The first ever Taste the Land of Living Skies Farm Tours, hosted by Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan (FFC SK), took place August 10-12, 2015 in Regina and area. More than 40 national/international food experts, including food writers, culinary academics and chefs, as well as farmers and ranchers and other agriculture industry representatives participated on the tours.
“Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan is all about introducing consumers to farming and food production and helping people make the connections between the food on the plates and the farmers who produce it,” explained Adele Buettner, CEO, FFC SK. “The purpose of the tours is to build relationships with key people who influence consumers and the food they eat. It’s also a tremendous opportunity to showcase the abundance of Saskatchewan-grown foods that we produce.”
The tours kicked off the evening of August 10 with a welcome reception. Registrants were provided with an overview of agriculture in Saskatchewan, as well as discussed modern farming with Cherilyn Nagel, a grain farmer from Mossbank, Saskatchewan.
The next two full days were spent touring farms and various businesses in the Regina vicinity, including Craven Riverside Garden, Ackerman Acres grain farm at Chamberlain, Triple A Hereford Cattle Ranch near Moose Jaw, Lajord Hutterite Colony at White City, and CanMar Grain and Young’s Farm Equipment, both located in Regina.
Of course, food was also a highlight of the tour. At Ackerman Acres, tour participants had the opportunity to sample delicious and creative food from Crave, a well-known and award-winning Regina restaurant, via the Crave food truck. At the Hutterite Colony, participants enjoyed a hearty and authentic lunch. On the agenda was also a visit to the RCMP Heritage Centre, where visitors were treated to food prepared by members of the Regina Chefs’ Association and student chefs.
“This informative trip to the beautiful Saskatchewan countryside closed the gap for me on Canadian farming,” expressed tour participant Dee Foundoukis, Chef at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. “Meeting the generational family-run farms tells a proud story of Canadian farmers and one I will be sharing with many guests.”
Sponsors of this year’s tours included Chicken Farmers of Saskatchewan, CropLife, Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, Saskatchewan Egg Producers, Sask Mustard, SaskCanola, SaskFlax, SaskMilk, Sask Pulse, Sask Wheat, Great Western Brewing Company, the Regina Chefs’ Association and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture.
Taste the Land of Living Skies Farm Tours will also be held in Saskatoon and area September 8-10, 2015.
See farmfoodcaresk.org/events for more details.
