Come spend a day at the farm
For some people, especially those living in big cities, they've never visited a farm, let alone know how it operates.
Yet just a half hour from the bustle of downtown Vancouver you can find some of the most productive soils in all of Canada.
The fertile fields of Delta support a vibrant agricultural community that has been farming since 1868, and you can learn more about it by coming to the 7th annual Day at the Farm event, hosted by the Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust (DFWT) and Westham Island Herb Farm.
"We want to give people a chance to experience what farming in our community is all about, and then they can make a decision about how much they value farming," says David Bradbeer, program coordinator at DFWT.
This year they will be showcasing crops grown on local farms, including potatoes and other root vegetables, dairy products, blueberries and cranberries.
There will be local farmers attending the event to answer questions about how they manage their farms. Questions such as: What kind of crops are grown on local farms? How are those crops grown, and where do they go after they are harvested? What kind of things are local farmers doing to provide habitat for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds?
The latter question is of particular importance, explains Bradbeer.
"We want to make it very explicit as well how much the farms contribute to wildlife conservation in the area," he says, adding farms provide huge open green spaces that are usually maintained without taxpayer dollars.
In addition to farmers being at the event, this year will feature many new activities.
The BC Fresh Potato Dig will give visitors the chance to dig their own potatoes straight from the soil.
And if you fancy yourself a baker, take part in the first-ever Blueberry Pie Contest. All pies must be brought to the main show stage no later than noon and judging will begin at 12:20 p.m.
There will be plenty of exhibits to view, including the Mini-Grassland Set-aside and the Cover Crop Demo Garden.
Westham Island Herb Farm will have a diversity of fresh produce for sale at their farm store, and White Spot's "On the Go" Food Truck will be serving up hot food, including French fries made from Kennebec potatoes grown in Delta.
The event still features classics such as the Hay Wagon Farm Tour, led by third generation farmer, Gordon Ellis. And the BC Dairy Foundation Mobile Dairy Classroom will be performing live milking demonstrations throughout the day and Ken Bates of Tecarte Farms will be demonstrating Draft Horse Plowing.
Day at the Farm takes place on Saturday, Sept. 8 at Westham Island Herb Farm (4690 Kirkland Road, Delta) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. Visit deltafarmland.ca for more details.
COMMENTS
Let's keep comments:
We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters.
We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.