Organic Honours
Organic Co-op honours farmers of the year
Marc and Sally Bernard have been honoured as the “farmers of the Year” by the P.E.I. Certified Organic Producers Co-operative.
Nestled in what Marc likes to call “buckle of the potato belt” in Freetown, the couple has converted a conventional potato farm into an organic grain and livestock operation that goes by the corporate name of Barnyard Organics.
Mark and Sally both knew they wanted to make their living by farming. They both grew up on a farm (he in Lower Freetown, she in New Brunswick), and when they met while studying at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College.
They decided to pursue opportunities outside of conventional agriculture, and quickly settled on organics, which had been of longstanding interest to both of them. “We both knew that although conventional farming was working for a lot of people, it wasn’t working for even more and we wanted to try something different,” explains Mark.
The production of organic grains and oilseeds continues to be the main focus of the 550 acre farm but Sally brought with her to PEI a love for raising livestock and took the opportunity to diversify the farm further. The farm produces certified organic grain, soybeans, hay, chicken, and eggs. While grains are the focus of the farm, their farm specialty is without a doubt Sally’s fresh lamb from her flock of 25 Polled Dorset ewes.
The sheep are all pasture raised and as young lambs receive a diet of organic oats and soybean to produce a flavorful lamb product that is certified organic. The couple takes great pride in the fact that they grow all of their own feed, so they know exactly where everything comes from.
Mark’s parents still live on the farm and his father, a former potato farmer, is a great help. Though he had struggled with the idea of organics at first, Mark’s father has come around over the years. “I used to do that as a kid,” he says while learning about new organic methods.
“It seems to me,” says Mark, “that I’m starting to farm more and more like my grandfather did, which generally seems more sustainable and more viable.”
The young couple is bound to have an exciting farming career on the Island; while they are successfully revitalizing their little corner in Freetown, their efforts extend beyond. They are both active volunteers in the organic and farming community; Mark is involved with the Certified Organic Producer’s Co-op, and both are active members of Young Farmers of PEI.
