Open Farm Days at CP Farms: one to remember

Times Photo by Meg Noguchi. LEARNING EXPERIENCE: CP Farms near Barnwell hosted Open Farm Days on Aug. 16.

By Cal Braid
Taber Times
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On Aug. 16 and 17, farms across the province swung wide their gates and let the public into their yards to see what their operations looked like. Alberta Open Farm Days is a spectacle and an experience, where history meets modernity.

 At CP Farms southwest of Barnwell, the open farm was a sight to see. Massive outbuildings and hulking machines made the visitors look tiny, and drove home the realization that farming ain’t what it used be. The pioneers could never have envisioned the grand scale and level of technological achievement that large modern farms operate on.

 Instead of being mystified by the giant machinery, guests were invited to read signs attached to vehicles that explained what each one functioned as. One of the most striking realizations at CP was that almost nothing aside from the farmhouse was made of wood. There was tonne upon tonne of steel, concrete, aluminum, and fibreglass.

 In the first metal barn next to the parking lot, farm vehicles lined the walls, but the floor wasn’t paved. Instead, kids kicked around in the dust before spotting an owl perched on the steel rafters. As children excitedly approached to gaze up at it, it swooped and flew a hundred yards from one end of the building to the other, landing back in the cool shade of the rafters.

 The next huge outbuilding, which was later explained as a storage facility which would eventually be full of potatoes, contained more labelled equipment and a handful of booths representing ag agencies. One wing of the building was set up as a go-cart track where kids could spin the pedal-powered carts around a circuit, and it was a popular spot.

 Outside in the centralized paved yard, irrigation sprinkler hoses hung from the forks of a tractor, gently drizzling water and creating a spray park. By noon, the day was hot enough that youngsters were glad to cool in it.

 In a third building equipped with a broad steel joist and two winches under the ceiling (presumably for lifting heavy engines or mechanical parts), visitors gathered at the McCain’s french fry station. Guests were invited to pick a fresh potato from a bin, scrub it in a wash tub, and then clamp it down in a slicer. The potatoes went through a second rinse after cutting and were dropped in a bowl for the McCain’s reps to plunge into a fryer of hot oil. About twelve minutes later after cooling, the grown ups and kids were munching on a lunch of fries with seasoning salt and ketchup.

 The Alberta Sugar Beet Growers had a station of their own, where they spun pink and blue cotton candy for a treat that brought smiles to the eager young faces gathered around. An ag-related Jeopardy booth stood close by, where contestants could win a prize after selecting “Corn for $300” like on television.

 While CP Farms did an excellent job of creating learning opportunities at the event, it was equally successful in making the visit a family fun day. In past years, Open Farm Days at different locations have been both interesting and enjoyable, and this was certainly one to remember.

 The farm specializes in irrigated row crops of high quality potatoes, sugar beets, grain corn, malting barley, seed canola and wheat.