OUR STORY
Living a quiet, small-farm life
We knew early on that a rural life was what we wanted. When we first met, we bonded over the shared vision of raising our children in the fresh air and ethereal beauty of a pastoral countryside, surrounded by gardens, farm animals and an abundance of nature. Our story began in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains, found footing in Ontario's granite shield and southern farmlands, and now reaches to PEI's red sands and warm beaches.
ABOUT ALMOST A FARM
Over the years, we've managed to (almost!) accomplish our dream of living a more sustainable, homesteading lifestyle. Our careers, responsibilities, and life in general moved us in and out of our rural homes for the past few decades. But our hearts were always on the land. For us, there is nothing better than watching our children run barefoot and carefree through our pathways and pastures, planting and enjoy the fruits of the family garden, and raising the animals who share and nourish our lives. We've gone from hobby farming to city living a few times over, but have always returned to the countryside where we are happiest.
Even when we lived "in town" we continued to build our homesteading lessons, learning to do much with the little space we had available. We tried many different techniques and learned from each result. And from our neighbours, we heard it all. From criticisms to compliments, we took it all in. Some would consistently put our efforts down. I can't tell you how many times we heard "You can buy that in the store you know! Why waste your time?" We were jeered at for spending so much time in the garden. Yet, while they clear cut their yards and complained about the heat of the day or lack of wildlife, our yards were full of beauty, nature and sustenance. We watched the birds, rabbits, and insects happily take up residence in our yards, while we planted and harvested from our urban food-jungle. And in addition to feeding our souls, our efforts helped feed our bodies as we pulled year long from full freezers and pantries.
While our efforts were never for attention, we were always happy when others would show interest or give praise for our bountiful gardens and small coops (yes, we had chickens in town when we could!) Many people wanted to learn more about cultivating a productive garden, and producing healthy and compassionately raised eggs for our family. We eagerly shared what we knew to help those with their own "urban farm" endeavors, while absorbing all we could from others who did the same.
Which brings us to the chickens. On all of our properties, we've raised laying chickens. At first, these were beautiful barnyard mixes - and to this day these remain some of our favourites - possessing a kaleidescope of colours, feathering, sizes and personalities, that we thoroughly enjoyed on the property. While our introduction to chickens was forced (a story for another day), once we had them, we were hooked. As we learned more about caring for our poultry, we developed a deeper interest in the heritage breeds that combined to produce our little mixes. Chickens became an addiction! Now, twenty years later, we have bred and raised dozens of purebred breeds, attended shows, sales, and seminars whenever possible, and researched and tested the stock that works best for our small farm needs and interests.
Which brings us to present day. We recently moved picturesque Prince Edward Island, renowned for its pastoral beauty and fertile land, to ensure that our family can continue to grow food to feed our souls. Island life has a much quieter vibe than the major city centres we lived near in the past, and we are enjoying the change of pace. We live on a hundred-year old homestead, with enough acres to keep us busy, and have quickly re-established our flock with quality stock sourced from across the country.
As we go about setting up our little farm as best suits our needs, we'll post updates and anecdotes to share what we've learned or accomplished along the way.