July 28, 2026: Ste-Geneviève, MB – Farm Tour and Potluck at Long Way Homestead and Ferme Fiola Farm

You’re invited to a Fiber Farm Tour and Potluck at Long Way Homestead and Ferme Fiola Farm in Ste-Geneviève, Manitoba! Join us to learn about textile production on the prairies from two sheep farmers, Anna and Christel.

Just a short walk from one another, Long Way Homestead and Ferme Fiola Farm both raise sheep and collaborate on many projects together. Long Way has a wool mill and dye studio while Ferme Fiola has a felting studio. 

Anna and Christel are sheep farmers and wool producers who bring a wealth of knowledge to their work, and are now experts in the textile industry beginning with production. They have written, photographed, and produced books together that educate about sheep and wool, and they are both involved in the Pembina Fibreshed and Manitoba Fiber Festival (very much worth checking out).  They have delved into the world of wool in a very appropriate climate!

We will start the day at Long Way Homestead to visit the sheep, the natural dye studio, the dye plant gardens, and the wool mill. Then, we’ll drive down the road to Ferme Fiola Farm to visit their sheep, the hay fields, and the felting studio.

Join us to see what thriving textile farming and production looks like in Manitoba from two collaborative and enthusiastic farms. And as a bonus, they will both have their farm stores open with beautiful wool, hide, plant dying, yarn products and more!

REGISTER: Please RSVP on Eventbrite to help us plan the event.

WHEN: July 28, 2026 |  1pm – 6:30pm

LOCATION: Treaty 1 Territory | Ste-Geneviève, MB

Long Way Homestead: 51077 Municipal Rd 41e (coordinates: 49.758985, -96.524810)

Ferme Fiola Farm: 50178 Saltel St (coordinates:49.749123, -96.525299)

DIRECTIONS/PARKING: Please park near the other cars inside the yards at each of the farms. Overflow parking will be along the gravel road near the lanes of the farm. If you see cars parked on the road, please follow in line. Thanks!

BRING:

• Clothing for the weather, including sturdy shoes for pasture walk
• A potluck item to share with a serving utensil (please include a little card with ingredients for folks with food sensitivities). Bring something that can be served “as is” and does not need warming up or prep.
• Your own plate, cutlery, and cup
• A lawn chair or picnic blanket (optional)

For restroom facilities, there will be an outhouse at Long Way Homestead and a portable toilet at Ferme Fiola Farm.

ACCESSIBILITY: The farms have limited accessibility, grass and gravel paths into the fields, and a small step into the mill and washrooms are not wheelchair accessible. If you have any accessibility needs, please get in touch with us at saray@youngagrarians.org.

SHARE: Planning on joining us? Invite your friends and share the Facebook event (coming soon).

About Long Way Homestead

Anna Hunter from Long Way Homestead started knitting in 1999 while she was a live-in nanny in Switzerland. During a leave from her work as an anti-poverty advocate in 2009, she decided to open up a yarn store in the Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood of East Vancouver. The store (Baaad Anna’s Yarn Store) quickly became a neighbourhood staple. After five and a half years in business it was time for a new challenge, and the store was sold to a long-time friend and customer. The store still operates in East Vancouver. Anna has always had a passion for building community, challenging injustice, and creating alternatives. Long Way Homestead is the next step in pursuing these passions, as she seeks to connect people with local food and clothing production.  

Website: https://www.longwayhomestead.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/longwayhomestead

About Ferme Fiola Farm

Christel Lanthier is a farmer-artist born and raised (mostly) in Saint-Boniface, Manitoba. She was raised with a deep connection to natural environments, spending time hiking, canoeing and crafting with her family. In 2012, Christel, together with her husband, Joey Fiola, purchased the Fiola Homestead and started raising a few laying chickens. In 2016, they added the farm’s first 5 ewes, destined for wool and meat production. In 2023, they built a wool felting studio where they now produce wool felt textiles including home wears, wool vest, wool insoles and more. Christel spends a lot of time outside on the farm, usually with a camera in hand, observing and documenting changes in the environment. Regenerative principles are at the core of the farm. Both Christel and Joey’s families are Franco-Manitoban and Red River Métis. Following in their grandparents and ancestor footsteps, they are committed to taking good care of the land, so in turn the land will take care of them and generations to come. 

Website: https://www.fermefiolafarm.ca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fermefiolafarm

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This event is free and open to everyone! Supervised children are welcome
• Please leave furry friends at home
• Please stay home if you have cold or flu symptoms
• Please do not bring alcohol to this event
• Please wash your shoes before visiting the farm, especially if you work on or have visited a farm recently

STAY IN TOUCH

• Join our Young Agrarians Manitoba Facebook Group to stay up to date on all events in the region
• Sign up for our e-newsletter to get events and opportunities for your region delivered straight to your inbox.
• Cancellations – Please let us know if you have registered for this event but are no longer able to attend. You can cancel your registration anytime through Eventbrite, via the link in your registration confirmation email, or by contacting us at saray@youngagrarians.org.
• Questions? Email staff name at saray@youngagrarians.org.

This public event is part of the Young Agrarians Apprenticeship Program (YAAP). The program matches energetic new entrants with paid opportunities on farms. These farms are committed to helping train the next generation of farmers and ranchers. Farmers and apprentices participating in the program are invited to learn more about agriculture through networking and community building events like this one.