By Perry Robbin, The Granbys Patch (9/7/12)

Granby's Open Farm Day and Grange Fair, which include a cornucopia of farm related activities, are coming up on Saturday, Sept. 8.

The day of farm fun and learning includes pony rides, grooming classes and riding clinics; events involving edibles like garlic braiding, farm tours, cooking demos and growing question and answer sessions; sheep shearing and visits with horses, pigs, chickens and cows. Additionally, cartooning demos, tractor photos, a corn maze, produce judging and a chicken barbeque make up just a few of the other many attractions.

From Open Farm Day Publicist Nancy Dunn

Special scheduled presentations at various farms will give visitors a chance to see how the farmers do their work. For example:

• Riding clinics at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and how-to-groom demonstrations at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at Angel Horses.

• Sheep-shearing demonstrations at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. by the Sepe Farm shearing team, hosted at Lost Acres Vineyard.

• Wagon rides every half hour at Lost Acres Orchard.

• Story times at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at Maple View Farm.

• Hosta-dividing how-to at O'Brien Nurserymen at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

• Garlic-growing tips with Q&A at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. the Garlic Farm, plus a demo of how to make a decorative rustic garlic braid at 11 a.m.

• Cooking talks at Old Beech Farm, Holcomb Farm, and the Garlic Farm

• Traditional Grange Fair in the afternoon, with winners of the judging of pies, canned goods, etc., and a barbecue chicken dinner fundraiser to end the day.

To learn more about Open Farm Day, including the Farm Passport prize program, follow this link.

Many more specific details about the Granby Grange community agricultural fair are available here, thanks to The Granbys Patch reader Charle Smith.

Local farmer and The Granbys Patch blogger Kate Bogli shares her reasons why local residents need to attend the Saturday events here. Bogli's reasons are: You need to know who your farmer is and know how your food is grown, you need to be able to tell other people this information, you need to share this with your kids and you need to have (old-fashioned) fun.