NORTH GOWER–On Sept. 8, Breakfast on the Farm will be hosted at the Foster Family Farm in North Gower. It will be the tenth Breakfast on the Farm since 2013, and so far, almost 20,000 people have been fed, entertained and engaged at the events. The day is completely free to attendees although preregistration is required.
Breakfast on the Farm, coordinated by Farm and Food Care Ontario, provides a unique opportunity for farmers and non-farming Ontarians to have a conversation about food and farming. It gives guests the chance to visit a real, working farm and the opportunity to have their questions answered by real farmers. The event is staffed by 100 volunteer farmers and others working in agriculture.
The hosts for this event are Dwight and Ruth Ann Foster and their family. They and their children encompass the fifth and sixth generations to live and farm in the Ottawa area. Their new beef feedlot (built in 2016) is the only one of its kind in the Ottawa area and houses about 3,000 cattle per year. The family, with help from their employees, also grow several thousand acres of crops, have a trucking business and own North Gower Grains, a commercial grain elevator with a capacity to store 100,000 tonnes of grain.
After being treated to an all-Ontario breakfast featuring eggs, pancakes, sausage, apple cider, maple syrup, milk and more, visitors will be able to see beef cattle and farm machinery, a working grain elevator and will have the opportunity to have their questions answered by helpful farm experts. Interactive stops around the farm will include many displays, activities and exhibits that showcase other types of farms in Ontario.
The event will run from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., with breakfast being served until 11:30 a.m. Farm tours wrap up by 1 p.m. It is a free event, though preregistration is required; the first 2,000 visitors are guaranteed breakfast.
Visit www.FarmFoodCareON.org and click on the home page button to obtain free tickets or to learn more about volunteering or sponsoring the event. The event is supported by many national, provincial and regional farm organizations and agri-businesses, as well as many dedicated community volunteers.
