In early 2016 we moved onto the land with our young son Felix and immediately began work on the market garden, with the idea that we would start selling vegetables. In August our second child, Cedar, was born on the land, in a home birth, which was just what we wanted – the whole idea was to raise a family on the farm. We also wanted animals as part of the system, both for how I wanted the land to work, and also because I wanted to teach the kids how to be around animals and various skills of animal husbandry. There were already dairy sheep on the land, and kunekune pigs, which I took on the task of looking after in return for a rent reduction.

Once we had some surplus from the market garden, we loaded up the wagon, sunflowers on the front and all the surplus vegetables we could fit in there, the kale and the chard in a bucket of water which made it really heavy, and Felix and I would ring the bell as we pushed the wagon around the neighbourhood, which was an awesome way to get to know everybody and demonstrate our dedication to being on the farm.

So things grew from there, and after a lull year due to some life changes, I saw the community-supported agriculture take right off again, and then there was a shake-up when the owners decided they wanted to sell the land. So there were a few months of uncertainty until a new buyer appeared, Mark Fettes, who I’d gotten to know through the school on Gabriola where I work. That was an interesting time, when I wasn’t sure what the future would hold. But now, as of 2020, the farm is secure, and the garden is thriving and expanding, and many possibilities lie before us.