Our Farm
Our farm is situated on four acres just north of the Chris Hadfield Airport on the outskirts of Sarnia, Ontario. We are new to the land and eager to unlock the potential our soil has to help feed our families, friends, and community. We are practicing a bio-intensive approach of agriculture that focuses on soil health as the key to growing great produce.
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Students of permaculture design, we are aware that working with nature to create sustainable systems that encourage natural cycles is the best way to approach modern agriculture. Let our farm be an expression of new solutions for how we think about food in our community. Join us in working together to grow something good.
Ryan Slyzuk fell in love with organic farming on Vancouver Island and knew he would have to find some way to keep his hands in the dirt. Working for half a dozen small-scale farmers has afforded him the opportunity to steal their hard earned knowledge, the foundation upon which Taproots was built. Passionate about real food and eager to share, you're as likely to find him in the kitchen as you are in the garden.
Leah Murphy is a lover of nature, animals, and the outdoors. A vet tech by day, she is happy to spend her free time helping out around the homestead. She actually claims to enjoy weeding, and fortunately for her there never seems to be a shortage of work! Fascinated by the seed starting process, Leah is very maternal with our young starts, keeping a close eye on them from germination to transplant.
Kyle Blandford is a hobbiest with many hats. Walking the farm gives you a good idea of Kyle's wide ranging interests; from funky herb varieties, to 20 foot hop plants and three bright yellow bee boxes, one wonders where he finds the time. An avid brewer and baker of artisan loaves, Kyle has a deep interest in fermentation and biological sciences. A university paper on bee colonies sparked a continuing fascination with natures little wonders and he
takes great pleasure in
observing the process
from pollination to harvest.
Katie Kirkland is the proud and protective mother of ten laying hens. "Helloooo Chickies!" she'll be heard singing happily as she visits their coop. Raising them up from palm sized chicks has resulted in a special relationship between the hens and their mother, and it is not unusual to see Katie cradling and petting her birds as you might a small dog. Momma hen is at ease when her flock is safe. Their daily eggs are the reward we all enjoy!
Studying horticulture and working 15 years in the Degroots greenhouse has made Maureen Ballentine our undisputed plant guru. Years of avid gardening have made her into something of a plant whisperer with two green thumbs! Whether pruning ornamentals, discussing tropical perennials, or planting potatos, if it's done in the garden Maureen has an innate ability to give the plant what it needs to survive and thrive. There is no replacement for experience, and we are
fortunate to have hers to
rely on every time a
question crops up.
