Our Growing Methods | Philosophies
At WoodGrain Farm, we grow by time-honoured methods and philosophies epitomized by the organic movement.
We don’t spray poisonous chemical pesticides and herbicides on the food we grow, we build biodiversity in the garden, maintain healthy soils, and keep a watchful eye to prevent pest problems.
We don’t feed our plants with chemical fertilizers, we feed and enhance the health of the soil with on-farm compost, green manures and crop rotation, which in turn raises healthy plants.
We don’t grow a mono-crop of one or two vegetables, we grow a diverse mix of well over 50 different kinds of plants which attract a wide array of pollinators and beneficial insects to the garden, enhancing biodiversity.
We don’t rely on off-farm ‘inputs’ in the garden, fertility and nutrients are derived from our 60 acres of organic pasture and haylands which feeds our animals, which in turn feeds our garden in a traditional closed loop system.
We value our water as we value our soils, without which (together with a bit of air and sunshine!) there is no life. We water the garden through drip irrigation from a gravity-fed, rain catchment reservoir.
We are careful with our use of mechanical tillage in the garden, to avoid compaction and soil degradation and to maintain a healthy tilth.
We source certified organic seeds where possible, so that we are not supporting environmentally damaging agriculture elsewhere.
We like growing heirloom varieties and open-pollinated seeds, good for seed saving and to keep old varieties alive and growing.
We strive to minimize the use of plastics and waste created both in garden production and in packaging our produce, as nothing in the world exists in a bubble.
Harvested Fresh for the Market | Handled with Care
After all the effort that goes into growing healthy vegetables, we work hard to get the vegetables to the market at their peak condition and freshness.
We harvest as close to market time as we can manage.
Harvested produce is immediately taken to our shaded packing shed and hydro-cooled.
Once cleaned and bunched, our produce is packed in bins in our cool room.
At the market, we keep our produce shaded and in bins with water, replenishing our displays with fresh produce throughout the market.
Shop early at Farmers’ Markets for the absolute freshest vegetables and the best selection!
Bulk Certified Organic Vegetables | For your Preserves or Root Cellar
Order bulk quantities of our certified organic vegetables for your canning, saucing, fermenting, pickling, drying, or storage needs. As we grow on a small-scale, quantities are limited and ordered on a first come first served basis. We will be in touch with the approximate date to expect your order to be ready and to arrange pick-up/delivery.
WoodGrain Farm | Organic Certification
Simply put, certified organic just means that an independent 3rd party (in our case a not-for-profit committee of fellow organic farmers) attests to a farm’s claim of adhering to the Canadian Organic Standards through detailed, transparent record keeping requirements and on-farm inspections.
We abide by the Organic Standards (and then some), but you don’t have to just take our word for it.
We’re happy to answer any further questions you may have about our growing practices, either at the market or here at the farm. We enjoy talking dirt!
WoodGrain Farm 
