SMOKY LAKE, Alta. – Six rural businesses near Smoky Lake have formed Open Gates on 28, a cluster of agricultural businesses that believe they can help each other promote themselves through co-operation.
“We compete with each other for three weeks of the year. Why wouldn’t we partner up and help each other, the rest of the year,” said Miles Buswell, who operates The Farm, a petting zoo, collectibles store and market garden near Smoky Lake.
“Once we realized we weren’t a threat to each other, we learned we could gain by working with each other,” said Buswell, who operates the business with his wife, Delores.
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Open Gates on 28 consists of six businesses on Highway 28 northeast of Edmonton: Circles of Grace, a retreat and labyrinth near Waskatenau; Dehod Farms, a U-pick saskatoon farm at Waskatenau; Linda’s Market Garden, a country store with fresh fruit, vegetables, bedding plants and tea shop at Smoky Lake; Bountiful Fruit Farm, a greenhouse and U-pick operation at Bellis; Forever Fresh Farms-JNR Farms, a greenhouse and cattle operation at Smoky Lake; and The Farm.
Open Gates on 28 is one of nine agricultural cluster groups that have formed in Alberta to encourage tourism and economic development in rural areas, said Sharon Stollery, a member of Alberta Agriculture’s agriculture tourism team, which promotes cluster groups and agriculture tourism ventures.
Creating clusters of like-minded people gives most venues a boost and attracts tourists.
Agriculture department studies showed people want to experience agricultural tourism, but few knew how to find the petting zoos, saskatoon farms and rural bed and breakfasts on their own.
“It’s been a really neat project,” said Stollery.
The original cluster group, Country Soul Stroll in the Edmonton area, has been the most successful.
The group has created driving tours, published brochures and created an awareness of rural activities around the province’s capital.
Stollery said as the group matured, its members have become better at defining who they are and what they want to accomplish. Some members left and others joined as the group became more focused.
Stollery and other Alberta Agriculture staff suggest that potential cluster members first hire a bus and tour one another’s farms to find out what each do.
Norma Dehod said the members of Open Gates on 28 are amazed by activities at other operations.
“I’ve got to know my neighbours. It’s opened our eyes to what’s going on out here.”
Buswell, whose family is relatively new to the Smoky Lake area, said belonging to the group has opened a crack in the tightly knit Ukrainian community and helped them feel welcome.
“We’re a little bit different. Without a ‘ski’ or a ‘chuck’ on the end of your name it’s tough to get accepted.”
Linda Christensen of Linda’s Market Garden said deadline pressures this spring forced the group to limit itself to six members, but she believes the group will grow as people see the benefit of cross promotion.
“I can see us having more people,” said Christensen, who has been in the market garden and greenhouse business for 24 years.
By working together, the group now has start-up money from Alberta Agriculture and access to funds from Travel Alberta, the provincial tourism agency.
“We could never develop brochures and placemats on our own, but together it’s feasible,” she said.
