Hey everyone, we are applying for the @themarketgardeners Masterclass Scholarship for 2024! Wish us luck.
We are Little Farm Cart, my name is Heather. Since 2022 we have been offering weekly Farm Baskets and have attended a few pop-up Farmers Markets. This Spring we had a plant sale and just recently had a Farm & Garden tour. We offer locally-grown fresh vegetables from mid-June to late October. We are in the process of learning, building, expanding our grow space and our client base.
My husband Paul and I have always considered ourselves gardeners. We live on a 2.5 acre hobby Farm. We have three ponies, a horse, laying hens and three Patterdale Terriers.
Our son, Brennan, studied culinary arts at George Brown College in Toronto. He is currently working under Chef Mitch Lacombe at Gitanes, a French inspired restaurant, in Ottawa. We appreciate beautiful food and totally get the Farm to table experience concept. There is nothing more satisfying about planting a seed, seeing it flourish, then bringing it to the table as a delicious meal prepared from our produce directly from our own gardens.
My husband and son both have full time jobs, and contribute as much as they can—while my full time job is the farm.
Farming has been a bit of a challenge for us, as our property is mostly sand.
How I got into Growing
Gardening on our farm started with a few raised beds and a 30’ x 30’ garden. It began as a way to bring joy, promotes health, and connect with nature while providing fresh, home-grown produce. But, I wanted to know more…
I started learning as much as I could online. Inspired by these incredible individuals: Eliot Coleman , Charles Dowding, Jean-Martin Fortier, and Richard Perkins. We decided to use no-dig, no-til methods and follow the market garden approach. I watched hours of Youtube video and purchased Jean-Martin book back in the winter of 2021, and read it cover to cover. This is my go to reference book! We built 30” rows with a cardboard base and added 8” of compost, with 18” wood chip isles. We ordered a few trucks loads of compost, and added manure from our own horses and a neighbours manure pile.
The Market Gardener: A Successful Grower’s Handbook for Small-Scale Organic Farming
We want to promote living soil by composting and using no till methods. We have added truckloads of compost and Triple Garden mix to our sandy soil. We use organic fertilizers to feed our tomatoes and peppers. We use the byproducts from the animals and gardens to produce the best possible compost we are able to for top dressing the gardens. We would love to learn more about soil health, crop planning, pest management, and organic farming techniques.
In January of 2022 we started taking down a tree line on the east side of our property. We had plans to put the high garden there as it had the most sun throughout the day. In the spring, we added a 50’x30’ plot and after finally removing the tree line—added the 100’x30’ plot. Last year, 2023 we added a 32’x72’ high tunnel frame.
We added an 8′ x 72′ Flower garden along the side of the Tunnel to attract pollinators. We have two active bee hives on the property.
This year we completed the High Tunnel garden, but still need to complete the structure itself. We have the plastic, the roll-up sides, the front wall with slider doors from Guy Tessier, and found a used garage door for the north wall. We have all the pieces, we just don’t have the time to get it all done. We are hoping to complete it before the fall.
Next Spring we plan to add an additional 32’x30′ plot in front of the High tunnel. We would also like to add a caterpillar tunnel for season extension to get an early start on some spring produce such as: Salad, Spinach, Brassicas, carrots.
Why we Farm
We farm because we want to know where our food comes from. We want to know how it was grown. We want to know what goes into it. We enjoy growing beautiful looking and tasting produce. I want to know what I am eating and the best way to do this is to grow what I want to eat. This way, I know exactly what my family and I are eating. We try to include something from the garden with every meal that we eat.
Additionally, we have discovered from our friends and neighbours, more and more, people are looking for locally grown high quality food for their families. We are excited to be able to offer our produce to them.
Growing local produce makes sense for many reasons. It supports the local economy by keeping money within the community. Environmentally, it reduces carbon emissions from transportation while cutting down on packaging waste. Local produce is fresher, tastier, more nutritious, harvested at peak ripeness and free from long-term storage preservatives. Additionally, it fosters a sense of community, connecting us to our neighbours. By growing our own produce, we aim to be more self-reliant, ensuring a sustainable and resilient food supply during the grow season for our family, friends and neighbours. We want to farm to be a business and generate money through selling farm fresh produce, eggs and raw honey via @littlefarmcart. We also donate food to the local food bank as more and more people are relying on them. This also helps reduce food waste when we have additional produce which did not sell or when we have too much for ourselves.
Why I would like to win a Market Gardeners Masterclass scholarship
Participating in the Market Gardeners Masterclass @themarketgardeners is an investment in our farming future. The knowledge, skills, and connections gained through the masterclass @marketgardenerinstitute will help us enhance our farming practices, achieve sustainable growth, and ultimately reach our farming goals. I am looking to improve to maximize yields and quality of our farm fresh products, increase efficiency, scheduling and prioritization—as it is just the three of us working the farm. I would like to expand our production so that we may expand our market presence. I know the masterclass has the tools and insights needed for success.
While Paul and Brennan contribute as much as they can, they are only available after their work days, or on weekends, to help me around the farm—which makes getting things done incredibly challenging at times.
Prioritizing tasks becomes even more difficult when every job feels urgent, from planting and harvesting to maintenance and tending to the animals. Not to mention finishing a High Tunnel build. The sheer volume of responsibilities requires planning and constant juggling to ensure nothing is overlooked. Balancing these demands while keeping the farm running smoothly and efficiently is a continuous struggle. But it’s also a testament to the dedication, resilience, and hard work that goes into maintaining our little farm. We all have a very strong work ethic, work hard, get results.
Market Gardeners Masterclass will provide me with the tools I need to be successful, expand our production and maximize the small scale farm — that we call home.
#themarketgardenescholarship @marketgardenerinstitute @themarketgardeners