Words Jo Barnes
Photos Sarah Hartley Photography
A good story is a lot like a good farm: they both need a great plot. While a story’s plot relies on action, characters and ideas, a farm’s success depends on the approach, effort and dedication of its farmers to their plot … of land.
Tyler Browne and Emily Harris own The Plot Market Garden in Saanich, and their story is one of a shared passion for farming and the pursuit of sustainability and community resilience. “The Plot Market Garden is a small-scale farm with a big mission,” relates Tyler. “We believe that food grown on Vancouver Island should be available on local grocery stores shelves – reducing reliance on imported produce, lowering emissions and supporting community health.
Emily adds: “Our farm name comes from the market garden style of farming we do, which is based on the practices of Jean Michael Fortier. It also refers to the land where we farm. Our house is up higher on the property with our farm plot down below.”
A flourishing Saanich farm, The Plot Market Garden grows a variety of top-quality salad greens and root vegetables and markets direct to consumer, to grocery stores and local restaurants. “We are known for our greens, which include mustard mix, spring mix, arugula and baby kale. We also grow cherry tomatoes, large slicing tomatoes, carrots, beets and turnips,” outlines Emily. “We have a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box program delivered through the South Island Farm Hub and we sell to restaurants such as Nourish, Charlotte & The Quail, House of Boateng, Laurel Point Inn, and Artisan Bistro.”
The farming duo, who met in England, share a passion for regenerative agriculture. In 2018, they moved to Canada to apply their experiences and training to a new farming venture. “Tyler got his business management degree from the University of Brighton, and I completed my permaculture certificate from the Brighton Permaculture Trust. My family had five acres on West Saanich Road where we are now,” says Emily, adding: “We started really small with a quarter acre just to see if we could grow produce.”
With hard work and dedication, that initial intention sprouted success. Over time, the farm operation expanded to two acres operating on two sites, off West Saanich Road and Oldfield Road, together generating a high yield of quality produce. The star in their produce lineup is salad greens, which Tyler and Emily discovered early was popular. “There is a huge demand for local greens. We slipped into this niche,” shares Emily. “There wasn’t a local supplier of greens in grocery stores. So, we started at the local West Saanich Red Barn Market then expanded to all of their stores. In addition, we now also sell to Urban Grocer and Old Farm Market.”
“Nowadays, we harvest 300 to 400 pounds of spring mix each week,” adds Tyler. “Our top seller is the spring mix, which has four different lettuce types in it. The restaurants really like the Mesclun mix which is the mustard greens. It has a lot of flavour.”
Regenerative agricultural practices are followed including using no chemical sprays, low till techniques and the use of organic compost and fertilizer. Produce is grown in 30-inch-wide permanent growing beds which offer ergonomic benefits. They are easy to reach down into, step over and straddle, minimizing the physical strain on the body. Produce freshness and flavour hinge on timely harvest and preparation. “Produce that comes in from abroad typically arrives seven days after harvest and doesn’t keep well,” comments Emily. “Our greens are harvested days before going onto to the shelf. They look brighter and will last two to three weeks.”
The produce has definitely been garnering attention. Customers repeatedly comment about greens that are “consistently fresh”, “amazing” or “the best.” This positive feedback provides ongoing motivation to reach even higher farming goals. “We’d love to supply more grocery stores and restaurants across the Island, while staying true to our values of regenerative agriculture and community resilience,” comments Tyler. Emily echoes the sentiment: “We’d like to be the number one supplier of salad greens on southern Vancouver Island.”
For these enthusiasts, farming brings purpose and fulfillment. “I got into farming because of a passion for growing plants and it gave me a strong sense of purpose,” shares Tyler. “I saw a need for more young farmers, especially in the face of climate change.”
Emily has been working with Sandown Centre for Regenerative Agriculture, now serving as Executive Director and also heading up a new initiative growing food for local school meal programs. In 2021, the couple were recognized for their stewardship of the land, with a Saanich Environmental Award in The Business Category.
Each chapter of Tyler and Emily’s farm story takes them on a journey through planting to harvest towards an epilogue of being good stewards of the land and contributing to a sustainable food system. And, that plot’s a real page-turner.
www.theplotmarketgarden.com
