Why are agricultural fairs worth attending? Here are several reasons that come to mind, after a visit to the 95th annual Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (“The Royal”) in Toronto.
1) They’re grounding reality-checks for big-city dwellers (like myself), that life exists beyond the concrete, glass, and steel metropolis.
Last weekend, Katherine Dunnell of the Royal Ontario Museum’s Department of Natural History (see Bling Fling: Gems and Jewellery in Toronto) impressed me with the observation that we must either mine or grow everything we consume. As the ROM’s Earth’s Treasures Galleries were the “mine,” it’s fitting that this weekend The Royal is the “grow.”
Also, hey, here’s where your food comes from! The Royal featured a “Farm to Table Discovery Zone,” with education centres about bees, llamas, sheep, goats, hens, and more. (There was an intriguing “Poo or False” game for children that I didn’t manage to get a closer look at.)
Check out these phenomenal virtual Canadian Farm and Food Tours (via a link provided by The Royal) to learn about 17 different types of farms (dairy, sheep, egg, beef, grain, etc.).
2) They provide huge educational opportunities for young people (and adults).
I spoke with an exhibitor who said that during the week it was “all children.” Lucky them! Growing up in Southern Ontario (London), I have great memories of school visits to the Western Fair, to see demonstrations of milking, sheep shearing, 4-H Club competitions, etc., and I’m grateful for it.
The Royal provides educational resources linked to the Ontario curriculum for teachers. Incidentally, it’s quite interesting to see how technology and interactive education have been incorporated into The Royal, as featured in this promotional video.
3) They’re terrific lessons in local history.
This year, in partnership with the University of Guelph, The Royal featured “A Place to Grow,” an interactive chronological walk through time celebrating the past, present, and future of agriculture and food in Ontario.
From “A Place to Grow,” check out this online interactive timeline with points of interest from 1500 (early Upper Canada settlers learning from Indigenous peoples) to 2012 (when Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market was named World’s Best Food Market by National Geographic).
4) They’re fun.
What’s not to love about a 1,527 lb pumpkin (top), or a small calf?
The Petting Farm was full to bursting with curious children and their parents (and, um, some adults too, who like patting the occasional lamb, goat, rabbit, or llama).
The Royal will be back November 2-11, 2018. It’s worth the visit.
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