The Wasylik family is preparing to host farm tours as a part of Alberta’s Open Farm Days on Aug. 19. Photos courtesy of Chatsworth Farms
Alberta Open Farm Days are fast approaching, and the crew over at Chatsworth Farms can’t wait to open the gate and share their passion for agriculture.
The event is set to take place on their farm, about 15 minutes north of Vermilion on Aug. 19 from 11-5.
Event organizer, Charlotte Wasilyk, says it’s their fourth year offering the farm tours and they’ve added a few new elements this year.
“Some of the new things this year we have include live music. Our musical performer is Mallory Chipman, who is a singer/songwriter from Edmonton. Mallory is the musical artist in residence for the Edmonton Public Library,” said Wasylik.
Chipman will be doing three sets throughout the afternoon.
“Another new piece this year is a book signing with a master gardener from Calgary. Sheryl Normandeau is the author of many different prairie gardening books,” said Wasylik.
“So whether it’s about fruits or perennials, if people have questions about gardening or the trees in their yard, Sheryl will be the perfect person to ask. And people can purchase one of her new books or get their books signed.”
Next to Normandeau’s table will be a planting station where folks can get their hands dirty.
“People will get to plant little alfalfa seeds and get to take that home; those will grow and sprout. They can put those on their steaks, on their salads and sandwiches. Our event space predominantly takes place on an alfalfa field, so it just really connects that together,” Wasylik explained.
“Our regular and returning activities that are happening throughout the day include machinery demonstrations, we’re doing our guided farm tours and the farm tours do have a new animal that is going to be highlighted this year—we added pigs to our farm last year. People will get to meet the pigs, give them a scratch; they really enjoy that. That’ll be a new piece for the farm tour.”
The tour is completely free, they just ask you register online by clicking on the link on the farm’s website.
They ask visitors leave pets at home and recommend wearing closed-toed shoes as well as bringing hats and sunscreen.
Wasylik noted visitors may want to bring cash for the BBQ lunch available on site as well as to purchase products from a unique group of vendors that will also be in attendance.
“An ever-growing piece of the event is our artisan market, and we have 18 vendors this year,” said Wasylik.
“They are farmers, they are makers, breweries and distilleries. Some of the ones from the Lloyd area include 4th Meridian Brewing Company. We have Berry View Farms from Marshall, Saskatchewan, and then we also have Six Acre Homestead from Kitscoty.”
The event has grown since its inception in 2019 and Wasylik says it’s largely due to community support.
“One of the reasons we’ve been able to add so much this year is we have an incredible list of sponsors and partners. They have been able to support us which has allowed us to do so much more,” said Wasylik.
“I’m just super excited for everything we have this summer. We also have an incredible group of volunteers who help us throughout the day, with the demos, the market, and making sure everyone knows what’s happening and feels comfortable during the day.”
The tour is suitable for people of all ages. There is a wheelchair accessible golf cart to help those with mobility concerns, and children are welcome as well—under parental supervision of course.
“Our young boar—his name is Wilbur. I don’t think you can have a boar without naming him Wilbur,” laughed Wasylik.
“He loves scratches, he loves attention, so he’s going to be one that people can interact with, but in the same vein of interacting with those animals, parents have to watch their children … there’s no chasing the animals, no screaming at the animals, and especially with the pigs—as much as they love the attention, they have very strong jaws and very sharp teeth. These animals have rules, and we want to make sure they enjoy the day as much as our visitors do.”
Wasylik said another popular attraction for kids and adults alike, are the chicks.
“I currently have eggs in the incubator, and I have them under some breeding hens, and we’ve done this for the past three years. Each year we’ve had day-old or a couple day-old chicks that people can hold and touch,” said Wasylik.
“I don’t wanna count my chickens before they hatch. I like to split it up between the incubator and mother hens so we have something people can just hold and experience, because it’s really neat.”
To find directions to the farms, either type Chatsworth Farm into Google Maps or follow the signs posted North of Vermilion on the day of the event. For more information and to register visit chatsworthfarm.ca.
