Growing a community of farmers: passing on the gift to strengthen local agricultural enterprise

Posted Nov 18, 2010

Farmer Brian Voith with a baby goat from his farm.

EMC Lifestyles – In the age of factory farms and produce trucked in from California, it can be a real challenge for area farmers to get established enough to bring their product to market: enter the New Farm Project.

The NFU’s New Farm Project was founded in 2008, its aim is to strengthen the Kingston area’s farm community and local food system by providing farmers working to produce local food in a sustainable way with the assistance they need to operate profitable farms.

Each year, the project identifies at least eight new farmers and two revisionary farmers to receive a “gift,” funded by Heifer International, of up to $1,000 in value. Generally, the gift comes in the form of livestock, seed, equipment or training.

NFP co-ordinator Ian Stutt explains that the idea behind passing on the gift is not so much about money changing hands as it is about working together to overcome the ongoing income crisis within the farm community.

“It’s a difficult period for farmers in general because costs (of production) are really high and the prices (they can charge for their products) are relatively low,” he says. “This is a way to try and help each other succeed by overcoming those challenges together.”

One farmer involved is Christine Bliss of Sydenham, who recently received a gift from the NFP in the form of artificial insemination training for her dairy goat herd.

Bliss explains that this training will increase the pregnancy rate among her female goats, resulting in a more even flow of milk throughout the year. This development will be important to the future of the farm, as the industry will require a more continuous supply of milk as it expands and grows.

“The other thing is that because we’re a (disease free) herd we’re very limited in terms of the genetics we can bring in,” she says. “So the AI is going to be perfect for us because we can bring genetics from France and breed into this herd.”

Bliss passed on the gift by giving one of her bucks to a young farmer, Brian Voith. The 17-year-old grew up on his parents’ farm in Battersea, and has been interested in becoming a dairy farmer for many years now.

“He’s worked part time on a dairy farm for a few years and really wanted to get into the business, but it’s just too expensive,” explains Brian’s mother Janet. “So we thought after a while that maybe we’d do goats. Brian decided it sounded like a good compromise.”

Brian explains that the gift was financially helpful, as it can be very expensive to purchase such a good quality buck.

“He’s a good buck and has good bloodlines in him, so he will probably help grow my herd,” he adds.

Brian has already put quite a bit of money into the project in order to purchase equipment such as a holding tank for the goat’s milk, which will be useful down the road after herd numbers have been built up enough to begin producing.

He and Janet are optimistic about the venture, Janet notes that although they will not be able to sell the milk directly to the public from the farm, as it will need to be pasteurized, they will be able to sell cheese. Also, many people have already expressed great interest in the prospect of dairy goat products produced close to home.

“People with toddlers who have come and viewed the farm have already told me that they are very interested,” says Janet. “It’s very healthy for kids.”

In addition, Bliss notes that having another producer in South Frontenac will benefit the dairy goat industry in the area as a whole, as it is more apt to attract a processor to set up shop closer to home. Currently, the milk must be shipped out of the region to be processed.

“There can now be a second source of milk,” she says. “If a processor wants to come in, now they know they have two producers here they can rely on. Then it would help the whole circle because if we get a processor in that would enable other farmers to get started.”

Stutt says that this sort of success through helping one another is exactly what the NFP is looking to achieve, adding that “as farmers we’re finding that the way we’re going to have the most success is by building relationships with one another and helping each other out.”

For those interested in learning more about the NFP, a fall gathering will be held on Sunday, Nov. 28 at Golden Links Hall in Harrowsmith from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. You can also visit their website at www.newfarmproject.ca.