Research Open House and Bug Day at the Ottawa Central Experimental Farm

Come on down to the Ottawa Central Experimental Farm for our Research Open House and Bug Day!

This FREE all-ages event will give you a chance to meet with scientists from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and learn about the research that is happening on the Central Experimental Farm and beyond. From the crops that we depend on for food to the environment that they grow in, our expert researchers will be here with fun and interactive demonstrations where you can learn and ask questions.

Come on down to:

• See close up how our food grows in our demonstration field plots;
• Learn from home composting demonstrations;
• See native plants that attract bees;
• Get hands on with kids’ science experiments;
• Hop on a horse-drawn wagon ride;
  Get turned around in our corn maze;
• See how farming has evolved through the ages at the plowing demonstration;
• Join the Earth observation team in their satellite scavenger hunt;
• Get down in the dirt to learn about soil in the soil pit;
• Enjoy free face painting;
• Visit the Mikinàk Ceremonial Lodge;
• Walk through our Tropical Greenhouse; and
  So much more!

This is a joint event with Bug Day Ottawa 2024 (https://bit.ly/3UFtd5Y), which will feature demonstrations and activities all about the wonderful world of insects. Activities will include insect expeditions, pollinator garden tours, free samples of cricket ice cream, cockroach races, a live bug zoo, displays from the Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids, and Nematodes, and more.

There will be food trucks on site prepared to take cash or card.

We encourage you to consider taking public transit on the day of the event. There will be bike racks on site to lock up and available parking.

Interested in getting involved? Contact matthew.linsdell@agr.gc.ca for volunteer opportunities.