August 17-18, 2024

Alberta Open Farm Days

Various locations

On August 17th and 18th local chefs from across the province will team up with Alberta producers to offer a memorable series of culinary experiences. This year’s culinary events include something for everyone. Choose one of the great events listed below and enjoy the tastes of Alberta agriculture.

Events:
August 17
Explore Farm to Fork by Train
Departure Kesley: 12:30 p.m.
Return to Kelsey: 8:00 p.m.
Travel by train to meet your rural neighbours on this unique Open Farm Days event. Explore small town farm life as it should be --by train! Stop along the tracks to visit with local farmers, out in their fields, and learn about the crops they raise and the methods they use to provide food for your table. As you roll down the tracks, discover small town farm life, learn about crops grown in the area, and about the local wildlife, birds and flora from the expert guest on board! Enjoy locally grown snacks & beverages in the open-air gondola car.
When you arrive in the village of Forestburg, take some time to stroll through the village. Enjoy a tour of the locally owned Heritage grain elevator where you can see a historic grain wagon on display, or dive into history at the Forestburg Museum, or stop by the Many Horses Saloon for a cold drink, be sure to ask about their train themed cocktails. Cap off your Farm to Fork Excursion with a long table meal of locally sourced menu at The Station in Forestburg.
Tickets: $130 - Adults $100 Youth, kids under 3 free
Ticket includes round trip train ride, snacks & dinner

August 17

Open Farm Days Pancake Breakfast
10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Lac La Biche Agricultural Society, Lakeland Agricom, 13412 Hwy 881, Lac La Biche
Stop by the Lac La Biche Agricom at the LLB Ag Society Grounds for a pancake breakfast with sausages, juice and coffee before heading out to the local farm tours.
Culinary demonstrations following the Breakfast.
Tickets: $5

August 17
Smoky Lake Farmers Market
10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Smoky Lake Ag Complex, 4612 54th Ave
Smoky Lake Celebrating Local Food Day! Free chef prepared Buffet of food from local vendors! Interactive demonstration making perogies & cabbage rolls! Artisan demonstrations of pottery wheel & wool spinning! Live beehive with information on bees & other pollinators! Cotton candy creation! And MORE

August 17

Farm to Table Tour
12:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Canyon Ski Resort & Recreation Area, 38433 Range Road 264, Red Deer County
Up until 2019, Red Deer County’s Agricultural Services Board (ASB) hosted 17 consecutive agricultural tours as a way to showcase local farm and agricultural operations. However, 2019 was the last year of that tour. Now, look for a whole new tour experience for everyone to enjoy! Visit three unique farms and have the opportunity to converse with farmers one-on-one and taste their produce through talented chefs who promote using locally sourced ingredients as a dining experience set at the stunning Canyon Ski Resort to finish off the night.
Farm stops include:
Garlic Goodness
Red Shed Malting
YR Bison
Celebrate Red Deer County’s agricultural heritage and join in connecting to local roots!
Tickets: $100

August 17 .
Bar OA Farms Sturgeon Moon Dinner
5:00 p.m.
Bar OA Farms, 54313 Range Rd 213, Fort Saskatchewan
Come join in for the Sturgeon Moon dinner.
Begin the evening with a tour of the family flower farm, and then dine in the field amongst the flowers. Dinners will showcase seasonal produce from our farm, and neighbouring farms, with the meal being prepared before you by professional Chefs. Round out the night with smores around the campfire where you will be able to catch a glimpse of the full moon and stars. With each new moon a menu is curated to reflect the best of what is in season.
Tickets: $185

August 17
Cold Lake Long Table Dinner: Meet Your Roots
5:30 p.m.-11:00 p.m.
Cold Lake Marina, 802 Lakeshore Dr., Cold Lake
Chapter One: New Beginnings
Focus on the reception appetizers featuring dishes from those who have made Canada their home. This chapter symbolizes fresh starts and new contributions to the culinary landscape.
Chapter Two: Origins
The first two seated courses crafted by Indigenous chefs, delving into the deep, ancestral roots of the land and its original peoples.
Chapter Three: Looking Forward
The main course and dessert, showcasing fresh and innovative approaches to blending a 100 year old local farm and a newcomer both with French roots combined with local ingredients, pointing towards future possibilities and sustainability in the rural area.
Tickets: $125

August 17
Crossfield Farmers Market Long Table Dinner
6:00 p.m.
Crossfield Community Centre, 900 Mountain Ave., Crossfield
The Crossfield Farmers Market is hosting its third Long Table Dinner in Celebration of Alberta Local Food week. Finish off the week with an amazing culinary experience August 17 featuring several Crossfield Farmers Market Vendors. Red Seal Chef Jess Head has prepared an incredible menu using local Alberta food farm to table and made fresh for you.
Please email: crossfieldfarmersmarket@gmail.com to secure your spot and purchase your tickets.

August 18
Made In Alberta Pop-up Farm Dinner at Prairie Gardens
4:30 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
Prairie Gardens, 56311 Lily Lake Rd., Bon Accord
Join in for Farm to Table Dinner Series with more ways to experience this land than ever before. The Prairie Gardens Local Harvest Initiative brings together 32 farmers, growers, food providers, cheese makers, vinters, brewers and distillers with six prominent chefs from award-winning restaurants in the Greater Edmonton Region – a “100 Mile Diet” with the Made In Alberta Local Food Harvest Initiative.
The evening includes a Farm Tour, Alberta Made – Meet the Maker Mixer, and Farm to Table Dinner! Explore how to utilize the interconnectedness of nature and Alberta’s Food Ecosystem to maximize biodiversity, and sustainably enjoy the most nutrient-dense, flavourful Made in Alberta food possible. Learn, grow & enjoy this land together in new ways through community farm-to-table gatherings, how to demos with herbal infusion take homes, singer-songwriters and an amazing farm dinner showcasing the local harvest – in season.
Tickets: $139.00 per person

A Taste of the Farm Alberta Open Farm Days is a weekend that brings Albertans together, and you’ll come away knowing your rural neighbours a little bit better and how food gets from the farm to your table.
A list of all farms is here.

Free Admission

Alberta Open Farm Days is about farmers and ranchers inviting their urban and rural neighbors to stop in for a visit to share stories, see demonstrations, and learn more about the farmers who grow their food. As well, some of Alberta's most talented chefs and rural communities will be hosting a memorable series of farm to table culinary events that will be held around the province using Alberta farm products.
Alberta Open Farms Days is an incubator for agri-tourism and rural sustainability by bringing Albertans together through educational and experiential agricultural-based initiatives to learn about where your food comes from. As well, some of Alberta's most talented chefs and rural communities will be hosting a memorable series of farm to table culinary events that will be held around the province using Alberta farm products.
Join in on August 17th or 18th when more than 100 farms, ranches and ag-tourism operators open their gates and invite visitors to share in local stories, see on-farm demonstrations and purchase locally grown and produced products. Join Alberta’s farmers, ranchers, and chefs as producers open their gates on August 17th and 18th. Join in and explore Alberta this summer.
Alberta Open Farm Days is a collaborative, province-wide, two-day event that gives Albertans an opportunity to experience the farm and understand where their food comes from. It is a backstage pass to meet the farmer, experience Ag-tourism in Alberta and taste local foods direct from the producer.
Open Farm Days has taken place in Canada for over 10 years, starting in the Maritimes and moving West. 2024 will mark the 12th annual Alberta Open Farm Days. The goal is to showcase Alberta’s agriculture and tourism industry in a fun, engaging and meaningful manner to participants of all ages.