Dapp area farm will open gates to visitors during Open Farm Days

Ever wanted to know what a day is like on a poultry and cattle farm? Residents can visit Dapp area Triple Lyoness Farm Aug. 21 to see for themselves.

Triple Lyoness is one of nearly a hundred Farms from around the province that will open their doors to members of the public as part of Open Farm Days Aug 20-21.

For Rod and Janet Carlyon, the tour is a chance to give residents a little bit of insight into more than 25 years of hard work and rural living.

The couple first purchased two home quarters near Dapp in 1989, beginning their operation with just a few hundred chickens and steers.

'We were just grass farmers. We custom-raised cattle for a number of years until we were able to start buying our own cattle," Janet said, adding that pasture-farming has been a good way to keep her family's life simple and healthy.

'It's a good feeling that we've done this, just the two of us. It's been a lot of hard work and sweat and tears to get where we are. We do appreciate having the life out in the country and quiet and not all of the city traffic."

The couple have three daughters, Andria - Jessica and Briana ‚ ‘ who have helped them run the farm throughout its 25-odd years.

During that time, Triple Lyoness has grown into a dependable source of pasture-raised chickens, turkey and cattle, using traditional feeding techniques to raise animals and preserve the agricultural landscape.

A major goal of the operation, said creative lead Andria Carlyon, is to reduce the farm's environmental footprint by using innovations like solar-powered water pumps and tree cover.

'We try to be a bit more environmentally friendly. The solar-powered water systems are so the cows aren't going into the dugout and can water out of the trough," Andria said.

'This keeps the dugouts a little bit more open so there's lots of aquatic water along the edges without getting polluted by cow manure."

Riparian zone protection, or the protective management of waterways, wetlands and forests, plays a big part in day-to-day operations at Triple Lyoness. Using the solar water pumps to better manage the areas between land and water also help to keep the cattle healthy and happy.

'The cattle don't have to go into the mud to get at the water. It also makes it a little easier to not have that added stress on our end," Janet said.

Chickens are rotation-grazed using feed shacks, but are, likewise, pasture-raised.

When shopping around for meats, Andria said consumers should be cautious of producers who label products with terms like ‘natural.'

While organic goods have specific designations, ‘natural' products can have a variety of standards and production methods.

'Different farms will use it in different ways to maybe mislead consumers. There isn't a standard definition. That's why we use grass-fed on pastures."

Andria said that one of the best parts of growing up on her parents' farm has been learning all the skills and life lessons that come from rural living.

'Growing up on a farm has given me a lot of skills. Not just equipment skills and how to handle cattle. It's given me good transferable skills like hard work, leadership and planning," Andria said.

'It takes a lot of planning to make sure everything gets done on time and in season on a farm."

For a full list of participating farms in the Westlock area or to plan a farm tour, visit www.albertafarmdays.com.