We first met in Vancouver BC while both of us were Canadian Armed Forces members. Catherine is still serving while Broderick retired in 2023. Service to our country and service to our community are a priority for us and a driving force behind who we are and what we do. A few years ago we decided that we needed to be 'the change we wished to see' and started with a simple idea: become better stewards of this planet through sustainable living. We started small while living in an urban setting; changing out light bulbs, shower heads, decreasing our water usage, and growing more of our own food. Some of you may even remember us as 'Sustainable Suburbanites', which is where this all began. Now that we've moved out of the city and have created our own little homestead, Sustainable Microfarm, we're even better equipped to meet our goals. In case you were wondering "why microfarm?", a microfarm is classified in Canada as less than 5 acres. We're even smaller, managing to do what we do on 2 acres, only using about 2/3 of an acre of that space for our crops. We often get asked what sustainability means to us; it means that we will leave this earth with as small of a footprint as we can, or potentially none at all, and try to leave this place better than we found it. So, how do we 'walk the talk'? First of all we are plant-based, so we don't consume or use any animal products or bi-products, such as eggs or dairy. We know that the meat, poultry and dairy industries are having the most critical impact on climate change at this time, so that's what we changed first. We are also strong proponents of regenerative land management practices, which are based on a set of principles and techniques that aim to improve the health of the soil, water, and air. These practices can help reverse climate change, improve the resilience of ecosystems, and increase the economic viability of farmers. We are constantly adding and adapting farming practices such as utilizing cover crops, companion planting, natural pest control, organic weed management, perennial crops, permaculture and we're now experimenting with several no-till methods to build soil biodiversity. Most recently, we introduced solar-power to all our outbuildings on the farm, and built our new workshop out of steel, which is 100% recyclable. We also purchased an Electric Vehicle (EV) to use as our daily driver, and the farm truck has been downsized with a more economical engine. We fully understand that some things can't be avoided just yet, like our home heating, mini-tractor or back-up generator, which need fossil fuels to run, but when we have the money to afford the latest technology we roll it right back into the farm and our daily living practices, to ensure we keep reducing our footprint. Anyone who knows us knows that we LOVE food so when we say "feeding ourselves first", we don't just mean the two of us. We love to share our passions, so we grow enough food for us to eat throughout the year, and share the surplus with the community at typically cheaper than grocery store prices. Our produce is grown with the soil's health in mind. We grow our food without any pesticides, herbicides, or anything else that contemporary farming practices use which depletes the land. That way you're getting a local product that's "Farm Fresh" and have the peace of mind to know that it's safe to feed the whole family. We use traditional methods of dehydrating, fermenting, pickling, sealing, and cellaring with our preserves, which is why we get so many great reviews from our customers. In addition to our fresh and preserved produce we also make skin care products and artisan wood crafts. Catherine makes artisan soaps with all natural and/or organic ingredients, which are perfect for those with sensitive skin, while Broderick is a trained wood craftsman and makes many of his projects with sustainably sourced wood from local arborists. It's just the two of us and we put lots of love and careful thought into everything we do. We hope you enjoy all that we have to offer and share your experience at the farm with others. We're always happy to tell you more about our little slice of paradise, or even take you on a quick tour.
