Many of us have a stereotype of a farmer as man alone on a tractor, the same tractor his father and grandfather drove before him. We invite you to let go of the idea of farming as a lifelong, multi-generational activity. Farming can take as many forms as your imagination allows—part-time, full-time, seasonal, temporary, or, of course, the lifelong passion. With a few notable exceptions, the people in our community who have continued to farm for many years own their land, and have outside capital, either from a past career or a spouse employed off-farm. They are rooted in this geographic region and are connected to the social fabric around them.
If you think you may be the lifelong-passion type of farmer but don’t have these circumstances already, do not despair: none of us did either when we started. This only means that you will have to be exceptional. You can be. You are indeed up against some heavy odds, and you need to be prepared for some challenges and discouragements. But let’s face it: in this culture, which doesn’t value food or farmers as it should, even if you have all the advantages behind you, you will still have to be exceptional. Farming is indeed an unusual career choice.
We hope that by reading this book you will get a better idea if farming is for you.
If it is, we hope you will gain some tools to enable you to succeed. You will undoubtedly develop your own idea of what success is on your farm. For us, success means growing abundant, healthy food in healthy soil, feeling fulfilled by our work and connected to our farming community. Success also involves making enough money to provide a modest living and allow us gradually to save some money.
We were all friends before we went into business together. We met through farm community events and later joined in weekly work parties. Those work parties offered moral support as well as helping the host to tackle the big jobs that she or he didn’t want to do alone. While we worked, we shared information about growing, marketing, and community events. On the most practical level, we learned from observing other people’s crops and techniques. On a deeper level, coming together provided validation of our life’s work that could only come from other farmers.
Gradually, the added responsibilities of families and staff meant the end of the official weekly work parties, but since we have come together to run Saanich Organics, we work more closely than ever. Farming is certainly not a lonely, isolated activity for any of us. Instead, we continue to be each other’s closest friends as well as business partners.
The transition to becoming farmers was an intentional diversion from mainstream careers. We felt that the larger society around us just didn’t understand what we were doing or why. This feeling came from many little experiences. At the market, most customers were great, but there were also two kinds of reactions that bothered us. Sometimes we sensed a patronizing attitude from people who seemed to think what we were doing was cute or quaint. They assumed it was a hobby, or a backyard pastime. Others expressed outrage at our prices, clearly indicating that they had no idea how much work had gone into growing the vegetables.
Robin felt disconnected from her urban friends after moving to her farm; their lives had suddenly taken such different paths. Her old friends seemed to have so much disposable income, whereas both money and time had taken on a whole new importance for her. All of a sudden, a leisurely brunch had become an impossibility; there were just so many more important ways for her to spend that money and that time. It became increasingly clear that a packet of seed was more valuable than a pint of beer.
Being with other farmers, whether at work parties, meetings, or conferences, is reaffirming. In contrast to our feeling of alienation from the mainstream, we all enjoy the kinship we feel when we are in the same room as other organic farmers. We know that we share more than an occupation. We share a common outlook, values, compassion, and an underlying love of the earth. Organic farmers are people who have taken action, and live what they believe. This is not to say we are a homogeneous group. Most in our larger community grow food, but some are also more active politically, lobbying for policy changes or running for office. Others are passionate about seed-saving and preserving heritage varieties. Some work on urban food-security issues, while others educate consumers in remote rural areas. The common thread is that we are all working in solidarity to create an alternative food system that can sustain both our planet and ourselves. Reading about the sustainability movement and hearing inspiring stories (and learning of the horrors of the industrial system) gave wings to our shovels, and made the long days feel like a contribution to something bigger than our own farms.
This book begins with our personal accounts of how we each started our farms and the experiences we garnered in subsequent years. Looking back on the early years, we’ve all thought, “If I’d known then what I know now . . .” These are our stories, with the benefit of hindsight. We were concerned that reading three start-up stories of similar-scale farms would be repetitive, but instead they came out as different as our personalities. They show that no two situations are the same and that there is no single right way to start out. The beauty of farming is that a creative process emerges from the interaction of your personality, your work, and your circumstances. Each farm is an expression of the farmer who created it. When we walk across a farm, we feel the essence of the farmer who works that land. Heather’s chapter is packed with practical advice, Rachel’s evokes the spiritual philosophy that guides her worldview, and Robin’s is full of energy and humour. Then comes a chapter that delves into the ecological, social, and political issues behind our commitment to farming, followed by a collectively written chapter about our marketing business, Saanich Organics. We hope this section will provide inspiration and ideas about how others can co-operate, because it works so well for us.
Heather Stretch: owner of Northbrook Farm and co-owner of Saanich Organics. The first administrator of Saanich Organics.
Lamont Leatherman: Heather’s husband. Geologist and part-time farmer.
Jackson, Walker, and Levi: Heather and Lamont’s children.
Brian and Jane Stretch: Heather’s uncle and aunt, co-owners (with Heather and Lamont) of the property where Northbrook Farm, Square Root Organic Farm, RiseUp Organic Farm, and L.J. are located. They also own and operate Cotyledon Farm (cut flowers and perennials) on this property.
Rachel Fisher: owner of Three Oaks Farm and co-owner of Saanich Organics. L.J. crop coordinator.
Grant Marshall: Rachel’s partner.
Elias and Jade: Rachel and Grant’s children.
Robin Tunnicliffe: owner of Feisty Field Organic Farm and co-owner of Saanich Organics. Media contact and newsletter writer for Saanich Organics.
Andrew Stordy: Robin’s former partner who farmed with Saanich Organics for many years and remains a friend of the farm.
Chrystal Bryson: co-owner of Square Root Organic Farm (sells to Saanich Organics) and part-time administrator of Saanich Organics.
Ilya Amhrein: co-owner of Square Root Organic Farm, Chrystal’s life partner and farming partner.
Melanie Sylvestre: part-time field- and greenhouse-crop manager for L.J. (Saanich Organics). Owner of RiseUp Organics (sells to Saanich Organics).
L.J.: originally, “Long John” was our nickname for the greenhouse that Saanich Organics built on an unused corner of Northbrook Farm property. Gradually, the collective Saanich Organics crops have expanded out of the greenhouse, so the name L.J. now refers to all the crop areas that we grow collectively.
Tim Deighton: Saanich Organics delivery guy extraordinaire.
Tina Baynes: original Saanich Organics co-owner and mentor to all of us, especially Robin and Lamont. Owner of Corner Farm.
Rebecca Jehn: original Saanich Organics co-owner, passionate seed-saver, and mentor to all of us. Owner of Rebecca’s Garden.