How to go about having some real farm experiences in the Southern Forests Region, Western Australia’s Food Bowl, as farmers and producers open their gates to the public.
Ever since I started here at Diamond Forest Farm Stay it has amazed me how many of our guests are truly looking for the farm experience. They want to show their children where their food comes from, what animals really look like- other than wrapped in cellophane on meat trays in their local supermarket. They want that real farm experience. So how do they go about getting that?
Well first you come down to the Southern Forests and stay at a Farm Stay: like us. Here you can get up close to our animals, feed them, pet them and even cuddle some of them. With over 100 animals your family can get to experience a farm. At the right time of year you can collect the eggs, bottle feed a lamb or calf, watch an alpaca being born, canoe on the dam amongst the ducks, fish for rainbow trout or relax enjoying the rural view of our property without any of the hard work.
But what if you want to see more? Then the Unearthed Pemberton Festival might just be your thing. From the 21st to the 30th of April 2017 farmers are opening their gates to the public and you can get to see a whole range of different types of farms in a way that you normally wouldn’t get to see. From sausage making demonstrations to Paddock to Plate dinners where fresh, local, seasonal produce is served up by some of the finest chefs in the area; there’s something for everyone. Take a wine and beer tasting tour – you can taste to your heart’s content and not have to worry about driving back to your accommodation. Take a tour of a nut farm or potato farm, visit the local farmers market or learn about native finger limes.
If you’ve seen a few farms and want something different visit an art or photography exhibition, learn how to do clay sculpting, or do a writers workshop. For something more adventurous there’s star gazing, a tour to Yeagarup Dunes or a twilight cruise; all in the middle of some fabulous natural attractions such as the fire trees (The Diamond Tree, The Gloucester Tree, and the Dave Evan’s Bicentennial Tree), the D’entrecasteaux National Park, the Beedelup National Park, Beedelup Falls, The Cascades just to name a few.
Every year this festival grows in popularity and more and more farmers open their gates for people to come in and see what they do, learn how food production in this country works and along the way enjoy some great food, meet some friendly people and have a real farm experience. I know there’s a few events that I have on my to do list. Even I don’t always get to see most of these farms up close so don’t miss out on your chance this year. Check out the Unearthed Pemberton Festival program, book your accommodation and join us in the Southern Forests for that fantastic farm experience you’ve been looking for.
