Green Pastures Farm in southeastern Manitoba has turned itself into an environmentally friendly day-trip destination
Glacier FarmMedia – Leah and Guy Bouchard of Green Pastures Farm didn’t expect that opening their operation to visitors would net them provincial recognition as an environmentally friendly day-trip destination, but that’s exactly what happened when Tourism Awards Winnipeg announced this year’s picks in the sustainable tourism category.
“I just wasn’t expecting that,” Leah said. “We just started offering this experience. It’s something that we wanted to do in the off-season when we had some extra time. To win this award so early is kind of crazy for us.”
Nestled on the banks of the Roseau River just north of the U.S. border, Green Pastures Farm took this year’s wider provincial sustainable tourism category.
The second-generation mixed farm operates on a land base of only 160 acres (plus some rented land), where they farm sheep, turkeys and some crops, although most of what they plant goes to their own feed rather than the market.
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Last fall, they began branching into agritourism. They opened the farm up to a handful of tours per year, working with local organization Eastman Tourism, which coached them on how to approach their new side hustle.
The draw of the farm is based on experiential tourism, “where people are coming to experience something real and join in with something rather than just be entertained,” Bouchard said.
Visitors are given an up-close view of farm operations and farm life while also exploring where their food came from before it reaches the grocery shelves.
“It’s very small and it’s kind of exclusive and intimate,” Bouchard said. “We just take a few people on the farm per experience.”
The Bouchards’ version of the farm visit includes a tour of the operation, food and crafts made with wool fibre.
Bouchard has been making bedding and comforters with her wool for many years. Now she’s sharing that knowledge with her customers. Starting with raw fibre, she takes participants through the steps of wool processing and how it ultimately translates into functional textile products.
“We do a small couch blanket on most of our experiences, but we’re also planning on doing an experience in the fall where we’re felting slippers,” Bouchardsaid. “Wool is super versatile and can be made into a ton of things.”
The food on offer comes from the farm, “or as close as possible,” she said.
The operation works with an inspected kitchen to make that happen.
Sustainability, as the category of their award suggests, is another big focus for the couple.
“In the last few years, we’ve been implementing regenerative agriculture principles on our farm,” Bouchard said. “That’s another thing that we are really excited about sharing: the importance of soil health and just giving them a perspective on how to heal the land.”
Bouchard said it’s important to her and Guy that the small-scale, down-home feel of the experience they’re offering remains front and centre. It is not their intention to become a petting zoo.
“We’re not commercializing our farm in that way,” she said. “This tourism thing is not really a huge part of our business. We’re not a mass-produced tourism destination.”
She’s not worried that the added attention brought from the award will overwhelm that small-scale focus. The couple had been trying to think of ways to get the word out about their business, and hope the publicity will benefit them.
“I don’t see it as being a huge concern,” she said. “There’s room to grow. We’re just not at the place yet where we’re feeling like we’re overrun. That may be a concern in another year or so.”
For now, the experience is fresh and exciting for the couple. Both Bouchards love the idea of making a small profit while educating people about the source of their food and fibre.
“A lot of people in our world just don’t know,” Bouchard said. “It’s coming from a place of real, personal interest and personal passion to share the farm.”
