For last week’s Educational Day with our Grow a Farmer apprentice Jim, we went on a field trip to visit Lyne and Hendie at Ruhe Farm, a certified organic farm in Shemogue, NB. We see Lyne and Hendie every week at the Dieppe Market where (since this spring), they’ve been sharing our market stand with us, but we don’t get a chance to go see their farm very often.
Lyne is the “head farmer” at Ruhe Farm and Hendie is her self-proclaimed “apprentice.” They are both from South Africa and used to run a fig orchard there (how dreamy is that!). Lyne studied Production Horticulture at Olds College in Alberta and you can tell when you look in her greenhouse. She is a propagation queen! Her greenhouse is spotless-any open door or roll-up side is lined with Proteknet (a fine mesh) to keep flies and unwanted insects out.
Their greenhouse is unique in that it’s been built over the old house foundation. So, part of it is sunk down into the old basement. This gives them added height for trellising their tomatoes, which they grow in soilless media in containers.
Lyne has a passion for woody ornamentals and ornamental grasses. She is propagating many different willows, as well as sea buckthorn and Saskatoon berries. Lyne and Hendie are also growing Haskap berries. Last year, was their Haskap’s first year. In 2 more years, they’ll be ready to begin harvesting.
They reuse all kinds of things including tons of pallets! They pick pallets up for free making sure they see the HT symbol which means the wood was heat treated rather than chemically-treated with methyl bromide (and donned with the symbol MB). How many pallets can you see in the photos below?
Now you know a bit more about Hendie and Lyne and their farm so make sure you come by our market stand at the Dieppe Market to meet them in person!
Nice write-up on Lyne and Hendie’s farm!