Can niche growers with new ideas save our family farms?

This past fall, a young couple with a few acres of land not far from me in Scotts Bay, NS, started selling fresh produce and flowers from their garden, which they work using two horses. While they’re just starting out, they represent hope for the future of farming in the Atlantic region. They may not be big commercial producers but they’re contributing to our local food supply, making a small carbon footprint and creating a niche livelihood for themselves.

Agriculture has traditionally been a family operation in Atlantic Canada, handed down from one generation to the next. In recent years, however, that model has been changing dramatically. Rather than handing the torch to their children, many older farmers are selling their land and their equipment, having urged sons and daughters to seek a different career path. Low returns on harvests, uncooperative weather and ever-increasing costs for fertilizer and equipment have put family-based farmers in the poorhouse, or out of business completely.

The facts speak for themselves. In its 2006 census, Statistics Canada recorded reductions in farm numbers in each of the Atlantic provinces, ranging from 3.3 per cent in Nova Scotia to 13.2 per cent in Newfoundland and Labrador, as compared to 2001. For proponents of the joys of eating local food, as well as people concerned about food self-sufficiency and access to quality food in our region, such statistics are unsettling. But it’s not all doom and gloom for agriculture in Atlantic Canada. There’s a crop of new farmers emerging, some of whom are working the land as well as at other professions, others whom are farming exclusively.

Many of these new producers don’t have farming backgrounds, but they are drawn to providing high quality, organic or no-spray produce and free-range livestock raised without hormones or antibiotics in their feed. Some sell the fruits of their labours at the farm gate or through farmers’ markets; others sell shares in their harvest through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), a community of consumers who support a farming operation financially, sharing the risks as well as the benefits of food production.

A walk around any farmers’ market will show several producers who advertise that they are certified organic, but many new farmers are using organic methods without going the certified route, or are combining organic approaches with traditional practices. While there is debate in some circles about whether purely organic is better than no-spray, or whether organic certification protocols discourage some people from trying their hand at agriculture, a lot of new farmers work hard to make as small an environmental footprint as possible in the process of growing food.

The Atlantic Canada Organic Regional Network (ACORN) is the voice of organic producers and processors for our region. Following up on the 2006 census, ACORN noted that although farm numbers have been declining, there’s been an increased interest in organic production. Its data indicates that between 4.7 and 9.5 per cent of farms in the four Atlantic provinces have some organic production, whether certified, in transition to certification, or uncertified. Beth MacMahon, ACORN’s director, says that there are “hundreds of farmers in Atlantic Canada interested in organic approaches.”

Here are a few faces of our new farmers.

Independent food source: Graeme Bancroft and Mel Jellett, Murray Corner, NB

A trip to Indonesia several years ago drove home the importance of independent food production to Graeme Bancroft. “At issue [following food riots in Java] was the dependence of the local population on the globalized food supply,” he says. “Ordinary people suffered a tenfold increase in the cost of rice in just a few weeks… small glitches in global marketplaces can affect whether people get to eat, or whether they starve.”
As a result, Graeme set out to help feed people back home on a local scale. For the past two years, he and his partner, Mel Jellett, have operated Bancroft Farm in Murray Corner, NB, growing a variety of vegetables on more than an acre that they sell directly to consumers, often from the back of their farm truck. Last spring they also sold veggie and herb seedlings, which Graeme refers to as “gardens in a box.” The couple is interested in small-scale production—they don’t want to be dependent on loans with crippling interest payments.

“My business model derives from the idea that I should only grow as much and as quickly as the local market demands,” says Graeme, who also works as a carpenter. “This way I will not be forced to undervalue my food, nor will I lose contact with the people who eat it.” Although going it alone financially, Graeme gets educational support from ACORN, as well as “advice and commentary” from friends and neighbours.

Bancroft Farm is not certified organic; Graeme practices techniques that “require no chemistry other than the mystery of the soil,” he says. “I use a variety of mulch materials—seaweed, straw, grass clippings, etc—to create planting areas that are constantly being replenished by organic matter.”

In addition to working with Graeme at Bancroft Farm, Mel Jellett was the coordinator for Sackville’s community garden last summer. She is working towards a Masters in environmental science at Mount Allison, examining how farmers are adapting or planning to adapt to climate change in southeast New Brunswick.

