Alberta Open Farm Days: Leaman Exchange

 

A replica of the family's gas station, owned by Cecil Sharman

The Sharman family has lived in the Wildwood area for nearly 100 years, on Leaman Road, located just 15 minutes West of Wildwood, Alberta. 8 years ago, Leanne Sharman, Grandaughter of Cecil Sharman, purchased a farm on Leaman Road with her husband David Scott, and together with their family created a hobby farm they named Leaman Exchange.   

Georgia Leaman, holding a resident of Featherton.

The farm is home to several different varieties of fowl, and the Sharman/Scott family's creativity shines in the mini village of coops they created called "Featherton".  From peacocks to quail,  Feathertown is a bird lover's paradise. The village is filled coops as unique as the birds than inhabit them.   

  Featherton looks like a mini village, inhabited only by birds.   

They have plans to expand Featherton to include other types of animals, including a Fur Trading coop that will be home to a variety of rabbits.

  The Leaman's have a store on site where they sell handmade items crafted only by family members.   

  The store is like walking through a fairy tale, each item telling it's own unique story.   

  Here, Madison Sharman, Leanne's eldest daughter, shows me how they spin their own wool to be used in items both that are available in their store.   

  Leaman Exchange is famous for their Halloween Festival that takes place every October, and opens their farm to to public for activities such as a haunted house, carnival games, jumpy castles, face painting, palm and tarrot card readings, and much more!  Luckily you don't have to wait that long to visit their farm, because this summer Leaman Exchange is participating in Alberta Open Farm Days, and will be inviting the public to their farm on Saturday, August 19, and Sunday, August 20th for a weekend aimed at bringing Albertians together to learn a bit about how food gets from the farm, to your table.  

  Participants will be welcome to check out Featherton, pan for gold, dig for fossil, pick wild blueberries, and even participate in a low ropes obstacle course before grilling up chicken dogs around an open fire.   

  Over 90 farms across Alberta will be participating this weekend, and will open their farms to the public for a weekend of learning, experiencing, and tasting.  I've partnered with Yellowhead County and Community Futures West Yellowhead to share the stores of 4 local farmers in our region.   

   If you'd like to participate, you can plan your route online, or stop in at: 

Yellowhead County:
2716 - 1st Avenue, Edson, Alberta
 53404 Rge Rd 92A, Wildwood, AB

Community Futures West Yellowhead:
221 Pembina Avenue, Hinton, Alberta  

This post was sponsored by Alberta Open Farm Days.  I received monetary compensation in exchange for this post. As always, all thoughts and options are my 100% my own.