Doucette Organics

Doucette Organics is a ninety-seven acre farm located in a tightly knit community just outside of Stratford in central Prince Edward Island. Michael and Linda Doucette purchased the farm in 2002 from Michael’s partner in the seed potato business, and, with a little help from their daughter Emma and son Connor, have been turning it into a growing family farm. The landscape around the farm is a patchwork of agricultural fields interspersed with woodland that helps to reduce erosion and shields the crops from the wind. About half of the Doucette’s farm is woodland, providing important habitat for local wildlife as well as supplying much of the timber that Michael used to construct his family’s home.

Both Michael and Linda come from farming backgrounds. Michael’s parents sold the family farm in the western community of Bloomfield when he was in elementary school, but his deep love for working the land had already taken root, and throughout his life Michael has always pursued work that enabled him to continue farming, even if it was in addition to other types of work. Michael has been working for Bell Aliant for the past twenty years. Linda, currently a full time nurse, was raised on a mixed farm in St. Mary’s Road located in eastern Prince Edward Island.

The Doucettes have a beautifully tended vegetable garden planted with yellow and green beans, shiny cucumbers, deep ruby beets, sweet carrots, potatoes, crimson tomatoes, full squash, juicy melons, colourful gourds, green peppers, pumpkins, dark glossy-leafed swiss chard, zucchini, asparagus and onions. They also grow rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants. Living in a supportive community where people want to know where their food is grown, and by whom, the neighbourhood demand for his produce has been strong. This has meant that Michael can sell a considerable amount of vegetables and berries directly from his carefully constructed roadside stand from June through the end of November. He also supplies a number of local grocery stores specializing in locally produced food items, as well as a handful of small bakeries.

Michael is in the process of getting organic certification, which he believes will open up new market opportunities and enable him to spend more time on the farm growing healthy, fresh food for both the local and international markets. For him, organic certification is more than just a label. It tells his customers the story of a mutual relationship between the farmer and the land. As Michael says, “we have rich farmland here. Our red soils produce extremely tasty crops.” Michael is conscious that in order for the land to produce these plentiful yields and tasty crops, he has to act as a steward for the land, ensuring that the natural balances are not upset. The notion of stewardship is one that permeates the Doucette farm. Being a steward is an honour, but it is also a responsibility, and one that Michael takes seriously. “I have my own little piece of Prince Edward Island that I am fostering here”, he says.

In the future Michael hopes to diversify production and further explore regional as well as international markets. In addition to selling his berries fresh, Michael intends to sell his berries to the PEI Preserve Company, a family run island-based company that specializes in creating mouth-watering preserves. Michael hopes that the story of the island seasons that the currants have passed through will be embodied in the taste. That the white winter chill; sweet, apple and cherry blossom tinged spring breezes; the pungent aroma of tall summer grasses, red soils, sharp deep blue Atlantic waters, cool evenings under endless starry skies; and the flaming golds and rusts of autumn will produce a culinary delight that enables his customers to enjoy the slow, relaxing island way of life. Prince Edward Island is a special place, and Michael hopes that his blackcurrant preserves will enable people all over the world to experience this.