Mel says she’s encouraged by the number of young people she encounters who are growing food, whether to sell to others or simply to reduce their grocery bills.

“A new generation of Maritimers is interested in ways to grow, preserve and use food as a medium to connect with local communities,” she says. “It’s encouraging to be part of this movement!”

Tradition meets new techniques: Mark and Sally Bernard, Freetown, PEI

Although many organic and no-spray producers have no farming background when they set out to earn a living from the land, there are also producers who have come from farming families; they amalgamate what they learned in a traditional farm environment with new techniques for food production. One such producer is Mark Bernard, the third generation of his family to operate a family farm in Freetown, PEI.

The operation began in Mark’s grandfather’s day as a traditional mixed/dairy farm, and is now fully certified organic. Mark met his wife, Sally—who grew up on a mixed farm in New Brunswick—while they were both students at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College (NSAC), in Truro, NS. In Sally’s words, “We got married, moved back to Mark’s farm and started ‘living the dream!’”

Mark began learning about organic approaches while studying agricultural business at NSAC and, knowing that he didn’t want to return to potato farming—when grown on a large scale they are one of the most sprayed crops—he began considering the switch to organic farming as a possibility. Initially, going organic was mostly a business decision, given the market for organic foods was increasing. But then the couple began to realize the importance of the philosophy behind organic growing, and the benefits of farming with long-term sustainability in mind.

Most of Barnyard Organics’ production is grains and oilseeds, such as oats and soybeans for livestock feeds, primarily sold to other farmers and organic feed mills. Sally raises the livestock, selling chickens and lamb by word of mouth from the farm gate—neither she nor Mark spend much time or resources on marketing. They employ student help in the summer, and Mark’s father, Wendell, is always around to lend a hand.

“We would be lost without him,” Sally says. “Both for his willingness and encouragement, but also the wealth of wisdom that a so-called ‘retired’ farmer carries around. He is around full-time, and we appreciate every minute!”

No spray, but not organic: Sebastian Margarit and Brenna Koneczny, Malagash, NS

Sebastian Margarit and Brenna Koneczny moved to Malagash, NS, about three years ago, when Sebastian began studying at NSAC. Recently graduated with a Master of Science in advanced cropping systems, Sebastian works as a field agronomist for an agricultural nutrient company, NutriAg; he’s been working on field trials on foliar micronutrient sprays with producers throughout the Maritimes.

He and Brenna began Vista Bella Farm three years ago, and operate it as a CSA farm, while raising their two young sons.

The couple grow a variety of specialty vegetables including fingerling potatoes, artichokes, heirloom tomatoes, asparagus and specialty lettuces, as well as traditional vegetables. In total they grow more than 40 crops, which includes fruit such as peaches, apples, pears, raspberries, strawberries. They are establishing Saskatoon berries, which will grow wild on the farm. They sell shares or half-shares—$50 per share this past season—in their production in the spring, which generates capital for purchasing seed and supplies such as fertilizers, lime and micronutrients; their shareholders then pay to receive boxes of produce weekly throughout the growing season, delivered to pickup locations in Halifax and Truro, in keeping with the 100-mile diet concept. Surplus produce is sold at the Tatamagouche and Truro Farmers’ Markets, as well as at the couple’s farm.

Vista Bella Farm is not certified organic, but the farm has a no-spray policy. Sebastian originally went to NSAC intending to start an organic farm; however his research led him to believe that many organic certification standards are not based on science but more of what Brenna calls “a very anthropocentric environmentalism.” For example two of the pesticides allowed in organic agriculture, rotenone and pyrethrum, have as many or in some cases, more damaging effects to wildlife, pollinators and ecosystems as many conventionally used pesticides.

“We chose to go spray free, which involves using row covers, plastic mulch and, more than anything, overplanting and accepting loss,” she says, adding that they eat the culls at home—“We don’t mind food with holes in it”—saving the more “perfect” produce for their customers.

Brenna and Sebastian believe their farming methods are a good marriage of conventional and organic principals based on carbon footprint, but also cost. “Many of the esoteric standards lead to costlier food, which creates a pseudo-socioeconomic division of who can afford your food and who cannot,” Sebastian says.

