Tours of the original Orton one-room school house are part of Open Farm Days at Windy Rafters.
A farm operated by the sixth generation of the same family that homesteaded it will open its doors to the public Saturday, Aug. 19.
Windy Rafters Barn, operated at present by Monty Orr and his wife Ronalee Bennett Orr, will take part in Alberta Open Farm Days.
Windy Rafters Barn near Orton is one of more than 100 participating farms and businesses in the annual celebration of Alberta agriculture.
“Our tours will leave you with a feel for the lifestyle of the early settlers and the challenges that they faced,” the Orrs promise.
Alberta Open Farms Days is a collaborative project presented by the government of Alberta, the Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies, Travel Alberta, and participating farms and ranches.
Alberta Open Farm Days is intended to connect people to the province’s agricultural producers.
The historic Windy Rafters Barn site is used for hands-on educational experiences of life around the years of 1900s, as well as a rustic or western venue for such things as weddings and reunions.
Windy Rafters will kick off Open Farm Days with a western family barn dance at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18.
The dance includes country line dancing instruction.
Free activities and tours get under way at 10 a.m. Saturday Aug. 19.
Activities planned by the Orr family will include:
- Tours of the historic work horse barn.
- Guided tours of the original Orton one-room school.
- Blacksmith demonstrations.
- Hands-on milking experience with a fake cow.
- Tours of the Orrs’ homestead cabin replica.
- Target shoot with a rifle that fires elastics.
- Farm zoo.
- Stick calf-roping,
- Horseshoes.
- History-related hay wagon ride.
- Hands-on rope making activity.
- Pony rides (by donation)
- Possible harvesting combine ride dependent on the weather and crop.
Lunch will be available for $10 at the concession from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. featuring barbecued beef on a bun, coleslaw, corn on the cob and a drink.
Pie and ice cream is available for $4.
Windy Rafters Barn is 10 kilometres east of Fort Macleod at 93033 Range Road 250.
Other southwestern Alberta operations participating in Open Farm Days include Broxburn Vegetables; the Canadian Grain Elevator Discovery Centre at Nanton; the Coutts Centre for Western Canadian Heritage at Nanton; Crystal Springs Cheese and Hybrid Dairy at Coalhurst; Farming Smarter Association Lethbridge; Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village at Pincher Creek; Little Gem Winery at Nobleford; and The Venue of New Hope at Coalhurst.
