Five farms in south Dufferin and area will open their doors to the public during this year’s Dufferin Town and Country Farm Tour on Saturday, Oct. 1.
For 16 years, Dufferin farmers have generously hosted a day of education and fun at their farms. Rain or shine it’s always a great day for the family to meet local farmers on their own farms.
This years’ farms include a working dairy farm; a Lincoln Red beef farm; a racing quarter horse farm; a crop input and grain elevator business; and a seed-to-plant retail greenhouse. Visitors will see agricultural production in action, participate in educational activities, talk with farmers and learn how food is grown or raised, harvested and marketed. Today, farming in Dufferin is under pressure from many sources. Urban sprawl, threats from industry and climate change are only a few challenges facing our farmers to produce safe, affordable and sustainable supply of nutritious food. Every day prime farmland is being lost to these demands.
Dufferin is home to over 520 farms, and agriculture is its largest economic contributor. In 2013, the more than 520 farms in Dufferin County produced $25.6 million of beef, $16.9 million of dairy and $15.4 million worth of potatoes, among many other products. Of those 520 farms, 117 sold more than $250,000 worth of product. This self-guided tour is free with a donation to local food banks. There will be additional activities at each farm, including the opportunity to purchase fresh produce, eggs and honey, and more, so bring cash and a cold pack container.
The tour is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit www.dufferinfarmtour.com and download your passport online. Passports are available two weeks prior to the tour. Passports can also be picked up day of the tour from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Orangeville’s Visitor Information centre ay Highway 9 and 10. For more information, contact learn@dufferinfarmtour.com or 519-939-7486.