Regenerative agriculture at work
Story by Aric McBay
Photos by Suzy Lamont
“We harness our animals’ superpowers on our farm,” says farmer Becky Williams, “by utilizing what they naturally love to do, to improve our land and produce delicious, nutrient-dense food.”
Becky runs Maple Ridge Farm along with her husband Mark McCrady and their sons Mitchell and Ben. They raise grass-finished Dexter Beef, pastured Berkshire pork, and pastured chickens for meat and eggs. They also keep honeybees and grow cut flowers.
“It’s a passion of our family,” says Becky. “It’s how we love to spend our time.”
Becky and Mark are both Queen’s graduates. In 2011, they moved from a smaller property to their current farm.
The larger farm at Maple Ridge provided new opportunities, but the land was tired from past overgrazing. Becky and Mark decided to raise ruminants (like cows) to help restore soil health.
On pasture, the animals can express all their natural behaviours, grazing to stimulate grass growth and adding manure to increase soil fertility.“We try to mimic nature as best we can,” explains Becky, through regenerative farming. “Cows love to be on the move and they love to be grazing. Pigs love to wallow and have their nose in the dirt. They are our built-in rototillers.”
“If your soil isn’t healthy, you’re not producing healthy plants,” Becky explains. “If we want nutrient-dense food, we need to go back to the health of the soil. Much of the food consumed today is grown on depleted soil, so the food is lacking those healthy vitamins and minerals.”
“Our goal is to grow the most nutritious, delicious food,” says Mark. “When you buy meat from us it’s good for you, it’s good for the animal, and it’s good for the environment.”
Maple Ridge Farm raises the Dexter breed of cattle, which are smaller than commercial breeds and do very well when exclusively grass-fed. “Dexters are amazing at turning forage into meat,” says Mark. “Their meat is sweet, naturally marbled and delicious.”
Growing food in a regenerative way has also allowed them to make a living on the farm. When they moved to Maple Ridge, Becky was working full-time off farm. But she decided that spending time at a desk behind a computer wasn’t what she wanted to do with her life. Mark works as a teacher with the Limestone District School Board.
Becky and Mark are grateful to the loyal customers who support their farm and see value in knowing where their food comes from. “Because of them our farm is sustainable. “Now we’re taking care of the people who support us.”
At Maple Ridge they believe in connecting with their customers. “The more people know about how their food is raised, the better.” Each week a farm update goes out with a candid recap of the happenings on the farm from the past week, along with recipes and product availability updates. You can sign up for the weekly update on their website.
Maple Ridge Farm offers home delivery of meat and flowers directly into Kingston, with a variety of pastured beef, pork, and chicken cuts as well as processed meats including beef jerky, pepperettes, kielbasa, sliced Black Forest ham and salami, chicken pot pies. They also offer bone broth and rendered fat in their online shop.
Customers can also order a “meat for the week” package that includes an assortment of dinner options with recipes.
“Feeding families is something that we’re most proud of,” says Becky. “And flowers!” she adds. “We love seeing how happy what we do makes people. You can’t help but get that same feeling.”
“People have become disconnected not only to where their food comes from, but also other farm products like flowers,” says Becky. “I think this is because we can get whatever we want any time. Especially on the flower end of things; many don’t realize how their buying choice impacts the environment or the working conditions.” Most imported flowers, Becky explains, are harvested by exploited workers who are exposed to dangerous pesticides.
For local flowers, in contrast, “the blooms are cut fresh in the morning and can be in a bouquet a few hours later.” Becky says: “Local flowers are hot right now. They are beautiful and have a long vase life so it’s not surprising that florists, consumers, and local shops are seeking out local flower growers.”
Where to get Maple Ridge Farm products:
- Maple Ridge meat or flowers can be ordered year-round at mapleridge-farm.ca. Order by Wednesday for delivery to your door on Thursday, or choose farm pick-up on Fridays.
- A flower subscription is available in bouquet and bucket sizes. Mixed organic flower bouquets can also be found at Glenburnie Grocery, Tara Natural Foods, Limestone Creamery, and Sigrid’s Natural Foods.
- Maple Ridge meat is included in some take-home meal options at Bella Market.
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