Kids on the Farm

A topic I've been meaning to share but am just getting around to is about having visitors, specifically kids. We have no interest in having kids of our own but it's a lot of fun to have kids on the farm to get a connection to agriculture and forestry. When we moved home and wanted to eventually run the farm, we always knew our goal would be to produce products that were high quality and priced to a point where people who wouldn't normally buy local would feel comfortable trying a local product. This eventually morphed into getting people to see where and how farm products are produced since so few families connect to this lifestyle. 

The first venture into this was open farm day several years ago, where we quickly realized after 150 people showed up, we needed more space and needed to make the farm a safer space for kids to be around. After building the event building and learning new and better ways to host events, we have had some amazing Open Farm days and family-friendly events.

For many of the kids, we met over the years, many haven't seen tractors, vegetables, or even cows in real life. It's always a ton of fun to introduce them to big gear or animals. It's exciting but also sad to watch this. When I was a kid, even my friends in town had relatives who farmed. Now, this generation has a rare family connection to the industry and that's where I'm glad we can bring that to kids. 

One of the best examples of this was a little boy who came to the farm because we had a "Touch a Truck" set up and he could see the tractors. Although he lived in the city, he did all the virtual farming he could and knew all about tractors and crop planting. He wore a New Holland hat and shocked me with the level of knowledge he had on tractors even though he never really got to see them. I took a lot of time to give him the full tour and try all the gear. He was so thrilled that he drew me a picture I have in my shop still and it reminds me why we do these things for the public.

I'd also like to share some of our learnings with parents as well who bring kids to farms since there are some things to remember:

• One of the biggest things to remember is that farms aren't playgrounds. Make sure you tell your kids to ask if they can look, touch or go somewhere before they do. When we first did open farm day, a few families let their kids play around with the pitchforks in the barn and some others chased our chickens around the yard. If you want to keep your kids safe and also respect the farm, make sure you ask what they can and can't do. 
• No all animals like people. Sometimes cows and other animals look cute and calm, but if you aren't familiar with them, they may react, which won't always be positive. Make sure you check with the farmers on what you can and can't do. 
• Let the farmer know early what they want to see and do! Most farmers want kids to see and learn all they can so make sure that's clearly communicated. 
• Dress appropriately! Unless it's Hatfield Farm, most farms are working farms with different ecosystems and setups that may not always be dry and clean. 

We're hoping to do more on-farm events again, post-COVID so watch our site (www.barmranch.ca) for more updates!