Les Jardins Glenelm Heads into its Second Season

Local couple Sarah Rennie and Ian Ward’s passion for eating healthy has evolved into a fully functioning bio-intensive micro farm.

Located in picturesque Elgin, Les Jardins Glenelm started out as an idea in a city apartment, where locals Sarah Rennie and Ian Ward loved gardening so much that they grew veggies in a baby pool in their living room. Fast forward a few years and the couple has established Les Jardins Glenelm, a bio-intensive micro farm that grows 25 varieties of specialty vegetables not typically found on supermarket shelves. Another motivation? The duo wanted to do something that was in line with their values. “We also were starting our family and wanted to be sure our son would know where his food came from, but also that he would grow up eating healthy food and with a direct connection to nature and the environment,” explains co-founder Rennie.

 Drawing inspiration from award-winning author and market farmer Jean-Martin Fortier, Ward and Rennie sought to do something similar with their own property. They wanted to start small, with a focus on growing quality vegetables. Like Fortier, Les Jardins Glenelm uses no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, making snacking right out of the garden a daily occurrence. From a half acre last year, the farm has expanded to an acre of productive land (a bio-intensive model allows them to grow a lot on a small surface), growing gems like heirloom tomatoes, baby sweet peppers and a mesclun mix, a variety of 12 hand-picked varieties of red and green baby lettuce, arugula, kale and Asian greens. Another hit with the locals? The farm’s purple kohlrabi. Currently, they work with an unheated greenhouse, but will be investing in a heated greenhouse soon. As for long term goals? “We are considering a kiosk on the farm and different ways to attract visitors and families, since kids have an amazing time picking their own beans and tomatoes,” says Rennie. The local farm is also hoping to deliver its produce to more venues in the area, and is open to working with caterers and local organizations, from long-term facilities to eateries.

This past summer, the couple was a staple at the local Huntingdon Farmer’s Market. While their stand brought in some revenue, it also provided the farm with visibility. The couple found that they benefitted from shopper’s feedback, which helped them decide what to plant. They were also touched by the supportive nature of other market gardeners in the area, and encouraged by the relationships that they formed with the locals from week to week. “One of our customers shared that her kids asked for more of our carrots even after ice cream,’ shared Rennie. ‘We loved that!”

These days, Les Jardins Glenelm supplies vegetables to local eateries like Huntingdon’s Citron et Basilic and Ormstown’s Le Riverain. If you’d like to stay local, the couple’s vegetables are available via the Huntingdon Farmer’s Market, held on a weekly basis come summer. In addition to joining Equiterre, the farm is also taking basket subscriptions on their website, www.jardinsglenelm.com, with drop spots planned at the local farmer’s market and the Valleyfield Metro. “Everyone wants and should be able to eat healthy, and we want to help,” concluded co-founder Ward.