This year’s Dufferin Town and Country Farm Tour will take place on Oct. 1 when five farms in the south Dufferin area open their doors to the public.
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, officials say.
Dufferin is home to over 520 farms, but often the connection between these farms and the food on plates is lost. The tour provides an opportunity to share dialogue and see farming as it happens.
“This is the best farm tour in Ontario. It’s been so popular that people return year after year,” said committee member Gail Little.
“It’s a great family outing. Everyone has great fun and takes away a greater understanding of where their food comes from.”
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 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, officials say, including urban sprawl, industry and climate change. Every day prime farm land is being lost to these demands.
Agriculture is the largest economic contributor in Dufferin. 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.
The self-guided Dufferin Town and Country Farm Tour runs on Oct. 1 from 9am to 4pm, rain or shine. It is free with a donation to local food banks.
There will be additional activities at each farm, including the opportunity to purchase fresh produce, so bring cash and a cold pack container.
For more information visit dufferinfarmtour.com or contact learn@dufferinfarm tour.com or 519-939-7486. PasSports can be downloaded online or picked up the day of the tour at Orangeville Visitor Information at Highways 9 and 10 or at Arthurs Fuel at Dufferin Roads 109 and 25.
