches, breweries, orchards, dairies and other food producers will open their gates to the public. Admission to participating Open Farm Days experiences is free, although some individual locations may require reservations.
Visitors can walk through fields, meet animals and learn more about the equipment, technology and practices used in modern agriculture. Just as importantly, the weekend creates space for conversations with farmers, ranchers and producers who can explain how food is grown, raised and prepared.
You can wander through apiaries in Rocky View County, visit bison farms near Grande Prairie, sample spirits at a Parkland County distillery, or explore historic grain elevators in Nanton.
Many hosts will also offer farm-to-table dinners, where rural chefs prepare meals with ingredients harvested just steps away. On August 14, enjoy a Farm to Table Tour featuring breakfast or dinner at Jungle Farm in Red Deer County. On August 15, events include the Wild Country Gardens Fundraiser Farm to Table Lunch, Hard Knox Brewery Tractor Show N Shine, supper at Big Country Agricultural Society, an Open Farm Days event at Anohka Distillery with Fu’s Repair Shop and Modern Pastures, and the Prairie to Plate Dinner Experience in Vegreville.
Long-table and evening events include the Crossfield Farmers Market Long Table Dinner, Farm to Folk at Old Red Barn, Barney’s Adventure Park Long Table Dinner, and the Farm to Table Supper & Country Dance at The Farm on Dead Horse Flats. Prairie Gardens Long Table Dinner follows August 16.
To turn Farm Days into a road trip, plan by region. For example, in Kneehill, combine Trochu Arboretum and the Trochu museum with Saturday’s Little Market Farm, then visit Kirk’s Alpaca Farm on Sunday, where reservations are mandatory.
Around Barrhead, build a loop through Meunier Livestock, Ehrenholz Farms, Key 13 Horsemanship, Sacred Heart Gypsies and BFF Farm. Stay overnight at Simply Glamping, Lakeview Lodge or Country Comfort Cabins, then finish with the Rooted in Barrhead BBQ & Vendor Market.
