Manitoba Open Farm Day is an annual, family-friendly event held at various sites across the province. Every year, on the third Sunday in September, farms and ag businesses open their doors to the public, giving them an opportunity to see how their food is produced, and learn more about environmental stewardship and the history of farming in the province. Taking part for the first time this year is one of the branches of Shur-Gro, a CAAR member.

On Open Farm Day, the Portage la Prairie branch of Shur-Gro will be offering visitors the opportunity to tour the facility and learn about sustainably-produced Crystal Green fertilizer, which contains phosphorus recovered from wastewater. Frank Perrin, the location’s manager, hopes that Shur-Gro’s participation will give the public a better understanding of what growers do to produce their food and the role that ag retailers play. 

“Retail is a key part of the farm equation. Exposure to our facility, along with discussions about the products and how we store, recommend and apply them is information the public should know,” says Perrin. “Our participation puts faces and explanations to our business and may help educate the public on what we do to be sustainable and responsible environmentally.”

Another member of the Shur-Gro family who is participating in this year’s Open Farm Day is CAAR’s 2019 Agronomist of the Year, Taralea Simpson. Simpson and her sister/business partner will be welcoming visitors to their “farm experience” bed and breakfast, Farm Away, located just outside Portage la Prairie. In addition to tours of the beautiful grounds and B&B, Farm Away will be doing demonstrations of Equine Assisted Learning and offering lemonade for purchase.

This year, there are 56 host sites across Manitoba participating in Open Farm Day – 23 more than last year’s event. Depending on the venue, visitors can take a tour, participate in various activities and discover, or even sample, some of the excellent agricultural products proudly produced in the province.

For a full listing of participating sites, including their hours of operation, sorted by region, visit the Open Farm Day Host Farms page. To find out how your retail can potentially participate as a host site in a future event, contact the MAAS Open Farm Day Coordinator, Wendy Bulloch, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..