The Farm

Before the 2007 Season

After more than 20 years of operation as a tree farm growing fruit and ornamental trees, the previous farmer's advancing age and deteriorating health prevented him from keeping up with the care of the farm.

Here are just a few pictures of the state that our new home was in when we moved our base of operations here last year. While they do not show all of the facilities or areas of the farm, they do give an idea of the degree of abandonment into which it has fallen in recent years. Almost of the trees visible in the shots were planted to be sold, at one foot spacing, in rows 5 feet apart, with some having been planted as long as 20-25 years ago, but never sold or thinned.

In late 2007 we cleared nearly four acres, while planting a few crops in the one available small strip that did not have trees planted. In the coming years we expect to clear and begin preparing another 3-5 acres for growing vegetables, with the hope that we might be able to double the size of the CSA membership from its 2008 size of 124 shares to something in the range of 250 - 300 shares. See the sections on each season to watch how this work is proceeding.

2007 was a most interesting and challenging season.

After 10 years of operation in the Bradner district of Abbotsford, where Nathan Creek roared through the farm's base of operations, it became necessary to find a new home for the farm. An old tree farm in Langley that had been brought into the organic program in the late 1990's became available when its founder reached the point in his life (85 years of age) when he could no longer care for his farm. The remaining 4 years of his 30 year lease (from the government, which owns the 40 acre property) were transferred to Nathan Creek Organic Farm and work began, preparing the limited clear land for production and beginning to clear some of the 15 acres of old, ill and overgrown trees that made up the previous farm.

While only a very limited amount of land was planted, and only 5 acres of former tree crops were removed, the transition by the end of the season was remarkable and the groundwork was lain for expansion of both the acreage in production and the number of shares that the farm could support. In the course of preparing the cleared land for production (by plowing, disking and seeding cover crops of rye, vetch and winter pea) the contractor, Ray Krogh, who grew up on a small mixed potato, cow, pig and chicken farm in Moscow Idaho, mentioned that he had 3 acres of land that he would be happy to rent to the farm. Since he had been renting it to an organic garlic grower, this land too had been under organic certification (though like that of the main farm, this had lapsed in the last year).

With Ray's beautiful clean field available for immediate production, and an increasing area at the home farm coming into productive condition through the application of large quantities of compost, Nathan Creek Organic Farm was ready to enter the 2008 season in a position to again produce a steady supply of vegetables to a growing CSA membership. Pictures of our new home before work began can be found in the section titled "Before NCOF"

2008 was our first full year at our new home.

While we expanded our membership to 124 shares, from just 60 in 2007, the year of our mid season move, we also spent a considerable amount of time and energy continuing the work of restoring a long neglected tree farm into a fertile and efficient food producing CSA home. Construction of additional covered growing spaces (tunnels), improved roadways and drainage ditches and creation of areas where members could park and gather to enjoy their visits to the farm all stretched the farm's productive energies to the limit. We were fortunate, for the first time, to have an apprentice working with us and, in spite of starting the season on crutches, Trevor Baker played a critical role in allowing for successful crop production in the midst of continual farm development.

Tomatoes, garlic, shallots, celery beans and cucumbers were grown in one section, a wide range of field crops, including all winter and summer squash, were grown in the other half acre of land at home. While we did put nearly an acre of land at the new home land base into production, spreading large quantities of compost to compensate for years of neglect, the bulk of the year's production occurred on the 3 acre parcel of land nearby that was rented from former prairie farmer Ray Krogh, where large quantities of lettuce, cabbage family crops, beets and carrots grew lusciously in his rich, well cared for soil. Many members came out throughout the season to lend a hand and a large summer solstice celebration was held at which the official farm signs were unveiled and the KALE CSA Society held its first AGM.

Those areas (approximately 4 acres) of the farm that were cleared in 2007 but not planted in 2008 were plowed under again and reseeded to a new cover crop of rye, vetch and winter peas, with the hope that this would allow nature to grow us the necessary nitrogen to restore our soils to good productive health and relieve us of the need to continue to purchase large quantities of compost.

Farm Maps