Nova Scotians Encouraged to Head to the Farm on Sept. 18

Nova Scotians are invited to meet their local farmers and find out what's happening in agriculture in the province during Open Farm Day on Sunday, Sept. 18.

More than 40 Nova Scotia farms are participating in this year's annual event, including crop and livestock operations, vineyards and orchards.

"Agriculture is one of the backbones of our economy and Open Farm Day is a great way for Nova Scotians to meet the farmers who are working hard every day to keep the sector strong and support the sustainability of our food supply," said Agriculture Minister Keith Colwell.

Open Farm Day is funded by the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture and through Growing Forward 2, the five-year policy framework agreement between the federal and provincial governments.

"For many Canadians, the road to their food is the grocery aisle," said Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food for Canada. "I encourage families during Open Farm Day to travel the roads to the farms where it all starts and experience first-hand the pride our farmers take in producing the highest-quality food and products that mean so much to our economy and way of life."

Last year participating farmers in Nova Scotia hosted 20,000 visitors on Open Farm Day.

"The statistics show that consumers trust farmers and are interested in knowing where the food comes from," said Chris van den Heuvel, president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture. "Open Farm Day is an educational event that allows Nova Scotia families to connect with farm families in the province."

A complete list of participating farms is available at http://www.meetyourfarmer.ca/openfarmday/ .