Food & Dining
SPRUCE RIDGE FARM Paul and Elaine Lapadat, owners of Spruce Ridge Farm, were both born and raised in Rodney. Says Elaine, “I was a ‘town girl’ but ended up in agriculture.” She joined Paul in purchasing his third-generation home and farm and presently works during the off-season at the Ridgetown Campus of the University of Guelph. Paul was raised on the farm and chose a career in drafting but subsequently transitioned back to farming full-time. Sons Justin and Jordan also help out and take fresh produce each week to the Woodstock Farmers’ Market.
Markets These include: local grocery stores, wholesale, St. Jacob’s Market, Masonville Farmers’ Market, Woodstock Farmers’ Market and their on-farm produce stand.
The Farm Paul’s grandfather grew tobacco; Paul remembers that as a kid their whole road was lined with tobacco farms. His father continued to grow the same, but also switched some of his crop over to a specialty pepper popular with customers of eastern European background. Paul and Elaine started their farming careers with 2 acres of those peppers. Today they farm 150 acres, 40 of them in a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Challenges The early part of the 2011 season brought so much rain that everything got a late start. Also, at the peak of strawberry season, they found it frustrating to have berries picked and no local market for them while some stores promoted cheap imported strawberries. However, they have appreciated the opportunity to offer much of their produce locally through relationships with some outlets like Foodland and No Frills.
What They Grow Peppers, tomatoes, sweet corn, garlic, cauliflower, broccoli, eggplant, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, Saskatoon berries
Rewards Paul enjoys the independence of being “his own boss”, and the Lapadats value their role in growing food and promoting local farming. Elaine notes that her sons have grown up with that philosophy and have become very in-tune with the idea of buying local and Ontario in season.
The Future A tour of the Lapadat farm is like a little agricultural art show—at this time of the year the fields are
Left to right: Jalapeno peppers at Spruce Ridge Farm; Tomatoes, corn & peppers; A field of peppers
RELISH ELGIN FALL 2011
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