Alberta Open Farm Days
This year marks the 8th year Alberta Open Farm days has offered a back-stage pass to Albertans to learn about Ag-tourism. This two-day event, held in August, offers you the chance to meet the farmer and discover where you food comes from. We discovered this event five years ago and have learned so much. It is now penned into our calendar annually.
The first year we participated, we headed north from Calgary and thought we’d take in three or four farms. Little did we know that some places have far more to see than others. We’d recommend scheduling two or three places to visit in the same geographic area because that might be the most you can get in comfortably in one day (keep in mind the driving time from Calgary). This is our fifth year and we picked three locations to visit.
Garlic Goodness
For our first farm we headed to Innisfail, approximately 70 minutes north on the Queen Elizabeth II Highway to the Garlic Goodness farm. Lorraine Bannister showed us her garlic field with many rows of different kinds of garlic. They included Rocambole, Porcelain and Purple Stripe, to name a few. Each kind is broken down into different types of garlic. The hard-neck garlic of the Porcelain strain includes Music, Georgian Fire and Leningrad. Hard-neck garlic grows better in cold climates, and the Music variety is actually a Canadian-developed garlic.
As newbies to growing garlic, we were fascinated with the details. As with tulips, it is better to plant garlic in the Fall – mid to late October. Depending on the year and weather conditions, your garlic will be ready for harvest in August/September. The number of leaves on your plant indicate the layers of paper-like coating that encase your garlic underground.
Hard-neck garlic is identified by its notable flower stalk called a garlic scape. This curvy tendril shoots up the centre of the leaves and looks similar to a small clove at the tip. If the scape is left to mature, you will soon see it develop into bulbils which are mini cloves that can be used for planting or eating. Ideally, when you see these growing high above your garlic leaves, you should cut it off to let the plant energy go into the garlic bulb.
If you are interested in ordering garlic, purchasing potatoes or onions from the Garlic Goodness farm, please see their website for further information or to pre-order for next year.
While Farmer Lorraine tends to her garlic patch, her husband Rancher Kevin tends to his small fold of Highland Cows.
These Scottish cows are commonly identified by the long haired gingers but also come in brindle, black, yellow and white. They grow double layers of fur to keep themselves warm and dry making them ideal for our climate. We spent a good amount of time taking pictures of this inquisitive bunch. These cows grow some impressive horns that they use to dig through the snow to find food.
As cute as these cows are for us, it is a business for Rancher Kevin and you can order sides of beef from their website.
Custom Woolen Mills
If you are a knitter, quilter, felter or lover of wool, this is your place. This mill started in 1975 from the amalgamation of two mills in Western Canada. They purchase wool directly from farmers in Alberta, BC and Saskatchewan and from the Canadian Co-Operative Wool Growers.
Wool is brought to the mill, sorted into colour and breed. There are hundreds of breeds of sheep with varying characteristics. Some wools are fine and soft, others are strong and used for things like sock making. The mill also produces batting for quilts, sleeping bags and house insulation.
A tour of this facility takes you through the steps of washing, dyeing, and carding the wool. You can watch the skein winder, spoiler and even the twister in action. Built in 1895 the Batt Card is the oldest machine currently in operation at the mill. A throw-back to when machines were made with aesthetics in mind, this machine has wood plank cylinders and decorative wheel spokes. The largest machine in the mill is the yarn card machine built in 1927.
The sock machine is a smaller machine built in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Socks are made on circular knitting machines (think tube socks). They have two cylinders with latched knitting needles; if the needle pulls the yarn up, it makes a purl, if it pulls the yard down, it makes a knit. For the non-knitter ‘purl’ and ‘knit’ are types of stitches in knitting – ‘knit one, purl two’ will make a particular pattern in your knitting.
We have a number of quilter friends, so the quilting long-arm was of particular interest. Built in 1945 by John Weselowski in Sifton, Manitoba, he welded the head of sewing machine onto an auger to make this quilting machine. Then he used a bicycle sprocket for the neck. A pattern track was made overhead with wood and nails. The bicycle sprocket fits into the track and guides the machine to sew a particular pattern on the quilt. Quilters – this is pretty amazing. ‘Old-school’ to the nth degree.
Beside the mill is a shop with various wool products for purchase. Whether you’re looking for a good winter sock, felted dolls, sweaters or skeins of wool to create your own, this shop is well stocked.
Although staff numbers have been reduced due to our current pandemic, this is a working mill. There is an observation deck on the second floor to allow interested folks to view this operation on a regular work day. Call ahead if you are interested in touring or observing the mill or want to purchase from their store. See their website for further information.
Shirley’s Greenhouse
This family farm operates a 36,000 square foot hydroponic greenhouse where they grow peppers, cucumbers, kale, butter lettuce, and THE best tomatoes. Hydroponic farming is said to be the future, with all plants grown only in nutrient rich water. You are given a guided tour of this facility and it is a perfect opportunity to ask lots of questions about how it all works.
Besides the hydroponics, they grow 12 acres of vegetables in the more traditional way in a garden east of the greenhouse. You can stroll through the garden and see field veggies like carrots, squash, lettuce, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and potatoes.
Before or after your tour, be sure to check out their produce stand for just-picked fresh veggies. If you buy nothing else, try their tomatoes – Amazing flavour!
Shirley’s Greenhouse sells direct to consumers at Farmer’s Markets around the city during the spring and summer. If you would like to support this local farm, and eat nutritious and delicious produce, check out their website to see where you can find them.
In conclusion, another very successful and interesting day enjoying Alberta Open Farm Days. Mark your calendars for August 14 & 15, 2021!