to table
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Polderside Farm Virginia and Jens-Hugo Jacobsen lovingly tend their ducks and chickens the old-fashioned way: humanely, organically, slowly. by Tara Lee
I
n the wee hours of the morning, Virginia and Jens-Hugo Jacobsen of Polderside Farms drive to Vancouver International Airport to pick up a batch of newly hatched chicks that have just arrived from France. Together, they delicately place the cardboard boxes into the warmth of their van and drive home to their Yarrow farm in the shadow of Vedder Mountain. There, in a two-storey barn, they unload their downy cargo above a gaggle of ducklings below. “My husband takes the babies out of the boxes, a handful at a time, like soap bubbles out of a bath,” says Virginia. The unbroken silence that pervades this process prevents the chicks from mistakenly bonding with the Jacobsens. It’s also symbolic of the couple’s reverence, respect and care for the animals they raise. Both Virginia and Jens have grown up believing in the bounty of the earth and have lived the joys of the farmers who tend it. Jens was born in Norway where farming was a way of life for him. Virginia grew up on an Alberta farm with a lifestyle that she took for granted. “My parents and I lived on the land and grew our own food. I thought everybody did the same. Once you’re raised with that, it is just a way of life,” she explains. When the two met 35 years ago, their romantic chemistry sprang in part from a shared food philosophy: “Jens brought me a snapper on the first date, and on the second date, he wanted to know why we weren’t raising chickens.” And so began a rich partnership that saw the couple installed first in Abbotsford and then on Vancouver Island where they supplied their greenhouse fruits and vegetables to BC Hot House. After 12 years of idyllic island life, they relocated to the Fraser Valley in order to be at the centre of an increasingly concentrated farming community. The move and the decision to ramp up their existing poultry production resulted in considerable bureaucratic strife with the BC Chicken Marketing Board. Misunderstandings over permits and a raid and seizure of a flock of roasters demonstrated the obstacles that face small, local farmers. Fortunately, the issues were resolved, and Virginia is now thankful that the couple can co-exist undisturbed among larger farming conglomerates.
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EAT MAGAZINE MARCH | APRIL 2008
photos by Gary Hynes
flocking
EAT farm
The Jacobsens are indeed unique farmers. They never raise more than 3,500 birds on each floor at a time in their 30,000-square-foot barn and are exacting with every aspect of their micromanaged operation (there are no employees). They carefully source ducks and chickens from French stocks that have been tightly controlled for generations. Virginia explains, “In France, they don’t want creatures to be grown hybridized. That is why we chose the redbro. It’s like an old-fashioned chicken that you remember from storybooks.” The Jacobsens are the only ones in Canada who raise the redbro, a bird prized for its longer legs, thinner skin and higher meat-to-fat ratio. Similarly, their ducks are from an old French breeding stock of Long Island ducks (descendents of the Peking duck) and are known for being naturally full-breasted and especially succulent when cooked. The couple’s adherence to tradition also extends to raising conditions. Without any help, the Jacobsens (now in their mid-60s) spend the first 10 days of the birds’ lives in and out of the barn every hour to give their “babies” the best care possible. Unlike industrial farms that have high mortality rates, Polderside loses few birds due to their hardy immune systems and the couple’s attentive care. “With the last shipments, we have only lost one or none. We just don’t have mortality at all,” Virginia says proudly. After four weeks, when the “babies” have lost their fluff and are “all feathered up,” the Jacobsens throw open their barn doors and invite the fresh air inside. Although the birds have room to run and play, they never leave the barn and are considered “free run” rather than “free range.” The flock stays indoors to prevent them from being exposed to potential disease. “With the potential of the avian flu being brought in by wildlife, it is dangerous having our chickens out pasturing,” Virginia explains, adding that they use no antibiotics, hormones or cooked food in the feed. Instead, they mimic a traditional outdoor diet of alfalfa, corn, wheat and sunflower seeds. The seeds are especially important because they naturally boost the bird’s immune system. “We only give what the original chicken would eat,” insists Virginia. The quality of the birds’ lives matters to the Jacobsens because they see themselves as