DOG POUND, Alta. – After 100 years on the same patch of farmland, the Buckler family decided it was time to try something different.In 2005, siblings Charlie, Tim and Helen built a market garden 24 kilometres north of Cochrane, Alta., on land great-grandfather David Buckler homesteaded in 1905.His address was General Delivery, Dog Pound, Northwest Territories.They say their new venture was an eye opener.“We found out some of our customers want to know the people who are growing their food,” Charlie said June 24 during a stop in an agriculture tour of Rocky View County.“People want to get in touch and get their hands dirty and feel connected to the land.”The Bucklers are happy to oblige and welcome customers who are interested in picking their own strawberries, raspberries and vegetables throughout the summer.Last year, they started a community shared agriculture program in which clients pay $200 to $400 per year and provide 20 hours of labour pulling weeds and picking produce.In return, they receive up to $800 worth of pesticide free fruit and vegetables.“You are getting excellent vegetables out of the garden and if you want to work a bit for your vegetables, it helps you out pocket wise and it helps us out quite a bit with labour,” said Kim Buckler, another family member.Employees from an organic store in Cochrane also come to the farm to pick produce.Additional field help is provided by local teenagers who are home schooled and who need hands-on work experience as part of their curriculum.“They had over 60 applications to interview for that process,” Kim said.“They were amazing and they were prepared to work.”She said the students work four hour shifts and learn about agriculture.“I’m really chatty with the kids and give them a lot of information so they learn the difference from getting their food at the store where stuff is loaded with pesticides.”The Bucklers joined the Alberta Farm Fresh Producers Association and the Fruit Growers Society of Alberta in 2006 to learn more about direct marketing and growing fruit and vegetables in Alberta’s climate.As well, they created a website and an e-mail list to tell customers what is available and what is ripe.They were among the first in their district to complete an environmental farm plan.They do not use chemicals in their gardens but are not certified organic because they need to use pesticides on problem areas in other parts of the 240 acre farm.The Bucklers became more mechanized as they expanded.They have five different sized rototillers to work between the rows and bought a transplanting machine after they planted 6,000 strawberry plants by hand in 2006, which reduced the work to hours rather than days.“We transplanted 5,000 plants in five hours and in 2008 we planted 18,000 in two days,” Charlie said.They add more of everything every year, including plants they were not sure could survive the 4,000-foot elevation. So far, new plants such as asparagus are thriving.This year, they planted 22 varieties of potatoes and added new raspberry varieties, including one with yellow fruit.Their proximity to the foothills means wildlife raids on the gardens, so they are erecting special fences to keep out deer.“The deer are always a problem,” Charlie said.“They pruned back our saskatoons for the last four years every winter.”The crops are irrigated from a dugout, but they want to expand to a two-year supply so they can invest in micro-irrigation in which drip lines deliver water.Adequate moisture has not been a problem this spring.Instead, cold, wet days are slowing production. Seeding started in mid May and plants are just starting to show up in the rows.June-bearing strawberries may not be ready until July.“This year, we have had six growing days since May 24, so we are three weeks behind what we should be,” Charlie said.
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