OUR STORY
We both grew up on fruit farms, in what was once the small town of Beamsville. We didn't meet each other until 2015, when we quickly bonded over our love for growing organic vegetables. We started a small garden on the family property in 2016, and the harvest quickly became too much for our families to consume.
In the Spring of 2020 we officially moved on to the property and we were able to put in more evening and weekend hours on infrastructure projects. We struggled to find a balance between our jobs off the property, and tending to the farm. So in Spring 2021, we decided we would give the farm our full attention, and Substrata Farm was born. We felt proud to show our family that we were going to take a risk and do something that directly affected both the environment, and our community, in such a positive way.
OUR GROWING PRACTICES
Our farm is PROUDLY non-certified organic. We do not use, or believe anyone should use, any of the “cides'' (pesticides, herbicides, fungicides… etc). The best defence against pathogens, pests and weeds is living, biologically diverse and balanced soil. There is a whole universe below our feet and the microbiology that exists in our substratum must be diverse and imbalance in order to achieve the symbiotic relationships that encourage nutrient cycling between crops and microbial life. Most nutrients that plants need to survive are already in the soil but generally not available. With well balanced soils, all these nutrients are unlocked and made available for plants so there is no need for synthetic soluble fertilizers.
At Substrata Farm, we try to encourage a diverse and balanced soil by adding compost and rock/mineral powders. Cover crops, compost teas, crop rotations, grazing, row cover, occultation, minimal tillage and attracting beneficial birds and insects are a few of the farming practices we apply. If anyone is ever curious about our farming practices and techniques, we encourage you to come witness our practices and share in conversation.
