A small farm north of Cochrane is inviting visitors to experience rare sheep breeds, hands-on workshops, and land-based learning during Open Farm Days this weekend.
Providence Lane Homestead will open its gates from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Entry to the farm is free, with some optional paid workshops and goods for sale.
Owner Tara Klager says the weekend is a chance for people to see what small-scale regenerative agriculture looks like in Alberta.
“I want people to feel like agriculture is accessible,” she says. “You don’t have to have 9,000 acres of canola to be a farmer. There are many models and I want people to come out and see what it could be.”
Saturday’s highlights include a walking tour with archaeologist Sam Judson and Siksika Nation member Brendan Many Bears. They will explore the theme of water and its role in shaping Alberta’s land and agriculture.
“In some years we have too much, like this year, and in others we have drought. It is part of our history.”
Visitors can also watch weavers from Traceable Textiles in Edmonton transform a raw Border Leicester fleece into a finished rug in one day. The rug will be auctioned to support conservation.
“Our sheep are an endangered heritage breed and were even featured in the movie Babe,” Klager says. “It is a rare opportunity to meet them.”
On Sunday, wetland biologist Maddy Skinner from Cows and Fish will lead tours of the farm’s riparian zones, explaining their role in flood control and water storage.
The day will also feature a cordage-making workshop with Mackenzie Kelly Frere, an associate professor at the Alberta University of the Arts, using native fescue grasses from the farm’s protected prairie.
“Grasslands are the most endangered environment in the world, even more than the Amazon,” says Klager. “We are lucky to have half our property in native prairie.”
The farm’s “Down the Lane” market will run both days, selling yarns, handmade garments, soaps, and other wool products. Fibre arts demonstrations and a needle-felting ornament workshop will also be available.
Klager says Cochranites are especially welcome.
“I am a first-generation farmer and I want people like me to see that it’s still possible.”
“If you have the dream, there is a way to do it.”
She reminds visitors to dress for the weather, bring bug spray and rubber boots, and leave dogs at home. Children are welcome but must be supervised at all times.
