Photo by Ronda Payne
Laurica Farm
Cathy Finley of Laurica Farm in south Langley, B.C., where they put the fun back into food production.
Small-scale farmers and growers often offer agri-tourism activities and events on the farm in order to get their name, products and the business of growing and farming in front of consumers, but just how many events are too many? For Cathy Finley of Laurica Farm in south Langley, B.C., there might not be such a thing as too many.
Events for Laurica started in May with a Cinco de Mayo festival and will progress to include a pop-up fermented dinner, the Sausage Sizzle, Canada Day celebration at a neighbouring winery, an Art Exhibition and Gong Show, the Forage long table dinner with neighbours Glorious Organics, the Pork Palooza (featuring the Mistresses of Meat) and to cap it off, Laurica will host the Metro Vancouver Feast of Fields on Sept. 11 with a little help from Glorious Organics.
Farm Implements
In case of zombies!
Perhaps even crazier than taking all this on is the fact that Laurica is just 5 acres, about three acres are planted with fruits and vegetables. This farm, however, packs a mighty punch. In addition to the orchard, greenhouse and other spots filled with fruits and vegetables, the Finley family grows cut flowers alongside chickens, heritage pigs, goats and ducks, while partner farmers volunteer time to help on the farm in exchange for space for an herb garden and sheep farming. To appeal to families, there is also a petting zoo and fairy garden nestled in the picturesque setting.
“What we’re talking about here is symbiotic relationships,” Finley says.
Laurica Farm is an exercise in making use of what others may not value. Cathy has a passion for reusing materials, like using food that may end up in the landfill for pig feed, discarded packaging for composting or miscellaneous dumpster bound materials for building projects, The mesh over the orchard is a prime example.
“It’s reclaimed netting from BC Place,” says Finley of the mesh. “It creates something of a micro-climate.”
The rows of soft fruit trees and vines have vegetables planted in between making use of as much space as possible. There are varying layers of canopies for fruits and nuts in the orchard and Finley describes it as an acre done in different styles. It includes: peaches, pears, plums, apples, cherries, blueberries, raspberries, logan berries and goji berries along with the vegetables and nuts.
“We have a view to build a food forest,” notes Finley. “Currently, there are a lot of heritage varieties like Cox’s orange pippins. We are always looking for varieties that pollinate each other or self-pollinate.”
To speed pollination along, there are two hives on the farm. This helps with the heirloom varieties that are traditionally pollinated. To assist with insects, fertilization and soil management, chickens range freely in the netted orchard.
“I think it’s important to protect heirloom varieties as much as we can,” she adds. “And we are putting an emphasis on using animals instead of heavy machinery.”
The pigs do the same job for the soil in the vegetable fields as the chickens do for the orchard and other growing spaces.
“The vegetables always follow the pigs around,” Finley says. “I don’t know why anyone farms without pigs.”
The Finleys are focused on very intensive growing in something that looks like spin farming, but on a much larger scale. It’s all about a fast flip, but without sacrificing any of the quality.
“We grow a lot in a small space,” she notes. “The soil is really fertile because of the piggies.”
The way the Finleys manage Laurica certainly tells a story, but the aspect of direct education is never far off, whether it’s a conversation with a visitor, or a talk with a tour group or explanations about the food to dinner guests.
“We’re focused a lot on the event and education piece,” she says. “Having people coming out for a meal tells its own message.
“Sending people to places like this changes the way people think about food,” Finley says. “It also promotes good agricultural practices. The momentum has shifted, people are coming out to visit. They want to be involved in the journey.”
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Cathy Finley
Cathy Finley with her lamb.
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Chickens
Laurica Farm Chickens
While the practices are organic, the farm isn’t certified as such as Finley doesn’t want to pass that cost onto her customers. Instead, she prefers to invite people to the farm to see how things are done and decide on their own if this is the way they want their food to be grown. ■
http://lauricafarm.com