Raymond Loo is one of a kind! To begin with, he grows dandelions, rabbit food, has goals to be as carbon-neutral as possible, and thinks farming is incredibly exciting as a career.
Raymond Loo manages the 250-acre family farm in Springfield, PEI, with help from his younger brother Ricky. Springwillow Farms is owned by their mother Joyce, whose family has lived on the original farm since it was homesteaded in 1841. When Gerrit Loo, Raymond’s father, emigrated from the Netherlands in 1953 he bought the adjacent farm and married Joyce, the girl next door. Of their seven children, 4 are involved directly in farming, Gerrit and Joyce seem to have successfully passed on the farming gene.
Springwillow Farms is truly a mixed operation, with an array of animals and vegetable crops. There is a herd of certified organic Aberdeen Angus cattle, poultry of all sorts, and during the summer a few young pigs being raised for market. There is the customary orchard with apples, plums, cherries and pears, as well as a range of small fruit including currants, gooseberries and raspberries. Not to forget a large market garden, and of course, lots of varieties of potatoes.
Raymond is an avid nature lover. This is reflected in all aspects of his farming decisions: Hay cutting has to wait until the small birds have fledged from nests in his fields. A pond in the back of the farm, dug many years ago for watering cattle, has turned into a wildlife haven. To enhance this pond, a corridor of tall grass is left between it and the woods nearby so that small animals can safely reach the pond. Windbreaks are being replanted in order to slow the wind and provide shelter and nesting habitat. And in his fields, Raymond watches the plants for insects, knowing that the beneficial insects must be protected and encouraged. “It makes you feel good when you’re within nature, working in harmony with it. As a farmer, you’re job is to grow or at least that’s what I think we’re supposed to be doing. At some point we got into the killing business, but I’m doing my best to stay in the growing business,” says Raymond.
The poultry and cattle found at Springwillow Farm are all free range, and fencing is erected to keep them out of key areas rather than containing them. Even the pigs get the chance to go outside and use their noses to root up everything in their path.
Although most of the marketing is directly to the customer, through two farmer’s markets and restaurant sales, Raymond has also been an organic berry exporting pioneer by setting up an export market for Island berry growers called Anne’s Farm. In order to provide customers with the greatest range of products, and to develop expertise in growing certain crops, Raymond and Ricky work with two of their sisters, Joyce and Margie, who also have certified organic farms on PEI. In fact, Raymond has spent a lot of his farming career organizing other farmers in cooperative efforts for marketing and growing, from participating in his own family’s efforts (they have a combined market stall at the Charlottetown Farmer’s Market called Island Sunshine) to encouraging other PEI farmers to plant organic berries for the export market.
Although potatoes have been a major focus of Springwillow Farms' operation for many years, the acreage in potato production has never been large. “My interest is in the specialty market,” says Raymond, “and in finding cultivars especially suited to organic production in our Maritime climate.” Berries have been his focus for the past few years, but knowing Raymond, he’ll think of something new soon enough.
For future plans, Raymond is excited to investigate and practice horse-farming to achieve his goals of carbon-neutrality and will continue to explore different crops for the Maritime region. A true organic farming enthusiast, Raymond has inspired many Island farmers to consider more sustainable methods of agriculture.
