MECHANIC FALLS — It would take more than a little rain to keep visitors from visiting their favorite local farms Sunday during Maine’s 26th annual Open Farm Day.

Almost 100 farms across the state opened their doors to visitors to show them the length, breadth and depth of Maine’s agriculture economy. Among participants in the daylong family event were alpaca and goat farms, cattle and dairy farms, cranberry farms, apple orchards, berry farms, mixed produce farms, a vineyard and even farms specializing in flowers.

“The Department of Agriculture has done a terrific job trying to help farms in Maine with these events,” Peter Bolduc, who owns Harvest Hill Farm Mechanic Falls, said.

It was just another day on the farm at Harvest Hill, according to a sign in a barn that stated, “Open Farm Day Every Day.” That may be because a large part of what Harvest Hill Farm does falls into the burgeoning agritourism or agritainment business categories that farms across the country are turning to for a creative way to increase revenue.

Harvest Hill Farm is open to the public every day during the summer and fall, and most days throughout the remainder of the year, too. They offer a petting zoo and an ice cream stand along with a pizza shop where the menu consists of farm-fresh items –— from the chicken and beef they use for their sandwiches, to the fresh vegetables they have in season.

In the fall, Harvest Hill’s agritainment side really picks up when they go into full autumn harvest celebration mode with their Pumpkin Land activities, outdoor food court and corn maze. This year, they are adding an outdoor concert venue to their roster with the Party in the Pasture, planned for Aug. 15, that features Jack Russell’s Great White.

“I think the Bolducs are doing wonderful things for our community, trying to bring back the old Maine,” said Martha Cunningham, of Oxford, who was visiting Harvest Hill on Sunday morning. “I think it’s just wonderful. I wish we had more of this.”

Harvest Hill was just the first stop on Cunningham’s Open Farm Day itinerary as she planned to check out a few of her favorite farms.

Janna Richardson, of Dixfield, has taken her children to Harvest Hill Farm for the past three Open Farm Days, which means her younger son, Emmett, has yet to miss one in his 3-year-old life. His favorite part of visiting the farm is the goats. Richardson’s 5-year-old daughter, Elliott, had a hard time deciding which thing was most exciting at the farm.

“I like the train and the bunnies,” she finally said.

“We adopted Daffy the duck, and then Tank the rabbit just showed up mysteriously one day,” Bolduc said. “We came to the farm in the morning and he was just there in the cage.”

Open Farm Day is a way for consumers to become familiar with where their food comes from and to understand how farms work to make the products they use. Many of the participating farms held demonstrations on things like felting, spinning and bee hives. Other farms offered free samples of their products and guided tours of their facilities.

“There is a story, even a lesson, that surrounds all the food and other farm products that we grow right here in Maine,” Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Commissioner Walt Whitcomb said.

“While traveling to Maine farms on Open Farm Day, people will drive by hay fields, potato and grain fields, farm wood lots, orchards and large vegetable patches all growing crops that feed the economy before they fill dinner plates or supply other products that are important to our lives,” he said.

Beyond providing food and products, farms in Maine also provide employment opportunities. At Harvest Hill Farm, Bolduc is a popular employer for the young people in the community.

“We have to continue to remind ourselves what a huge responsibility it is. For a lot of these kids, it’s their first job. The reward is that I have guys who used to harvest sap with me 20 years ago, and now they come back with their kids to visit the farm. I guess that means we’ve been at this a while,” Bolduc said.

The number of farms in Maine has grown in recent years, according to a news release from the Maine Department of Agriculture. In fact, there are nearly 100 more farms now than in 2002, which coincides with an increased interest in locally grown foods.