Mountaindale Farms
Mountaindale Farms, owned and operated by Richard and Heather Brown, is located in Bloomfield, Kings County (which is halfway between Saint John and Sussex New Brunswick). Richard’s grandfather had originally started the farm in 1943 and, in 1978, Richard took it over.
Mountaindale Farms is over 800 acres, producing a variety of vegetables and berries. But it is their grass-fed beef which is their main focus.
Mountaindale Farms had been a dairy farm, however they were too many problems with the cattle, so they began to concentrate on the beef herd. All the beef at the farm is now certified organic and grass-fed, providing excellent health benefits to customers. Beef is sold the side, box, or individual cuts.
Initially, Richard liked what he heard at an organic conference and found that by farming organically, his herd health improved greatly. Richard also notes that with vegetables and berries, if you are going to spray synthetic sprays, “you’re going to have to be out in it”. For these reasons, Richard and Heather chose to certify the farm; and it gives them piece of mind to know they have healthy soil and land. “These are things that you can’t put a monetary value on,” says Richard.
Richard and Heather primarily sell their products at their on-farm market stand, called Farmer Brown’s Market, during the summer and from the house during the off-season. This is one of the few organic market stands in Atlantic Canada, but they decided to try it because they get a fair amount of traffic on their road. In addition to drive-by customers, they also advertise through a local newsletter and through their website. And, as their stand began to get more customers, they were able to expand.
”We get a lot of older customers from Saint John,” says Richard. ”But as the gas prices have gone up, there’s a lot less traffic on the road”.
Life on an organic farm is never easy - weather is always unpredictable and insects and weeds a constant battle. ”There isn’t the range of organic pest control products the United States have, so we are always trying new techniques,” says Richard. One other notable challenge is educating the consumer to the benefits of organic products, and why they cost more than conventional. Finally, Richard would like to see many more farmers get involved before it’s too late. “It’s only a few years until an entire generation of farmers is gone,” he says.
Visit Mountaindale Farm at www.mountaindalefarm.com
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