'Getting back to their roots': fair offers backyard farming advice

A new fair in Hunter River, P.E.I., is offering advice to people interested in starting backyard farms.

Local farmers spent Saturday teaching Islanders what it takes to manage livestock such as goats, chickens, rabbits, ducks and bees in their own backyards.

"It's pretty rewarding knowing that you raised your own food," said Dave Ward, retail manager at Clarence Farm Services, which hosted the Backyard Farming Fair.

"It tastes a heck of a lot better than buying chicken or pork, or anything from the stores. Much more flavour."

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Rebecca Cowans,one of the event's organizers,started raising chickens in her backyard several years ago.

She saidresources like the fair would've been a big help back then.

"When we got into poultry, we didn't know how to get started," Cowans said. "I like to talk to people to get information ... you want to talk to someone who knows."

Healthier lifestyle

Cowans also said the festival is a good opportunity for people to develop healthier lifestyles by growing their own food.

"I think P.E.I. is really well set up to this. People are interested in getting back to their roots. Most of us nowadays want to know where our food's coming from,"Cowanssaid.

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Eleven-year-oldConallGibson was at the event with his family and agrees.

"It's interesting seeing where the food comes from and just having animals," Gibson said.

Gibson's family already haslivestock but attended the event to see how they could improve their own hobby farm.

'Nice to talk to people that are experienced'

Itwasn't just Islanders browsing the fair. Sakura MacLean, 13, was visiting from Nova Scotia and madea beeline for the rabbit enclosure.

She said she's looking to start her own farm,and thatwhen she saw this event was happening, she couldn't pass it up.

"It's definitely been nice to talk to people that are experienced in it. There's a bunch of people with chickens and that's one of the first things I'm wanting to get," she said.

Organizers said if the fair goes well, they'll happily make it an annual event.

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