Welcome curious visitors!

I'm glad you're here to read more about the farm and the farmer behind Mindful Harvest Farm.

Farmer Katherine here - hello!

As I'm writing this blog post, trying to figure out where to start, I realize I've been at this small-scale farming endeavor since 2017. That is a long time now, and while I've learned a lot over the past 6 years (!) I still feel like there are many areas to improve upon as a farmer and as an entrepreneur.

The beginning

It all began back in 2017 when I enrolled in the KPU farm school program. This is when I first dipped my toe into the world of organic farming. Up to that point I dabbled as a backyard gardener and did not come from a farming family. I was curious to learn more about the operations of a working farm and hone the skills to grow crops successfully through a season. The practicum was a great primer for what was to come in the following years.

I was very proud of my backyard tomatoes the summer of 2017.

Incubator farmer years

From 2018-2020, I farmed with two others from the co-hort as First Generation Organics. We leased a 1/2 acre (later a 3/4 acre) parcel from the KPU farm school, and grew primarily veggies using a high-intensity, market-garden approach based on JM Fortier's methods. In the first year we stuck to selling at farmer's markets (which I always recommend to those in their first year of farming). In years two and three we added an 16-week veggie CSA box once we had confidence we could produce enough variety throughout the season for 30 families. The partnership came to a natural end in 2020 - our lease at the farm school was ending and we had met our goals of honing our farming skills. We came away with some amazing experiences, and more confidence in our next steps.

One of the many skills acquired through farm school was learning to use a tractor & bucket.

Farming closer to home

For myself, that next step occurred the following year, in 2021, when I established Mindful Harvest Farm. As a "landless farmer" my goal was to find a property owner to lease a parcel of land from. Luckily, I was able to grow at Rise Over Run Farm, located in the Thornhill neighourhood and a short drive from my house. Katie and Josh are farm school alumni themselves, and are currently raising chickens on pasture for eggs. I am truly appreciative to both of them for giving me a landing pad to figure out what my future farm would look like. In my experience, the search for a suitable land lease takes time, patience, networking, critical thinking... and perhaps a bit of luck.

Growing at Rise Over Run farm in 2021.

In early 2022 I connected with a property owner who had space on his 10-acre farm located in the Webster's Corner neighbourhood of Maple Ridge. He had already established a hazelnut orchard and had a sizable layer flock and was kind enough to show me the areas of the property that would be available if I wanted to use them for growing. This was around late January/early February, and I was starting to worry I might not have a place to farm that year. (Yes, I am a bit of a worrier!) The subsequent meetings were successful and I had a place to farm. It was a blank slate, ready for ideas, and I was excited to envision what Mindful Harvest Farm could become.

Setting up landscape fabric at the new property in 2022.

Establishing a farm is very difficult (and costly) in the first year so really, you have to keep your mind on both the present as well as the near future. I always say that farming is a long-game... and I truly believe this when I saw how significantly our sales increased in our third (and final year) of First Generation Organics. So while I had to start from scratch on so many levels (learning to farm solo & efficiently, building new beds in the fields and building a customer base here in Maple Ridge) apparently I am tenuous (stubborn?) enough to try and achieve it.

Final thoughts (for now)

So that kinda gets you up to speed on my journey as a farmer. I realize I haven't mentioned this entire time that I am a part-time farmer and work full-time at an office job. If you didn't think I was nuts before, perhaps you do now. Yes, it can be difficult to manage office-work, farm-work, family and friends but I do cherish the time spent outside on something that I am really passionate about. If there's one thing I've learned since 2017 is that a passion can fuel you to dream, set goals and execute.

My first Cafe Au Lait dahlia harvested in 2022.

I'm glad you're hear to follow along with the 2023 season... I'm excited for what's to come. If you haven't already, consider signing up for the farm newsletter so you don't miss out on important updates and offerings.

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