Hunters host Open Farm Day
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- Published on Wednesday, September 23, 2015
By Sheila Runions
Banner Staff
The sixth annual Open Farm Day was held Sunday, Sept. 20; it is organized by Manitoba Association of Agricultural Societies (MAAS), in partnership with the provincial government. Manitoba is divided into five regions and this year 37 farms agreed to host public tours; one of the seven farms in Westman is within Rivers Banner’s coverage area.
Colin and Ann Hunter have a cattle and sheep farm four miles east of Rivers and three miles north. They registered their farm so visitors could see a real everyday farm, not a “tourist attraction.”
“We thought it would be nice to show people a real farm, not a pumpkin patch, a U-pick orchard or a horse riding centre like have signed up in Westman,” says Ann. “We were showing guests a real working beef and sheep farm. We had 70 visitors, mainly families with children under five; most stayed one-and-a-half to two hours. There were local families as well as ones from Brandon, Shilo and Winnipeg. Little Saskatchewan River Conservation District had a display and the (Peter and Rina) Schueler family from Minnedosa did a spinning demonstration and offered horse-drawn wagon rides through the pastures to see our cattle. We also had horses to brush in the barn, lambs and calves to pet, and sheep, cows and calves to view in the corrals. Various machinery was also on display.”
A staggering 95 per cent of our province’s population lives in urban centres, so Open Farm Day is held to introduce the public to farming and its many related activities. The day is held as part of Farm and Food Awareness Week which is Sept. 20-26 this year. Manitoba’s first Open Farm Day took place in 2010 and last year, more than 8,000 visitors experienced agriculture first-hand at farms across Manitoba.
MAAS president Annette Young says, “Agriculture is vital to the economic well-being of Manitoba.”
Manitoba’s Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Minister Ron Kostyshyn says, “There is more to know about our agriculture industry than many people realize… get out and explore rural Manitoba!”
