The Shepherd's Farm

For Stephen and Cindy Cousins, farming is a tool. Seventeen years ago the couple purchased a 110 acre farm on the Pisquid watershed in eastern Prince Edward Island with the goal of having a place that youth that had slipped through the cracks could come to re-group and develop practical life skills through working the land. Today the farm has evolved into a training and retreat centre for youth interested in farming that need to acquire the skills and self-confidence necessary to do so.

The Shepherd’s Farm spans two hillsides and the valley between them. Their farmhouse rests on a bend in one of the tributaries of the Pisquid River, on the former site of Leard Mill, the first water powered grist mill on the island. Surrounding The Cousins’ land are large-scale farms, and vast areas of Crown Forest Land.

Stephen and Cindy are trying to model the type of farming practices that they feel address their concerns about the direction that farming has been heading in.

Both of them grew up working on island farms – Stephen on dairy farms in Malpeque on the northern shore of Prince Edward Island; and Cindy on strawberry and raspberry farms near Pinette, in the eastern part of the island. Stephen attended the Nova Scotia Agriculture College, specializing in animal science, as well as training to be a youth pastor. Cindy works part-time as an oncology nurse. Both on and off the farm, the couple have noticed the negative impact of chemical-intensive farming on the health of the local environment and islanders themselves. They have also watched as one family after another puts their land up for rent or sale to get out of debt, or because, after farming the same land for five or six generations, the children are moving away in search of work that is financially more sustainable.

In order to address their concerns, the Cousins operate a mixed organic farm, growing vegetables; strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants; and raising chickens, turkeys, sheep, cows and pigs. Instead of using synthetic fertilizers, the Cousins use their own animal manures complemented by locally harvested green manures and crab and lobster bodies. In addition to being more environmentally friendly and spreading the economic risk, having a diverse operation provides more vehicles for teaching life skills to the young people who work on their farm.

Stephen and Cindy feel that one of the reasons young people are not inclined to remain on the farm is the lack of personal responsibility they are given for the daily functioning of the business. They have therefore offered their five children the opportunity to take full responsibility for some aspect of running the farm. This means helping them to own the responsibility from the beginning of a task through to its end: from planting the seeds to harvesting the fruits of their labour, delivering the product to market, and being fairly compensated for their labour. The family’s motto is:

I do, you watch
I do, you do
You do, I watch
You do, I do something else.

This motto is also used with the youth that work on the farm during the summer in exchange for a good wage; room and board; and most importantly, the chance to learn by doing in an environment where mistakes are part of the learning process, not a source of fear.

Not surprisingly, the Cousins are committed to building community and making their farm a safe place in which everyone feels welcome. The family places great value on getting to know their neighbours, and being available to help out. They are also keen to share the challenges and successes of growing organically with their fellow farmers. Over time, this approach has established a growing relationship of trust and mutual respect between the Cousins and the farmers whose land surrounds theirs.

Although for the Cousins, farming is primarily a vehicle for the teaching and acquisition of spiritual values, Stephen cannot imagine his life without farming playing a central role in it. He says: “It is just who I am. There is something about planting a seed and watching it grow. It is a profession that is so full of life lessons. I love that all of my family’s food is home grown. It is a privilege to be a farmer.”

Stephen’s commitment to community education and agriculture is not limited to North America. He spends time in the Congo (where 80% of locally consumed food is currently imported from abroad) annually, to assist with an agricultural training program for local communities wanting to develop a greater degree of self-sufficiency.

Back on the family farm, the Cousins continue to work towards making their home as sustainable as they can. They heat their home with wood harvested from their 55 acres of forestland; are planting evergreens as hedgerows to reduce erosion and wind damage; and are planning on expanding and further diversifying their berry production to include blackberries. This summer they will welcome a new crew of young farmers that will be learning life skills by working the land on their farm.

The creek gurgles softly around the farmhouse. Come spring, it will be full of salmon; sea, brook and rainbow trout; and smelts. The kitchen window affords a clear view of a bald eagle perched high in the white branches of a birch tree. Blue jays and chickadees chirp as they hop from shrub to shrub. The Cousins are preparing for another season of learning. Another season of carefully harvesting tart ruby raspberries, crimson strawberries, and juicy blackcurrants. Another season of embracing work as worship, and learning the humbling and ennobling lessons that can be gleaned from working with the natural rhythms of the land.