BONNYVILLE – On a hot and sunny Thursday, roughly 80 participants jumped on buses at the Fort Kent Seniors Hall to take a tour of picturesque private properties and businesses located in the MD of Bonnyville, as part of the annual Agricultural Service Board Rural Beautification Tour.
The main purpose of the Aug. 18 tour was to present awards to the recipients of the 2022 Rural Beatification Acreage and Farm Awards, but attendees had the added bonus of seeing new sights and sharing meals and treats prepared locally along the way.
Starting the day off with doughnuts and coffee in Fort Kent, the tour headed west to Providence Acres Flower Farm.
Owned and operated by Lena and Ryan Theissen, Providence Acres specializes in growing over 100 varieties of cut flowers that are planted to bloom continuously throughout the summer season.
Lena toured guests through her flower gardens explaining how the business has slowly grown over the last four years.
To start the season, Lena, her husband and their kids plant 5,000 tulip bulbs that are grown as annuals. From there, they prepare for the natural rotation of flowers that bud and bloom at different times throughout the summer months.
“Starting early in the season, we plant between 800 to 1,000 sunflowers per week until July. As we plant, we transition from light coloured sunflowers earlier in the year to deeper autumn colours that will be ready closer to fall,” Lena told guests.
“Practically everything we’ve learned has been through trial and error. Every year we try something new and every year something gets the cut.”
The tour then moved on to the home of the first Rural Beatification Award winner of the day.
Daryl Knapp and Sherry McGinnes received the 2022 Rural Beatification Acreage Award for their unique style that incorporates greenery with classic artifacts from the past.
“Was I surprised that we were nominated for the award, no, not really. Was I surprised that we won, absolutely,” said Knapp, after being presented with the 2022 acreage award.
Knapp first purchased the tree-covered property in 1987. About five years later and after significant clearing of the property, Knapp and McGinnes began focusing on completing one yard project each year.
The impact of the annual project on the 10-acre property has had breathtaking results.
Over the last 35 years, the do-it-yourself projects have included a rock bed turn-around, a stunning gazebo, a lighted entrance gate, and a natural catch pond for spring melting and rains, which is complete with a dock that their grandchildren often toss rocks from.
This year's project involved incorporating a 1937 Ford flat deck truck into a garden feature that is bursting with new life, fragrant flowers and trailing vines.
While Knapp couldn’t begin to calculate how much of his own time and money has been invested into the property over the years, he says the work was done simply for the pleasure of having a nice home.
“If I had to pick my favourite feature, it would probably be the playground and garden because it’s a place for the grandkids and where they play.”
Travelling to the third stop of the day, the tour buses headed south to Journey North Cider Co. for a quick lunch and tour.
Journey North Cider is Alberta’s first orchard based cidery with over 1,400 apple and pear trees and the business soon hopes to meet its growing demand with all products sourced locally.
Currently, the cidery uses 100 per cent Canadian apples as the base for all its ciders.
After lunch, the tour group headed toward Ardmore to make a pit stop at Treasures of Yesterday Antique Store, before travelling to see the winners of the 2022 Rural Beautification Farm Award.
Denis and Marilyn Michaud, who are no stranger to the Beautification Tour, were honoured to accept the 2022 Rural Beautification Farm Award.
The pair are the third generation to run the Michaud Bison Ranch and Farmstead, and with their son now working with them on the farm they are confident the farm will carry on for another generation.
Participants concluded their full day tour where it started, with a stop at the research growing plots of the Lakeland Applied Research Association (LARA) in Fort Kent, and a barbecue supper at the Seniors Hall.
Early bird registrants who signed up for the tour paid $20, while those who purchased tickets last minute paid $25 for the full day event.
