Agritourism in Canada

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You probably never heard of exciting things to do in Canada other than being mesmerized with Niagara Falls and being captivated with the beauty of its wildlife. But if you are planning to add a new twist to your adventure in Canada, then introduce yourself to Canada’s agritourism. It may be quite new to a lot of people, but in fact this term is to showcase Canada’s farm (or ranch) life to its tourists.

The word farm may take you “aback” but this is the time to change your misconception about farms as a place that smells, a place with no internet or mobile signals and a place synonymous to boring. Agritourism has taken bigger steps to bring people into the farm or ranch and allow them to personally experience activities like feeding animals, picking fruits and learning how vegetables are grown.

Agritourism opens doors (especially to city people) to learn and educate themselves on food production, animal husbandry and farming. It does not hurt to know where your food comes from. This kind of activity makes people aware of how important agriculture is to people’s everyday living and to the country’s economic development.

These days, where everything is done fast and computerized, the laid-back ways and traditional kind of life people enjoy at the farm or ranch are often overlooked. Agritourism’s approach in letting locals and tourists experience living on the farm for days or even months, will teach them to take life easy and gently. In addition to this, children will love to see live animals that most of them see only in books and computer. They can see how jams are made and processed and they can even pick their own fruits and eat them right away.

Agritourism in Canada is not all about growing animals, fruits and vegetables, but there are enjoyable activities to engage in as well (together with your family and friends) like swimming in lakes or ponds, fishing, bird watching, tractor riding, camping, rodeos, wine tasting, cheese making and visiting fairs and trades. Other farms and ranches have may even have their own museums displaying how life and civilization started in the place of the world. You will be amazed on how knowledgeable farm people are about their history and about the culture of their town (and even the country).

Typical farm and ranch stays allow people to live on the farm or ranch for few days and immerse themselves to the everyday activities of waking up early to feed and bathe the animals, milk the cow or goat, get eggs directly from the nest and harvest fruits and vegetables. Visitors may also do farming such as plowing rice or the corn fields. They can also help out in processing products made from fruits and milk.

A lot of farms in Canada provide room accommodations to guests and this includes food and the itinerary for the duration of their stay. Guests can choose between a bed and breakfast or home accommodations. For bed and breakfast accommodations, guests get to stay in the lodge or room in the farm (with breakfast). For home accommodations, guests get to live and share meals with the host family.

If you are planning to try agritourism in Canada versus staying in typical downtown hotels, you can choose from the best farms in Ontario, Alberta, Nova Scotia, Quebec and British Columbia. Make sure you know what type of farm you want to visit because there are farms that only grow fruits and vegetables like the Meleg’s Lakeview Orchard in Ontario. Or if you want to do more outdoor activities and stay overnight, then head to Lakeview Guest Ranch and experience the thrills of a ranch.