Nature’s Bounty
For Joyce Kelly, organic farming is a family affair. “My father first got certified in ’95,” remembers Joyce, “He just thought it was the way to go, and I think it was.”
The late Gerrit Loo was a pioneer of Canadian organic potato breeding and active supporter of PEI's organic movement. Today, three of Gerrit and Joyce Loo's seven children have their own organic farms, including Joyce Kelly, Raymond Loo (Springwillow Farm), and Margie Loo (Elderflower Organic Farm), all on Prince Edward Island.
Joyce and her husband Mike operate Nature’s Bounty, the family farm that Mike grew up on in Mount Stewart. The couple used to rent out land, but people weren’t interested in renting the smallest fields, so Mike and Joyce started using them. They are now growing about four and a half acres of mixed vegetables, strawberries, and grain crops.
Most of the vegetables are sold at the Charlottetown Farmers’ Market, where Joyce shares a table and equipment with her brother and sister. They take turns at the market, allowing some relief from the commitment that a regular market stall requires. They also try to grow cooperatively, with each one taking on a specialty to ensure product diversity - from beef to eggs to vegetables to herbs.
Joyce sells a lot of carrots and onions, along with squash, turnips, and parsnips. She mentions that, “Not a lot of people grow organic parsnips. Not a lot of people grow parsnips around here, period, so I sell a lot.”
Although Joyce decided to certify with Maritime Certified Organic Growers (MCOG) because she felt that was simply the way things should be, she finds that being organic has additional advantages. For one, growing organically doesn’t aggravate her chemical sensitivity. Also, people at the farmers’ market realize the importance of growing organically. “It’s a lot of work,” says Joyce, “but I think people really appreciate our produce. We were even sent a letter of appreciation. It makes it all worth it.”
Nature’s Bounty is also unique in the sense that, though they have no livestock, Joyce and Mike do cut hay to use for making compost. They mix the hay with mussel mud, sawdust and, if they can get them, lobster bodies. “Nobody else around here is composting,” says Joyce.
Like many organic producers, Joyce mentions that weed control is always a challenge. For instance, Mike and Joyce have tried planting closer together to prevent weeds, but the plants don’t do as well. They now use a Reigi Weeder, which is pulled behind the tractor and has controls to maneuver it in and around plants. “When you know what you’re doing, you can get really close to the plant to pull weeds,” says Joyce.
“Every year has new challenges, every year we try new methods of doing things...sometimes they work, and sometimes they don’t,” but judging by the success of Nature’s Bounty, it seems that Joyce’s approach is working.
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