Bee-keeping comes so naturally to Phil Veldhuis, it’s like he entered the world with the skills to do so. Having been born into a bee-keeping family, his talent in handling bees was nurtured at a young age and at 16 years old was already working alongside his uncle kept bees near Treesbank, which is where Phil spent most of his childhood. “I’ve been doing this basically for as long as I can walk – nieces and nephews usually get suckered into it- some stick around and others don’t.” Phil continued to shadow his uncle until he started his own venture in Starbuck, where he has been living and running his business now for over 25 years.
He sells his “ordinary delicious” honey through Bee Maid, a Canadian co-op of prairie bee-keepers, and saves his “super delicious” honey (about the top 5%) for retail sales and for selling at the St. Norbert Farmer’s Market every Saturday, where his son also often busks with his violin.
This year, Phil is maintaining 750 hives in 17 locations in the Starbuck area, although last year had been managing 30 sites. Phil manages an average of 1200 hives every year, and still plans to aim for that amount each summer, but he lost a substantial amount of colonies this past winter, the factors of which he measures by symptoms the colony exhibits. For example, if it looks like there are only drones left in a hive, Phil will take that as a sign that the queen has reduced her fertility; the largest number of cases pertain to hives where Phil said it looks like the bees have “just dwindled away” or are “scattered throughout the hive” which is abnormal for a colony. Anyone who meets Phil understands in a moment that he cares deeply about what he does, yet for him bee-keeping has never been political. “Bee-keeping is for a detailed-oriented person, and so talking about it politically is like a forest for the trees.”
Breezy Way Farm, unsurprisingly, sits on a hill in one of the windiest spots in the Pembina Valley, overlooking wheat and canola fields and surrounded by the deepest snow drifts in the area during the winter months. The 5 and a half acres is the perfect spot for the prairie-loving Penner family to run a small mixed farm.
The Penners have been gardening and raising animals since 2003. They are passionate about gardening without the use of chemicals relying on compost and hand weeding alone. As time goes on they have been continually adding more and more to their farm. They currently have chickens, pigs, turkey and even rabbits! They have also have started an orchard with plans for opening it to U-pickers. Be sure to follow them on Facebook for more updates.
One of the first certified organic farms in Manitoba, Blue Lagoon specializes in regenerative farming using pastured poultry and alfalfa to bring fertility and nutrients to the land. Rotating their garden plot on a yearly basis provides the rich soil to grow a vast variety of fruits and vegetables. Stefan and Lauren Regnier have a CSA program offering home delivery and farm pick up, allowing families to experience the seasonal bounty of what Manitoba farmers can produce in such a short growing time. You can also catch them at the St. Norbert Farmer’s Market year round on Saturdays.
Roger and Cathy Desilets have been learning about the secret life of bees for almost thirty years. They started with 25 hives and now operate about 60 colonies along the Riding Mountain National Park, producing honey mostly from organic crops, raising queens from their best breeding stock and continually learning how best to prevent losses in the winter. Their steadfast dedication and energy for small-scale bee-keeping has given way to opportunities involving the sweet stuff, creating a multi-product business for them and their family.
Cathy and Roger moved to the area of Oakburn in 1983 and started a market garden and greenhouse in addition to their bees. After one growing season they decided to focus on the latter two of the three, putting the majority of their energy into bee-keeping. In the early 1990s, while attending craft shows, they met a bee-keeper and candlemaker from England who also made skin care products utilizing honey, beeswax, royal jelly and a by-product called propolis, a sticky substance collected by the bees mostly from the buds of balsam poplar. Propolis is known to contain healing properties and has been found to be very effective in the treatment of eczema, psoriasis, rosacea as well sunburned skin.
When their friend decided to retire, he invited Roger and Kathy to learn first-hand how to manufacture the skin care products. He eventually gifted them with his business. The couple has continued to attend craft shows, bringing with them their honey, candles and the skin care line. They have built up a customer base that stretches far across Canada. Their products are also carried in select retail outlets.
Meaghan Lomax, owner of Wildfire Farms since 2010, raises and sells free roaming chickens and pork and sells 100% grass fed and finished beef from the family farm. The Barnabe family has been raising beef for over 40 years.
