08/25/2026
Why did we decide to start a farm? đŸđ€
If someone had asked us a few years ago where we saw ourselves in the future, we probably never would have answered, âOn a farm.â
Yet thatâs exactly where life has led us.
It all started with Dallas.đšđ»âđŒ
The day he was born, the way I looked at life changed completely. For the first time, I found myself asking what kind of childhood I wanted to give him.
I wanted him to grow up with room to run, build forts in the woods, explore nature, care for animals, and learn values that are often best taught through everyday life on a farm.
I also wanted him to understand that animals are more than something nice to look at. They depend on us. Every single day, rain or shine, they need food, fresh water and proper care. A farm teaches responsibility, patience, respect and hard work in a way that few other places can.
When Ashley came into our lives this past winter, I shared that vision with her. To my surprise, she didnât just understand itâshe embraced it. Before long, it became our shared dream.
We didnât simply want to buy a house in the country.
We wanted to build a life with purpose.
As we explored different farming opportunities, we discovered something that surprised us.
Canada still imports a large portion of the lamb consumed across the country, mainly from Australia and New Zealand, while demand continues to grow and there are not enough sheep producers to meet itâespecially here in New Brunswick.
We looked at each other and asked,
Why not us?
Sheep turned out to be exactly the kind of project we were looking for. Theyâre well suited to a family farm, easier to manage than cattle, and they allow even a young child to become involved from the very beginning.
After weeks of research, one breed kept standing out.
The Dorper sheep đ
Why?
Because theyâre hardy.
Because theyâre calm and easy to handle.
Because they thrive on pasture.
Because they naturally shed their wool, reducing the need for shearing.
Because theyâre outstanding mothers.
And above all, because theyâre known worldwide for producing tender, high-quality lamb with an excellent meat yield.
For us, it was the obvious choice.
Weâre still at the very beginning of this journey.
Weâre learning every day.
Weâre making mistakes.
Weâre celebrating small victories.
And little by little, weâre building something weâre proud of.
Our dream isnât to become the biggest farm.
Our dream is much simpler.
To raise healthy animals.
To produce high-quality lamb right here in New Brunswick.
To contribute, in our own way, to local agriculture.
And one day, hopefully, to see restaurants proudly serving lamb raised just a few kilometres away instead of imported from the other side of the world.
And if Dallas grows up remembering a childhood filled with nature, responsibility and unforgettable moments on the farmâŠ
Then every bit of this journey will have been worth it.
Thank you for following along.
This is only the beginning. â€ïžđ
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Pourquoi avons-nous dĂ©cidĂ© de partir une ferme? đŸđ€
Si on nous avait demandĂ© il y a quelques annĂ©es oĂč on se voyait dans le futur, on nâaurait probablement jamais rĂ©pondu : « Sur une ferme. »
Et pourtant, câest exactement lĂ oĂč la vie nous a amenĂ©s.
Tout a commencĂ© avec Dallas. đšđ»âđŒ
Le jour oĂč il est venu au monde, ma façon de voir la vie a complĂštement changĂ©. Pour la premiĂšre fois, je me suis demandĂ© quel genre dâenfance je voulais lui offrir.
Je voulais quâil puisse courir dans les champs sans regarder lâheure, construire des cabanes dans le bois, observer les animaux, apprendre Ă respecter la nature et grandir avec des valeurs qui, selon moi, se transmettent beaucoup plus facilement Ă la campagne.
Je voulais aussi quâil comprenne quâavoir des animaux, ce nâest pas seulement les trouver beaux. Câest une responsabilitĂ©. Chaque matin, chaque soir, beau temps ou mauvais temps, ils comptent sur nous pour ĂȘtre nourris, avoir de lâeau et recevoir les soins dont ils ont besoin.
Câest une Ă©cole de vie.
Lorsque Ashley est entrĂ©e dans nos vies cet hiver, je lui ai partagĂ© cette vision. Ă ma grande surprise, elle ne lâa pas seulement comprise⊠elle lâa adoptĂ©e. TrĂšs rapidement, ce rĂȘve est devenu le nĂŽtre.
On ne voulait pas simplement acheter une maison en campagne.
On voulait bĂątir quelque chose qui aurait un sens.
En commençant nos recherches, on sâest intĂ©ressĂ©s Ă plusieurs productions agricoles. Puis, on est tombĂ©s sur les chiffres concernant lâindustrie ovine au Canada.
On a dĂ©couvert quâune grande partie de lâagneau consommĂ© au pays est encore importĂ©e, principalement dâAustralie et de Nouvelle-ZĂ©lande. Pourtant, la demande continue dâaugmenter et il manque encore de producteurs pour y rĂ©pondre, particuliĂšrement ici, au Nouveau-Brunswick.
On sâest regardĂ©s et on sâest dit :
Pourquoi pas nous?
Les moutons reprĂ©sentaient exactement le genre de projet quâon recherchait. Ils sont bien adaptĂ©s Ă une ferme familiale, plus faciles Ă gĂ©rer que des bovins et permettent Ă toute la famille de participer, y compris un petit garçon curieux qui veut dĂ©jĂ aider.
AprĂšs plusieurs semaines de recherches, une race revenait constamment.
Le mouton Dorper đ
Pourquoi?
Parce quâil est robuste.
Parce quâil est reconnu pour son tempĂ©rament calme et docile.
Parce quâil profite trĂšs bien des pĂąturages.
Parce quâil perd naturellement sa laine, ce qui rĂ©duit les besoins en tonte.
Parce que les brebis sont dâexcellentes mĂšres.
Et surtout parce que sa viande est reconnue partout dans le monde pour sa qualité, sa tendreté et son excellent rendement.
Pour nous, câĂ©tait le choix Ă©vident.
Aujourdâhui, on est encore au dĂ©but de cette aventure.
On apprend chaque jour.
On fait des erreurs.
On célÚbre les petites victoires.
Et surtout, on bĂątit tranquillement quelque chose dont on est fiers.
Notre rĂȘve nâest pas de devenir la plus grosse ferme.
Notre rĂȘve est beaucoup plus simple.
Ălever des animaux en santĂ©.
Produire un agneau de qualité ici, au Nouveau-Brunswick.
Contribuer, Ă notre façon, Ă lâagriculture locale.
Et un jour, espĂ©rons-le, voir un restaurant de chez nous servir de lâagneau Ă©levĂ© Ă quelques kilomĂštres de sa cuisine plutĂŽt que de lâagneau importĂ© de lâautre cĂŽtĂ© du monde.
Si, en plus, Dallas grandit en gardant le souvenir dâune enfance remplie de nature, de responsabilitĂ©s et de beaux moments passĂ©s Ă la fermeâŠ
Alors tout ça aura valu la peine.
Merci de suivre notre aventure.
Ce nâest que le dĂ©but. â€ïžđ