Agricultural
Experience country life first-hand. Agriculture and tourism are two of Alberta’s top industries so agri-tourism opportunities are plentiful and varied. Try a country holiday on a working farm, visit a rural fair, a farmers' market, pick your own produce or buy direct from the grower. Spend some time on the traditional and then discover what local producers are doing to meet new market demands for regional cuisine. The sky's the limit.
Country Holidays
To get a taste of life in rural Alberta, spend a few days on a working farm or ranch. Take part in as many activities as you like. Learn to milk a cow, feed the chickens, shear a sheep or help with the haying. Or just take a fishing pole down to the nearest stream to catch a trout for supper—all this with meadows, foothills, mountain views, lakes and forests as your backdrop. For a complete list of options visit Alberta Country Vacations Association. Our Hutterite community is a major contributor to Alberta's agribusiness. Many of their farms welcome visitors. Visit Country Soul Stroll and you'll want to take the whole family on a self-guided drive through Sturgeon County near Edmonton, where you can tour through farmers' markets, heritage gardens and working farms.
Farmers’ Markets
Many farmers’ markets—where 80% of the produce is grown locally—are open year round and attract large crowds seeking freshness and organic options.
Edmonton’s Old Strathcona Farmer's Market offers fresh fruit, vegetables, baking, preserves, meats, seafood, fresh eggs, cheese and ethnic food. Seasonal fresh flowers and plants are in abundance. There is a wide variety of crafts, jewelry and arts, all handcrafted by local artisians and crafters. For a complete listing of farmers’ markets by town or by region, visit
Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development.
U-Picks and Farm Gate Sales
For the best in fresh, head out to one of our U-pick farms and dig up your own hill of new potatoes. Pick seasonal berries and veggies or cut your own flowers. Numerous farms, many of them organic, sell protein products such as beef, pork, lamb, bison, poultry and eggs directly to consumers. For a comprehensive regional list of Alberta's u-pick and direct sales farms that produce fruit, vegetables, protein and specialty items visit
Alberta Farm Fresh Producers.
Agricultural Events, Festivals & Country Fairs
Visit the
Fairs & Exhibitions Directory for a guide to upcoming fairs, horticultural and livestock events around the province.
Heritage Gardens
Horticulturalists interested in visiting heritage gardens—those which reflect the style, gardening practices and plant varieties of particular places and time periods—have many to choose from in Alberta. Thirty minutes from downtown Edmonton is the enchanting
Devonian Botanic Garden with an authentic Japanese garden and collections of native and alpine plants. Another popular spot is the
Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village.
More Info...
To learn more about the many agri-tourism opportunities across the province, go to the Search feature on the
top right corner of this page and click on
Advanced. Choose the Category tab and click on Activities & Adventures. Under Outdoor: Spring/ Summer/Fall, select the two farm related categories and hit Search.
