By Chris Lackner
Almost four years after purchasing 50 hectares of rural land, Gary and Ellen de Casmaker have built an organic seed company that has 7,000 clients across the country.
They contribute to an organic retail market that has grown by 15 per cent a year over the last decade, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The organic retail market was worth an estimated $800 million to $1.3 billion in 2003. In 2005, the market is expected to reach $3.1 billion.
More Canadian consumers are seeking produce that is both pesticide-free and non-genetically modified, and meat that is free of growth hormones.
“If we had started 15 years ago, it would have been a long wait [for financial success],” de Casmaker explains as he and his wife work in their farm’s greenhouse on a Sunday afternoon. “For us, it has been a matter of really good timing.”
But while demand for organic products is high, there may not be enough people like the de Casmakers willing to enter the industry.
Located 15 minutes north of Wakefield, Que., the de Casmaker’s farm is being prepared for the coming season. Their greenhouse contains 16 soil beds. Throughout the year it houses a myriad vegetables, including tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and radishes. Most of these will be dried, packaged and sold to prospective organic farmers and gardeners.
A chicken coop is found next to the greenhouse. Lovingly referred to as the “palais de poulet,” it contains nearly 80 free-range chickens and roosters that are only fed organic grains and vegetables. The animals cluck and strut about calmly, apparently soothed by a radio in their pen that broadcasts the CBC 24 hours a day.
The de Casmakers earn most of their income through their company, Eternal Seeds, but they also sell eggs and produce at local markets. While the family has found some success in the organic sector, agricultural experts say not enough Canadians are going into the organic food business.
Laura Telford, the executive director of Canadian Organic Growers, says between 85 and 90 per cent of organic food sold in Canada still comes from outside its borders.
“The growth in organic consumption has been very big,” she says. “But how do we make up for the shortfall in supply and demand?”
Farmers remain leery of entering the organic world for many reasons, Telford explains. In general, organic vegetables cost more to grow. They require more manual labour because they are not protected by pesticides. And while they require larger tracts of land, they also produce smaller overall crops.
Another obstacle lies in trying to transform a conventional farm to an organic one. In order to be certified for organic use, farmland cannot have been used for conventional crops for at least three years — largely to ensure a crop is not chemically tainted. Most farmers, already struggling, can’t afford to watch their land go idle in order to convert to an organic operation.
In 2003, Ottawa released its 20/20 Talent Plan, which outlines the city’s job sector ambitions until 2020. Within the report, the region’s organic farming sector was cited as a potential area of growth. The document suggested examining the need for a program that helps farmers convert to organic farming methods.
At this point, the city is not doing anything to specifically encourage organic farming, says Doug Thompson, a rural city councillor.
“There is an increasing market out there, but the city is not sponsoring or encouraging it anymore than anything else,” explains Thompson,the vice-chair of the city’s agriculture and rural affairs committee.
While not specifically promoting organic farming, Thompson says the city is trying to protect its agricultural land as its borders expand and its land is developed. He says approximately 10,000 people — or two per cent of the region’s workforce — work in the agricultural sector.
Across the river, a different approach is being taken. In November, the City of Gatineau announced a plan to protect its agricultural land, which covers 40 per cent of its territory, and promote both organic and conventional farming. The city has also promised to hire an agronomist to provide farmers with technical and financial support, as well as establish training programs for both organic farming and greenhouse production.
Yvon Boucher, a Gatineau city councillor and president of the city’s agriculture advisory committee, says the city’s plans were a response to a declining public interest in farming, as well as the loss of local farmland.
“We have to protect our land,” he says. “But we also think these areas could be very profitable for our city.”
Boucher says close to 2,000 acres of city-owned land north of the Gatineau airport are untouched by chemicals and ideal for organic farming. He says the majority of Gatineau’s farms are small and have been cultivated using natural manure, making them a good fit for organic crops. Boucher says long-term plans may include the creation of a market for local farmers.
If the market for organic products continues to grow, those already in the business stand to reap the benefits. Beyond their client list, the de Casmakers currently have six seed stands featuring their products on display in various stores in both Quebec and Ontario. They have plans to add another 100 in 2005. They are also in the early stages of building an additional greenhouse on their property.
“You’re seeing a giant shift in people’s eating patterns,” Gary de Casmaker says. “There has been a meteoric growth of interest in organic foods in the last five years.”