Triple Hart Farm

The view from the hillside on Ron and Sara Walsh’s fifty-five acre organic farm is breathtaking. Located in Hartsville, in the hills of the Hunter River watershed of central Prince Edward Island, Triple Hart Farm was bought by Ron and Sara thirty years ago with the goal of having a healthy, beautiful place in which to raise their three daughters, after whom the farm was named. They were attracted to the area because of the dramatic sloping contours of the land and the close proximity to Hunter River and easy access to Charlottetown.

At the base of a long curved driveway that runs from the main road to the front door of Ron and Sara’s farmhouse is a stand of butternut trees that the couple planted twenty years ago when they first acquired the land. The fields that fan out across the hillside are neatly outlined with thick stands of poplars and Austrian pines that act as hedgerows, shielding the fields from the soil-eroding winds and spring rain showers, and providing key habitat for the vibrant populations of birds that can be heard singing from their treetop hiding places. Over the years the couple have been working with a local forestry management group to diversify their 30 acres of forestland by planting hemlock, oak and other varieties of pine trees. This past year they also added native shrubs to their hedgerows.

Self-sufficiency is important for Ron and Sara. Originally from Charlottetown, Ron firmly believes in the interconnectedness of natural and human systems, and feels that cultivating the earth in a manner that can be sustained over time is key to ensuring that small farms can remain a viable way of life on Prince Edward Island. For Sara, moving to Prince Edward Island from Brooklyn was the fulfilment of a dream to return to the land after having been raised in the city with few opportunities to interact with the natural world on an intimate level. The simultaneously earthy and modern farmhouse that that Ron and Sara call home is a reflection of the couple’s desire for self-sufficiency. It was built and is heated using lumber that was almost entirely harvested from the forestland at the back of their farm. They are currently in the process of building a barn with their own lumber.

Ron and Sara have a small market garden that provides their family with fresh vegetables and fruit. Whatever is left over after they have met their own needs is sold locally. Their market garden is interspersed with a diverse variety of flowers: musk scented roses, lilies, irises, tulips and peonies are some of the blossoms filling their garden with vibrant colours and sweet aromas throughout the island’s springtime and lush summers. They also have grape vines and an apple tree grove, which they hope to use for making organic wines, and have recently planted blackcurrants to be used to make organic preserves.

Ron and Sara decided to become certified organic many years ago to support a movement towards a healthier method of food production. Instead of using synthetic fertilizers, they integrate homemade compost, buckwheat, clover, winter wheat and rye, and occasionally seaweed collected on island beaches to enrich their soil. They feel that the best way to share a more sustainable farming model with others is to live it. Although their own children were not as interested in farming when they were living at home, two of his daughters are now actively involved in farming and gardening, so Ron and Sara believe that the experience of being raised on a farm does seem to have rubbed off on their daughters. Outside of their family sphere, the couple share their vision with others through being members of SERVITAS, an international travel organization with the mandate of promoting peace and mutual understanding through travel exchanges. The program enables travellers from all over the world to visit homes of other members and experience their daily life. Ron and Sara have had many such visitors come and stay with them, thus cultivating an environment of experiential learning and cultural exchange on their farm.

In the next few years Ron and Sara plan on expanding their berry production as well as planting more fruit trees for making fruit wines. They will also continue to grow vegetables and garlic for themselves and the local market. As Ron says: “Right now the berries are sleeping under a cleansing blanket of snow”, but come spring the fields will again be bursting with blossoms, and he and Sara will be outside in their fields harvesting heavy clusters of juicy currants under blue island skies.