Facebook page
The Jungle Farm
 |
| The front store |
They grow 2-3 acres of day neutral strawberries, 10-12 acres of veggies (onion, summer/winter squash, artichoke, kale, spinach, cucumber, zucchini, and more), 1 acre saskatoons, and grains. All of their produce is sold directly to market (retail), mostly through the CSA (community supported agriculture started in NE USA), which they became involved in 2 years ago, and the rest through Innisfail Growers.
 |
| Area for kids |
The CSA uses shares where people pay for the products they get for the next weeks or months, and it is cheaper than outright buying as you go. There were 20 members last year, 40 this year, and it is expected to be 60-80 next year. People can also pay in advance and pick it up at the farm. They have you pick options, mostly strawberries, but everything can be sold as Leona says. 
 |
| Shelf of "value added" products |
The only farmers markets they are present at go through Innisfail Growers. They are at the Calgary farmers market as well as others, where Innisfail Growers does a 10% increase on the produce they sell. At the farmers markets Leona mentioned that she thought it was unfair for BC vegetables to be allowed because it takes away from the farmers in Alberta selling the same things. However, she doesn't want to be the only one selling vegetables at a market because it doesn't show the variety in quality.
The only farmers markets they are present at go through Innisfail Growers. They are at the Calgary farmers market as well as others, where Innisfail Growers does a 10% increase on the produce they sell. At the farmers markets Leona mentioned that she thought it was unfair for BC vegetables to be allowed because it takes away from the farmers in Alberta selling the same things. However, she doesn't want to be the only one selling vegetables at a market because it doesn't show the variety in quality. |
| Outdoor sitting area |
To make up for having less products in early spring and fall they buy fruits from BC that don't grow here. They double the price regularly, but the CSA share members get a better price.
The farm is open at different times in the week/day depending on the season. They want to add a new building in the farm to do preserves, which means they could sell more and have a staff member present in the shop area.
 |
| Our class on the wagon |
 |
| The wagon they use for tours |
 |
| Leona Staples driving the tractor |
 |
| Some of the kids equipment |
 |
| Old truck in the field |
Across from their 2 greenhouses they have oats, fava beans, white radish (aerates, similar to alfalfa)which, during winter, disintegrates and leaves holes. None of these get harvested. They are just to feed the soil, stop weeds growing, and cover the land. Oats specifically help with excess phosphorus.
Some information about their other products:
- they rotate the spinach around some smaller plots.
- artichoke and zucchini are grown under plastic with holed hose to maintain moisture.
-
the raspberries are too soft for shipping and market, so they use them
in preserves and pies mostly. They grow them in tunnels which sometimes
allows them to pick into November.
- you can't propagate strawberries in Alberta, so most strawberry seeds come from Nova Scotia or California.
- they grow Spanish onions and Walla Walla onions (which don't store well so they sell them fast).
-
kale is extremely hardy and withstands frost. They had a man from
Europe tell them to let their kale freeze because it becomes sweeter,
but picking it early still makes the same profit so they haven't done
that.
-
she won't charge less than $2/lb for most items, like cucumbers. "It's
$2/lb or $10/5lbs, you can figure out the math yourself".
 |
| Pumping system |
 |
| Greenhouses |
Environmental enhancements: perforated plastic tunnels, hail netting on spinach, raised beds with different colours of plastic on them (for warmth, cold, moisture, evaporation, etc.)
 |
| Leona holding a white radish |
 |
| Artichoke and zucchini |
 |
| Leona with a huge onion |
 |
| Employees and onions |
 |
| Field to rotate spinach |
 |
| Some of the onions were picked already, grow them under plastic |
 |
| Onion field- seed |
  |
| Spinach |
 |
| Everything is grown under plastic |
 |
| Heading to the strawberry fields |
 |
| A whole lot of strawberries |
 |
| Animal pens with 2 adorable goats running around (of course, they always get out) |
 |
| 60 ft slide |
Some tips she gave us:
- sell as you pick and know your price.
- charge for everything, even the random things people ask for
- know Rob Spencer and Doug Robins (I think those are the names) for some reason to do with being experts at one thing or another.
 |
| Pumpkins |
Machines:
- Tubilator to remove weed and grain seed
- Weeders
- Cultivator
- Strawberry planter
- Hillside multivator
 |
| Front store |
Other business information:
- They bring 2000 lbs to the market each week.
- They do use pesticides.
- When the strawberries start to really go bad they get Hutterite colonies (oh which she does not agree with their practices or business ethic) to come and pick everything that is left, including the bad strawberries, at a discounted price.
- Insurance is a difficult thing- it is hard to understand the crops in order to know how much is sold/produced. It costs them $750 a year for insurance (I believe just for the places and things the public is open to).
No comments:
Post a Comment