Throughout the year, Meaghan manages sales and coordinates delivery/pickup dates to Winnipeg and surrounding areas. Check out Wildfire Farms online store for locations, dates and times of deliveries/pickups.
Products available at the St Norbert Farmers market and farm gate:
-100% grass fed and finished beef. Wildfire Farms has a variety of cuts such as steaks, roasts, ground, soup bones, organ meats and gluten free sausage, nitrate and sugar free.
-Free roaming heritage pork with cuts such as chops, roasts, hams, hocks, bacon, crackles and lard, nitrate and sugar free
-Free roaming broiler chickens, breasts, thighs, drums, ground, wings, organs, feet and soup bones.
Will Braun and Jennifer deGroot moved to Big Oak Farm in 2012 with a passion to grow trustworthy food and raise their children in wide open spaces. Both grew up rurally and market gardened near Winnipeg for several years. They were involved in the West Broadway Good Food Club as well as organizers of 100 Mile Manitoba. Will, Jennifer, Zavi and Matoli grow a large percentage of their own diet and market a variety of products including eggs, honey, garlic, grass-fed lamb, wool, lambskins, skulls, and natural dyes.
Located near Elie, MB on Treaty 1 territory, Hearts & Roots is a small-scale, certified organic vegetable, fruit and flower farm.
We are passionate about growing food organically and looking after the health of the land we call home. We grow more than 45 different fruits and vegetables on five acres without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. All of our seed is either organic or untreated and none of the species are GMO. For weed control we cultivate, hoe, flameweed or plant into biodegradable mulch. For soil health we use compost, organic fertilizers, and crop rotation. The farm is committed to responsible agriculture and the role it plays in an inspired community.
Come find us, friend us or follow us @heartsandroots on Instagram and Facebook and at www.heartsandroots.com.
Hnatiuk Gardens is a generational family of Market Gardeners located in East St Paul just 10 km northeast of Winnipeg. Growing on approximately 20 acres, we produce over 40 varieties of chemical-free, non-GMO organic vegetables. We run a 16-Week CSA program and Farmer’s Market stand at the East St Paul Farmer’s Market, as well as wholesale operation supplying local seasonal fruit stands, garden centres and stores in the City of Winnipeg.
We prioritize ecological farming methods, with a one-acre zero-till/no-dig site to promote biodiversity and experiment with new growing methods. Our compost-capped clay and woodchip paths have yielded exciting results, and we are now learning to integrate cover crops into this process. Additionally we are slowly adding fruit trees and berry bushes, and hope to expand these practices to more acreage in the future as we learn more. Currently we are building a 2nd greenhouse to better serve our community with direct access to fresh produce for three seasons.
Our 16 week CSA Farm Share program for 2024 is now open for sign-ups. Pick-up is at our farm in East St Paul between 4-7 pm every Thursday starting June 20th, ending with a large Thanksgiving package on October 3rd which includes a variety of pumpkins!
We offer full shares (family of 4) and half shares (family of 2) and also have home delivery options as well.
Check out our sign-up form on our website www.hnatiukgardens.ca/csa for more details
Jennifer and Matthieu purchased the 24 acre property in 2014 which is where Jennifer grew up. The Philippe family have been farming for years and decided to venture into a new market. Jennifer and Matthieu spend most of their summer days outside with their 2 children. Farming has always been a part of their life. The first acre of strawberries was planted in 2014 ready to be picked in 2015 which was their first year of opening! They now have 9 acres or u-pick and pre pick Strawberries!
At Fostering Change Farm we aim to make a difference. We aim to make a difference in the lives of family and friends, in the health of our animals, in the health of our land and in the way future generations live.
Life is constantly in a state of change. The seasons bring such change to all life. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter. There is a continuous cycle to this process: birth, growth, dispersal, reproduction, be it in the plants or the animals, be it in ourselves or in the earth. Change brings everyone periods of happiness and times of anxiety. But change is what ensures life continues.
On our farm, we spend our time nurturing these changes. We aim to nurture or foster these changes in ways to maximize their positive impact on the environment, the health of the farm animals, the quality of the food we produce and the health of people on the farm and those consuming our food.
