About Us
“I want to pass on a sense of hope to our children and their generation. I can only do that if I take action now – and employ practices which improves the earth we live on.”
Growing up ‘dans la campagne’ – in a rural setting, and helping my parents with the family garden, is a familiar memory. My grandparents were farmers and fishing people but due to circumstances beyond their control all of that changed. I guess you can say that I have come full circle from where they left. Although my career started as a Social Worker, over time, I have learned about growing food and plant life. And with time, I have learned what I enjoy most – having my hands in soil, being surrounded by the natural world, and sharing it with others. Participating in the process of growing plant life from seed…and that growth becoming something which feeds us, nurtures us…well it awes me every time!
I have lived through at least half of the chapters in my book, but this chapter is a new one for me and my family. We are excited to start our first full year at Lune du Matin offering food we grow to CSA members and our community. I have utilized what I have learned as a new farmer and an experienced Social Worker to incorporated those best practices on our homestead.
Growing Real Food
Incorporating good certified organic practices is part of being a good land steward. And being a good land steward is important to us. Such practices take into account the decisions we make and the impact of those decisions on the soil, water, and air we breathe. I want to pass on a sense of hope to our children and their generation. I can only do that if I take action now – and employ practices which improves the earth we live on. As a newly established small family farm, we want to work towards our certification as an organic farm.
Lune du Matin aims to grow REAL food. What does that mean?
R =Regenerative. Our goal is not only to maintain soil quality but also increase the diversity in the soil and increase the quality of those interactions between natural systems (soil, plants, water, and wildlife).
E= Ecological farming and approaches. What this means for us? It is a way of seeing the world and a way of living in which both people and nature benefit. Agriculture will not sustain itself if we do not reduce soil erosion and soil compaction and focus on increased biodiversity.
A= Accessible. Our goal is to offer what we grow in an accessible way. Food prices have increased significantly in grocery stores but the quality and nutritional values have not. Our goal is to provide vibrant, delicious, and nutritious food. Accessibility also means advocating for better funding and programing for community members who do not have access to good, healthy food.
L= Local food. Buying from your local farm or homestead, means you are supporting local. Knowing where your food comes from, how it is grown, and who is growing it empowers the farmer and the direct consumer.
Growing Organic
Learning about agriculture and best practices came with time through learning opportunities. During the Guelph Organic Conference (where I volunteered), I heard about the GEO-O program shortly after we purchased our farm. I was excited to hear that we fit into what the program offered (working towards certification, new farmers, supportive environment).
Since participating in the program, I have had the opportunity to participate in some learning events both in-person and online. We enjoyed the chance to be part of the farm tour this past summer when the public came out to learn about us and some of our practices. I am looking forward to working with GEO-O consultants who will help us with business planning, budgeting and good organic practices.
This spring we are planning to build a small greenhouse for seedlings as well as design a post harvest cleaning station and a walk-in cooler. We will continue to add more garden beds and inoculate more logs for mushroom growing. I am looking forward to trying various seeds I saved this past season – finding out what pops-up well and if not – learning why not!
Lune du Matin will be offering 20 CSA shares this coming June until October 2021; offering veggies, fruits, herbs, mushrooms, and flowers. We sell at our local farmers market and to local chefs. Plants, started from certified organic seeds and soil, will be available for purchase in May 2021 (Veggies, fruits, herbs, flowers). Pre-orders for plants are now available.
We are also planning to have another open door in September 2021; to invite the community to learn about our practices and approaches at Lune du Matin.
Come meet us in 2021! We are located between St. Pascal-Baylon and Clarence-Creek – 15 mins from Rockland, Ontario and approximately, 40 mins east of downtown Ottawa. You can also find us at Cumberland’s Saturday Farmer’s Market!
Please direct any questions about the farm, plant orders, and CSA membership to our email. Lianne will be happy to answer your questions.
Lune du Matin ( St Pascal de Babylon, ON )
Meet Our
GEO-O Farmers!
GEO-O stands for Growing Eastern Ontario Organically, a three-year, on-the-ground initiative to support farmers to transition to organic through mentorship, financial incentives, and on-site experiential learning. GEO-O builds on COG’s earlier Organic Success initiative to provide farmers much more in-person, on-site, and farmer-to-farmer training. GEO-O is a first of its kind experiential learning-centred approach in a specific region.
COG will compare the outcomes of GEO-O to similar efforts across the country in order to bring further benefits to the entire Canadian organic sector.