Have you heard of Alberta Open Farm Days? It’s a program that The Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies puts on each year that helps to promote agriculture in our beautiful province.
When you think of agricultural promotion, you’re probably thinking of vast fields of wheat or pastures full of cattle, but it’s so much more than that! There are so many categories that fall into ‘agriculture’ and this is a way for everything to be promoted. For example, with this program you can visit honey farms, distilleries, bison ranches, greenhouses – the list goes on!
We were fortunate to have a free Saturday with nothing else on the calendar, so I booked us in at 16 Hands Stables Ltd. It’s a farm that we drive past quite a bit, and I’ve always been curious about what they do there because it looks like such a cute place! They have horses, goats, chickens, and sometimes when we drive by they have a sign out letting everyone know that they also have farm fresh eggs for sale! So when I saw they were opening up for this event, I was excited to book it!
Our booking was the first ~ 10am on the Saturday, and we got there about 15 minutes early. (I grew up with the saying “if you’re on time, you’re late” 😉 ) I’m happy we did arrive early, because there were already a few people there ahead of us and I heard that they had over 1000 people book for the tour over the weekend!
When you first walk up, there’s a pond on the left side of the road. Keep walking and to the right you will find a fenced off area with 100’s of sunflowers and other plants/flowers. I’ve always wanted to do something similar to this, and seeing theirs I know that when I have some extra time in my yard I’m going to find an area to make my very own space for this! Loved it ~ it looked so pretty!
Now we get to the exciting part, the barn and the most adorable goats!! They have quite a few of them, and some of the goats are of the fainting variety! It’s pretty funny to watch, because there’s this one goat that is pretty skittish and will faint over almost anything! (It’s also a little creepy, because they do look like they’re dead, lol). Check out these lovable little things!
Note: I am currently trying to talk my husband into getting some goats of our own. It is not going well. 🙄😂
Next we headed into the barn, and we were greeted by this super sweet old man cat:
Then we wandered around the grounds. They have chickens everywhere, and we even got to feed them! Their grounds are really nice, and there are a few little bunkhouses and sheds around the property. This is the kind of place that would be so fun to own and maintain, and I could easily live in a small home and spend most of my life outside!
So what do you think? If you want to check out this place, go to their website: 16handsstables.ca Here they have their camp offerings, volunteer opportunities, blog, and much more.
Thanks again for stopping by my page, and I can’t wait to share my next adventure with you!
Until next time!
