Words Jo Barnes
Photos Sarah Hartley Photography
“House of Orange Farm” is an unusual name. Often a farm’s name will reflect a feature or product of that farm, but with House of Orange Farm on Oldfield Road, the name does more than that.
Erik Beerepoot and Kaitlyn Matulewicz chose a name to shine a light on what they hope to successfully cultivate and also family heritage. “The farm name has a double meaning. I spent most of my youth living in the Netherlands but emigrated to Canada when my parents wanted to expand their dairy operation and bought a farm in southern Ontario,” adds Erik. “Orange is the national colour of the Netherlands and we started the farm with the intention of growing citrus.”
Kaitlyn adds: “We wanted the farm name to stand out and to be a name that people could remember.” The couple bought the current three-acre property four years ago. Since then, along with growing a family, the new farmers have been growing their practical skills on their way to achieving their ultimate dream of farming citrus and flowers. Erik has been hard at work establishing a viable citrus stock while Kaitlyn has been cultivating flowers to market. The two crops complement each other.
“March to October is harvest time for the flowers with downtime in the winter. Citrus is ready to harvest in winter during January and February,” says Kaitlyn. “So, it’s a good balance between the two crops.”
It was the gift of a lime tree from Kaitlyn and the taste of a unique orange one day that prompted Erik’s initial interest in citrus. The discovery of an online video by a local Peninsula citrus grower provided further inspiration and proof that citrus farming was viable on the Peninsula. “My love for citrus was sparked by tasting Sumo Citrus, a large, easily peelable mandarin with great flavour,” shares Erik. “I discovered videos by Bob Duncan and Jane Squier about growing citrus on Vancouver Island and Salt Spring, and since then I’ve always preferred challenges over easy paths, the idea of growing marginal crops for our climate zone really appealed to me.”
Off the farm, Erik is a full-time software engineer and spends his spare time building the farm infrastructure and cultivating citrus. Currently, while not yet ready for marketing to customers, a diversity of young citrus stock grow in large heated greenhouses both onsite and offsite at another family acreage. “We’ve now grown our collection to 16 varieties of citrus including blood oranges, sumo citrus, lemons, limons, and four varieties of satsumas,” comments Erik. “What excites me about citrus is the variety of flavours and the fact that it’s winter-harvested when fresh local options are scarce.”
Meanwhile, since 2024, Kaitlyn has been successfully trying her hand at growing flowers and bringing them to marketplace. The types of flowers have expanded over time, and, as seems fitting, there are always orange ones in the mix. “I started with annuals like cosmos and zinnias in the first season and then progressed to more complicated flowers including lisianthus, dahlias, sweet peas, ranunculi, daffodil and tulips,” relates Kaitlyn. “I also grow various dried flowers such as strawflower, paper flower, amaranth and
winged everlasting.”
Kaitlyn has learned a lot along the way, as she endeavours to grow flowers in an eco-friendly way. “I try to grow flowers in a sustainable way. This goes to our core farming values,” she says. “We use fish fertilizer and bring in beneficial insects through Applied Bionomics rather than using pesticides.”
Flowers are sold at the farm stand and as part of wedding and special event services. Kaitlyn creates bridal bouquets, boutonnieres, centrepieces and “bouquet bars” which allow guests to build their own bud vases. Her flower venture provides income, establishes a client base, and ties in with the couple’s vision of offering fresh local produce.
For Kaitlyn, though, flower farming is deeply personal. She reflects on her love of flowers, which goes back to childhood. “I remember when I was six, I loved watering the rosebush outside my childhood home and looking at the grocery store flowers while my mom was at the checkout. When I was 10 or 11, I babysat my neighbour’s young children. The mom had a cutting garden and would name the flowers for me. She often let me bring flowers home to my mom, who was terminally ill. It meant so much to me.”
At this time of year, Kaitlyn is busy creating beautiful wreaths and bouquets with flowers she has harvested and dried while Erik is keeping his eye on the citrus crop which very soon will be ready for harvesting. With farming tasks to do, the festive season ahead, and a vibrant three-year-old future farmer in the midst, it all makes for a very busy House of Orange. Erik and Kaitlyn wouldn’t have it any other way.
www.houseoforange.farm
