'It's not my job, it's my lifestyle': Manitoba farmers show off their work at Discover the Farm event

It was the first annual Discover the Farm, a new hands-on event celebrating where our food comes from. The event is part of the province’s Farm and Food Awareness Week. (Source: Zach Kitchen, CTV News Winnipeg)

Manitobans gathered south of Winnipeg Sunday afternoon to learn more about farming in our province.

It was the first annual Discover the Farm, a new hands-on event celebrating where our food comes from. The event is part of the province’s Farm and Food Awareness Week.

It took place at the Bruce D. Campbell Farm and Food Discovery Centre, located 15 minutes south of Winnipeg. Visitors had the chance to talk with Manitoba farmers, see farm animals like pigs and dairy cows, and learn about prairie crops such as canola.

Egg farmer Harley Siemens was among producers at the event. He loves talking about his work. "It's not my job, it's my lifestyle," he said. "So having people come in here, see what I do every day and they appreciate us as farmers providing them that food, it really gives me that extra drive."

Siemens is also the director of the Manitoba Egg Farmers. He says no eggs go to waste in our province.

"They all go to grocery stores, they're going to go to restaurants. Here in Manitoba, we actually donate to Manitoba Harvest and different things like that," said Siemens. "So all those eggs are going to be used, because we don’t want to have any waste on our farms."

The event included hands-on activities like crushing canola to make oil, and games like pig poop tic tac toe.

Manitoba’s agribusiness sector generates $12.7 billion in revenue, with nearly 50,000 employed in the industry. Farm and Food Awareness Week funs Sept. 18 – 24.