On October 6, twenty-five farms from across the Island will open their gates to the public for the first annual PEI Open Farm Day. The day is being organized by the Prince Edward Island Agriculture Awareness Committee and is one of many activities planned for Canadian Agriculture and Food Celebrations in October.
The theme of the PEI Open Farm Day is "A Tribute to Farmers" acknowledging that agriculture is an important legacy of all Islanders and has long been the mainstay of our economy.
Besides providing a unique and fun event for families, the objective of the PEI Open Farm Day is to present an opportunity for personal communication between the farmer and the consumer, creating greater awareness, and appreciation of primary food production. "Open Farm Day offers everyone an opportunity to learn more about agriculture and the business involved to produce some of the world's safest and most affordable food," said Nancy Reeves, Chair of the Agriculture Awareness Committee. "We are proud of our agriculture heritage and it is important that Islanders do not get too far removed from the agricultural way of life," said Reeves.
"The PEI Agriculture Awareness Committee would like to thank all participating producers for volunteering as farm day hosts, and invite everyone to tour one or more of these farms and experience first hand the number one industry on Prince Edward Island. This is a great opportunity for Islanders to see how producers are able to supply abundant qualities of safe food in the 21st century," Reeves continues.
The PEI Open Farm Day has become a true Island community event with Sobeys Ready to Serve acting as official corporate presenter; RBC Financial Group, and the Dairy Farmers of PEI providing gold level sponsorship and additional generous support from other Island businesses. Funding has also been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, and the PEI ADAPT Council.
A complete list of the PEI Open Farm Day locations can be found at: http://www.gov.pe.ca/af/agweb/open_farm_day/pei_open_farm_day.htm or by calling 1-866-676-3121.