Calling all foodies.
Westerner Park is serving up a new event to showcase agriculture and celebrate food.
The Urban Farm Festival focuses on education, while encouraging and inspiring people to be knowledgeable about food production and preservation. An Urban Farm experience will be created through an interactive and experiential environment.
“Our staff at Westerner Park is very excited to begin the development of our new Urban Farm area on our property that will be used to bring the community together by demonstrating how food is grown,” said Ben Antifaiff, Westerner Park general manager and CEO.
“Westerner Park Urban Farm Festival will teach the importance of urban agriculture and sustainable local food production that we believe will contribute to creating a vibrant and resilient community.”
On May 26, Steel Pony Farms will assist Westerner Park in planting the new farm. The bounty will be given back to the community through organizations like Red Deer Food Bank and Hope Mission.
The Farm Festival will take place on Aug. 20 in conjunction with Alberta Open Farm Days. The festival will be an environment where local producers can showcase their products and share their agricultural stories.
A full day of activities, workshops and demonstrations on food production and preservation are planned.
“The community will learn what they can grow in their own backyard, how to make jams and pickles, urban chicken keeping, urban beekeeping and so much more,” said Westerner Park. After the festival, visitors can join a long table dinner for a celebration of the “Taste of Home” event, featuring a menu full of locally sourced ingredients expertly crafted into a flavour experience by Chef Emmanuel David.
A number of sponsors have gotten behind the event including: Red Deer County, Peavey Mart, Holiday Inn Hotels &Suites, Canar Rock Products, Blue Grass and A’bunadh Seeds.