“We want to be able to make a living from growing food, but we also want it to be accessible to the everyday person.”

The couple is pleased with the way their farm is developing. “We have a commitment to our farm from consumers who are unhappy with the status quo [of foods grown thousands of miles away under sometimes questionable conditions],” says Sebastian. “Most of our sales are done through direct marketing, which ensures a living wage, because wholesalers take the largest cut of profits in modern food systems.” Brenna agrees. “If we can get grocery store prices for our produce, give or take 15 per cent depending on the crop, then we should be very happy; or perhaps our methods are not quite as effective as they should be.”

Not all roses and strawberries: challenges

For those who aren’t stepping into an established farm, taking up where parents or other relatives left off, capital costs for infrastructure are a huge hurdle. “If I were to borrow 80 per cent of the money required to set up a small farm,” Graeme Bancroft says, “it would take over 60 years to repay those loans.” Because he is adamant that he doesn’t want to incur debt, he continues to work as a carpenter, so time is also an issue. “It is difficult to find the additional eight hours [after a 10-hour day] to maintain a small operation.”

His partner, Mel Jellett, says that while there are some programs to help small-scale farmers, organic or otherwise, agricultural subsidies and the nature of food sales generally favour large farming operations. She’s also concerned about the perception and accessibility of local, fresh food: “The challenge is to get those not currently eating healthy, fresh vegetables and meats, in some cases because they have a reputation of being too expensive, involved in shopping at farmers’ markets and in growing some of their own food.”

She sees her work with the Sackville Community Garden as a step in encouraging others to explore growing fresh produce.

While organic produce can be more costly, investing in infrastructure such as a soybean roaster and seed-cleaner are expensive purchases. “I’m not sure we’re making a living wage yet,” says Sally Bernard. “We’re selling out, but the volume needs to increase—as with agriculture in general these days, you either increase your price or your volume. It’s a fine line in emerging markets.”

To help with family finances, Sally works as a consultant with the Trout River Environmental Committee and somehow, despite two young children with a third expected in January, also manages to find time to serve on several farming boards and write the family’s entertaining blog, “For the love of the soil,” at barnyardorganics.blogspot.com.

There are also challenges to organic production, with weeds being one of the biggest. Mark follows strict timing of weeding implements so the weeds aren’t controlling the farmer, but Sally says, “they do put up a good battle from time to time!”

Sebastian and Brenna agree that infrastructure is a big hurdle for new farmers. “Most active farms are multi-generation, and many new farmers take several years until they’re profitable to a point of making a good, solid income,” Sebastian says. “If you want to make a living in your first year, you may have many more hurdles than you expect.”

He and Brenna have aimed to double their sales every year, and have succeeded in their first three years as producers; however, they reinvest more than their farm income to help make next year’s target feasible.

Pragmatism & passion: the future

In speaking with the producers profiled in this story, what comes across most vividly is their passion for growing food. They are pragmatic, however. “Getting into farming is a really nice idea when you’re daydreaming around a warm fire in the cold winter,” says Sebastian Margarit.

“There is a lot more to farming than most people realize. Farmers have to be mechanics, engineers, chemists, biologists.”

He says that anyone with a serious desire to get into farming should look into the programs available at his alma mater, NSAC.

Another suggestion: “Listen. Listen to the other farmers out there and take their advice if they’re willing to share. If you can learn from another’s misfortune or bit of wisdom then you will save a lot of time, energy and money.”

Brenna Koneczny echoes the need to do research in your local community. “Is there something missing or is there a demand for something that is not readily available? Find that niche market where there is room to grow,” she says.

Sally and Mark Bernard encourage others to start farming operations, but stress that people start out small. “We certified 50 acres the first year, gradually increasing until we had all 550 acres certified,” Sally says. She suggests that people ask lots of questions of neighbours and peers before starting a farm, adding, “have other income at first, and be prepared to put in long, hard hours.”

Graeme Bancroft agrees. “I hope many more people consider agriculture as a worthy vocation,” he says. “In terms of day-to-day experience, producing food has to be one of the most satisfying jobs around. You may never have a white collar, but you’ll always eat well.”