Becky Johnson originally wasn’t sure how popular an Open Farm Day would be in Prince Albert, but after three successful years there’s no doubt.
Johnson and her husband, Denver, own Bison Ridge Farms northwest of Prince Albert. They welcomed more than 500 guests to their third annual Open Farm Day on July 5. That’s their biggest turnout since their first event in 2018.
A group of bison graze at Bison Ridge Farms northwest of Prince Albert.
“We’re ‘jump in and figure it out as we go’ type people,” Johnson said with a laugh. “The first event was successful, so it was like ‘alright, we’ve got to do this again’ and then the next time (we thought) ‘okay, we’ve got to keep it rolling and make it bigger, make it better, get more community involvement from all the things that Prince Albert and our community have to offer.’”
A group of children play on top of some hay bales during the Bison Ridge Farms Open Farm Day. More than 500 people attended the July 5 event northwest of Prince Albert.
The Johnson’s aim to keep Open Farm Day light and fun, but there is a more serious side to it. Attendees can enjoy food and live music, but the tours are the big attraction. Johnson said they give attendees a chance to learn more about how farm animals are raised, while also countering some of the “feedlot” misconceptions about ranching.
“We like our customers to know that they can come here, they can see where we work and live every day, and have confidence that the food that they’re eating is nutritious, ethically sustainably processed and made so that it nourishes their body and the environment around us,” Johnson said.
Two of the big misconceptions, Johnson said, are about hormones and anti-biotics. Part of their tour involves educating attendees about what those words mean, and how it affects the meat.
“The feedlot misconception that every ranch is the same, of course, we know that is a false statement,” she said. “Every ranch is different. Every farm does things slightly different. Some better, some maybe not so good, and so we want people to just know exactly what we do. From the Instagram life to the reality life, that there’s no change.”
The July 5 event featured music from The Project, and Wade and Chord Fehr, plus pro truck viewing, food trucks, a cookout, and hot box saunas, among other activities. Many of those activities were created and organized by local community groups or businesses.
Prince Albert band The Project performs during the Bison Ridge Farms Open Farm Day.
Johnson said they wanted to boost those local groups and businesses, and inviting them to Open Farm Day is an effective way to do it.
“There’s so much here. It’s just allowing people to come and showcase what they do best and introduce that to the community,” Johnson said.
@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca
