LAC LA BICHE – People who stopped by the Lakeland Agricom on Aug. 17 for the Alberta Open Farms Days event hosted by the Lac La Biche Agricultural Society not only enjoyed a hearty pancake breakfast, but also had the opportunity to watch and learn from several culinary demonstrations.
There was also music provided by the Plamondon-based country and rock duo Dusty Road.
Simone Skoglund was one of a handful of area residents who had exhibits set up at the event. Skoglund focused on showing people about dehydrating food.
Using apples, Skoglund displayed how to dehydrate food using machines - as well as different storage methods for preservation.
“I’ve been digging into it quite a bit… like home preservation… and how to make your food last… how to stretch things out,” she told Lakeland This Week, adding that these skills come in handy when making a meal for a large group of people when money is tight.
“I think food preservation is kind of a lost art… We’re losing a lot of farmers for various reasons,” she said, adding that there is sometimes a lack of understanding with the younger generation regarding where food comes from and how vital farms are to feeding the public. “And so, I think... it’s good to highlight farming and agriculture and get people more into the way we used to do things, more traditionally and that type of thing.”
A sweet treat
A culinary show just would not be the same without learning the ins and outs of chocolate making, along with being able to try the sweet treat. That is what Phyllis Arsenault was busy doing during the Open Farm Days event.
Arsenault put on an interesting demonstration showing how to make regular chocolates using molds. For Arsenault, who makes chocolates at home for her family members to enjoy, this was the first time in several years that she participated in a public demonstration.
Events like Open Farms Days, Arsenault said, are important because they allow people in the community to socialize but also learn about the farming industry.
Making dough
With such a strong Ukrainian and Russian heritage in the Lac La Biche area, it is only fitting that perogies were also featured at Saturday’s event.
Lorraine Martin started off her demonstration by making the dough needed for perogies. The dough must be done a certain way, after which potatoes and onions can be added.
“I’m going to focus more on the dough so that it’s not too sticky, not too hard,” she explained.
For those who were interested in learning about breadmaking, Donalda Toutant showed how to make bread as well as buns and cinnamon buns.
Toutant has been making bread since she was very young.
“I’ve done it all my life… that’s all we ever ate was homemade bread,” she said
Donna Fabbro, who had a fried bannock demonstration, explained that the food has significance in the Métis culture, and she is carrying on a family tradition by showing others how it is made.
“My mother always made the traditional oven bannock and then she did the fried bannocks,” Fabbro said.
Aurel Langevin, president of the Lac La Biche Agricultural Society, said this year marked the second year the organization has been involved with Alberta Open Farm Days.