The Process, The Journey.

Once it has crept into the mind, the mouth will not keep it silent. A seed, a spark, the fire that drives you; when you find this, you wish to pursue it evermore. This is my first week, this is my journey.

Edgar Farms StoreDiscovery, hands-on learning and genuine interest. Just some words to describe this last week. From the course start, a spark was struck. Through the kindling of learning resources, field trips, site work and top-notch teaching, the fire was set. I get the distinct feeling that this first week wasn’t so eventful and fun by chance, but by clever design. Let me tell you a bit about my journey, October 2nd through October 7th!

Eagle Creek Farms, owned by a high-energy fellow named John, was the inception of self-motivated learning for myself. Our teachers, with unique and incredible knowledge bases, stressed the importance of genuine interest. Get motivated, ask questions and, well, Google! With a grading system that rewards effort, this course has spurred my quest for knowledge more-so than I could have ever imagined. I find myself coming to school early, talking with the staff and students, looking for books or even just making sure I’m up to date with the technologies. Something that you would almost never find me doing in school years past! I cannot stress how much of a shift this is for myself.

Diversity, adaptability and desire. This is how I would describe the lovely folks at Edgar, Beck and Eagle Creek Farms. It was a distinct pleasure to be invited in to their worlds and to be shown the highs and lows of farming. Whether it be wholesale, or market garden based, the ability to adapt to changing conditions is a key factor in success. John has a u-pick flower area; to generate more interest he makes corn, sunflower and willow mazes. With people coming in to see his world, he generates interest in his products, which range from 45 types of potatoes, squash, pumpkin, broccoli, brussel sprouts, hops and much more! And the view from his land is literally awesome. Goals set, with ambition I venture into the future of this course. Hopefully one day you’ll see me working out on my own land!

 

 

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Author: Nathan Lepard

A horticulture student at Olds College, an avid adventure and amateur artist. Born in Manitoba, farming in Brandon MB, college in Kelowna BC, lived in Montreal Quebec, worked in ecology at Aurora ON, volunteered at a daycare in Spryfield NS, and was a professional DJ in Alberta for 2 years. Fed a starving village in the Rockies, hiked supplies to trapped persons in the 2012 flood, survived an airplane stall, stepped foot in land that no human had been before, and explored caves & abandoned sites around BC. Those are but some of the numerous escapades achieved thus far. This blog will show my weekly journey from now on. Enjoy!

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