Like the old saying, when opportunity knocks, don’t be afraid to answer the door.
Heather Stretch, owner of Northbrook Farm, accepted an opportunity to farm years ago and hasn’t looked back since.
The opportunity came in the form of a phone call from an aunt and uncle who asked if Heather would be interested in farming on their 20-acre Central Saanich property off Mount Newton Cross Road.
“It was the mid 1990s and one day, out of the blue, they called me about the farm,” shares Heather. “I was the niece, the outdoorsy one, and I had not yet set up my career path.”
While drawn to the idea of farming work, Heather was living in Alberta and engaged in academic studies. “I had completed my Bachelor’s degree in English literature and had just applied for the Master’s program.” she says. “I had to put the farm offer on hold.”
Eventually in 2000, she began her farm journey by starting Northbrook Farm. She also became a co-owner of the larger property, along with her husband, Lamont Leatherman, and Brian and Jane Stretch. The property today is a very busy green space, home to three other farms.
While she always loved the outdoors and had enjoyed seasonal activities like tree planting work, Heather had no prior farming experience. “I had never grown anything in my life,” she states. “But, I was drawn to work that changed seasonally, work using both my body and brain.”
In order to learn the basics and get up to speed about farming, Heather attended night school and studied organic farming at Camosun College. There she was inspired by her teachers. “My two teachers were mentors,” shares Heather. “There was Mary Alice Johnson who owns ALM Farm in Sooke and Tina Baines, who is now retired.”
Right out of the gate, Heather faced challenges. “In the first season, I was totally overwhelmed,” she shares. “I read lots of books. I didn’t know what I was doing!”
By spring 2001, the initial vegetable seeds were in the ground. She grew chard, beets, beans and carrots. In the second year, Heather contended with issues like weed control. She persevered, however, and continued to learn about soil quality and other essentials of successful farming.
“It all starts with the healthy long term ecosystem of soil,” says Heather. “We plant cover crops to increase organic matter, introduce organic compost to build fertility into the soil, and rotate crops to avoid pest and disease. We have laying hens, and they move through the field where an area is resting for a year.”
Northbrook Farm has evolved since those initial days of just a few crops: today it grows a wide diversity of produce including blueberries, chard, kale, beets, beans, turnips, zucchini, parsley, carrots and fennel. The farm stand is open Sunday and Tuesday from 9:30 am to dusk.
A key to success has been resolving one question: how does a farmer successfully distribute produce? The answer came through connecting with other farmers and the result was the formation of Saanich Organics, a community of growers who are dedicated to the goals of certified organic farming. Heather co-owns Saanich Organics, along with Rachel Fisher of Three Oaks Farm and Robin Tunnicliffe of Sea Bluff Farm.
“I began partnering with others to run Saanich Organics to facilitate distribution,” says Heather. “It was a valuable way to access locally-grown produce year round and was a valuable outlet for our own produce.”
While Saanich Organics began with a home delivery box program in which customers signed up to receive fresh produce, the business has expanded over time. “Since starting it, it has grown to include sales to restaurants and retailers and also a seed company,” says Heather. “We grow crops to produce seeds.”
In both running Northbrook Farm and collaborating in Saanich Organics, persistence has been the common denominator. “Quitting has never been an option,” she says. “I put one foot in front of the other. For every failure there are successes!”
A love of the land and the potential it holds underlines her work.
“I really like what emerges from the soil and from the seeds planted,” remarks Heather. “The excitement and promise of renewal; it never ceases to be thrilling.”
Learning how to farm, making mistakes, and reaching markets; it has been a journey that has reaped the rewards of community connections.
“I love the people brought into my life through farming,” shares Heather, adding with a smile: “Some of the farmhands here have now moved on and have farms of their own.”
She opened a door of opportunity over 20 years ago. In doing so, Heather discovered that hard work can bring harvest from the land and lifelong connections in life.
