Whan Farms Anchors Sharbot Lake Farmers Market

Mary-Ellen and Robbie Whan farm their property off the Long Lake Road near Mountain Grove.

“We have about 500 acres,” said Mary-Ellen, “but most of it is bush. We have about 55 acres of fields.”

The Whan's have about 35 head of cattle on their farm, and they have been running their farm as a cow-calf operation for many years.

About 15 years ago, at a time when calf prices were low, they decided to start selling meat directly to the public, at markets and at their farm stand on Long Lake Road. They started selling pork, sausages and eggs and expanded their gardens to grow fresh produce as well.

They also sell chicken, but only at the farm stand, because of provincial food regulations.

The Whan Farms stand at the Sharbot Lake Farmer's Market is a very popular and consistent place to go as they always have meat available in the freezer, along with seasonal vegetables.

Mary Ellen has been going to the Frontenac Farmers Market for the last couple of years, but this year she is staying closer to home.

“I have always had a farm stand here on weekends,” she said last Sunday, as she was getting ready to pack up for the day, and Robbie rolled in from the house on an ATV pulling a trailer, mostly with just produce and eggs, a price list and jar, “but this summer I am planning to be here from 10-2 on weekends with meat and everything we have ready.”

She will also be selling at the Sharbot Lake Market at the beach from 9am – 12noon each Saturday starting this weekend, and until the end of September.

She said that, even at markets and her stand, people don't always understand that everything she sells has been grown or raised on the farm, from radishes to sausages. Sometimes people are looking for items that she does not have available because they are not in season or she does not grow them or there has been too much or not enough rain to grow them.

“I find that, for the most part, the people who come to the Sharbot Lake Market focus on what I have and aren't looking for what I don't have that week. They appreciate the effort that goes into bringing food to market, like we do.”

Always aware of costs, which are high for most of the meat she sells, including the beef and pork.

“We don't have enough hay ourselves for what we need, and we cut hay at about five other farms, and are at it most of the summer, but we still need to supplement with grain because we don't have the amount or quality of pasture or hay to do fully grass fed beef, and there is a high cost to grain for cattle and pigs as well,” she said.

But, with meat as well as with vegetables, there is a limit to how much people will pay, even though prices at the grocery store have gone up and up.

“People don't look at the price in a store the way they do at a market,” she said.

Whan Farms has a farm website, which has been an important part of their business, as customers can order vegetables in season, and meat year round, for pick up at the market or the farm gate.

“E-transfer has helped a lot,” she said.

Last weekend, as she was getting ready for the market this week, Mary-Ellen had lettuce, kale, greens, radishes, many cuts of beef and pork, sausages, chicken and eggs available, all grown or raised on the property.

Many more vegetables are coming into season as the summer season hits, and she will have them available on the website, at the market and the farm gate as well.

As to how they are able to produce so much with only the two of them on a Canadian Shield property, Mary-Ellen says they work as hard as they can, as soon as the sun comes up each day.

Go to Whanfarms.com, check out their table at the Farmers Market, at the beach in Sharbot Lake, or at the farm gate at 3345 Long Lake Road.

Everything that Whan Farms produces is fresh and of the highest quality.

This makes them a key asset for the local market, and the local community, as there are few, if any other producers of both meat and vegetables, in the local area. ■