Campbell Hart Student, Faculty of Agriculture I hated selling the farm, to be honest. I always had a passion for animals and the companionship, too. When I was three or four, my babysitter would take me to the horse barn. I constantly went to places to see an animal. I was always immersed in it. In Grade Six, I had just gotten these two sheep that were supposed to be more for fun and as a hobby. I bred those sheep so they had offspring and I got some laying hens after that. I kept breeding them and people knew I had lambs and then I got into butchering on the farm. It kind of spiraled up from there. Before I sold it I had 250 broiler chickens, 24 sheep and probably a few dozen laying hens. I would raise, butcher — everything was on the farm and sold farm-gate. I sold everything farm raised all to the local community. Through that, I built up the business and realized the entrepreneurial venture I was about to embark upon. Before coming to school, I sold it since my father was not home every day. There was just demand for fresh product and I wanted to take the opportunity. People were willing to pay more than in the grocery store because they appreciated the product. Because I was so young, there was a big respect from the community. I grew up in North-East Margaree in Cape Breton. You knew everyone, everyone knew you. There was always such a sense of community. You always felt this wholesome, fulfilling feeling having that biological identity of community. There was always support, wherever you went. You, for example, won a sports championship and went to the Co-op and somebody asked you about that. It takes a community to raise a child and I can definitely confirm that. And within a small community, there are always these mentors, too, whether they are direct or indirect. For example, as I started the farm, there was this guy down the road I could talk to, you get advice from that person, or there is this person to call. These relationships with everybody were just awesome. It was not all peaches and roses, when you have livestock, you also have dead stock. I lost numerous animals to different illnesses, but through those things you learn and alter your management techniques and practices to improve so it will not happen again. For me, It was just learning as you go. Working through those problems. I sold the farm before coming to university since my father was not home every day. I hated selling the farm, to be honest. But I knew, I was going to school and there was nobody at home who could take it over. I put a lot into it and it was just a real passion – growing my own food and a way to give back to the community. It was something I started up and I built this emotional connection, not even with the livestock but with the business as a whole. Seeing it sold was tough. I sold it in the beginning of July, before I came to university and I can remember coming home for Thanksgiving or Reading Week and there were no sheep standing next to the driveway. Little things like that really hit. Even my parents, who supported me through it all, found it hard, too. It was hard for them, as well. We all had this connection to it. My mom is a school teacher and my dad taught culinary arts. They had no farm experience. It was more that you go in blind. I am sure there were times where they were awake at night and thought ‘what is going on?’ but I think it was good. They kept me in check and made me think logistically about ‘should you be doing this or that?’ I was involved in a lot of other things like sports at school and church, and I was vice-president of the student council. It was all about time-management and there was an opportunity that I could have gotten more sheep, but my parents got in my way that I could not buy more sheep. That was good, too. I could not have done it without my parents, they were the main basis, financially, to start up. And also emotional support and keeping me on solid ground. We all said that we go back into it again. ← Duane ↑ Home Rony →
