Railway Creek Farms is busy all winter long

Posted Jan 19, 2012 By Gail Paquette

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A member of the 4-H Club Jared Blanchard has shown X's and O's his Limousine Cow several times at several local fairs and the first time at The Royal Winter Fair last year. He has won many ribbons.

Gail Paquette , Belleville EMC

A member of the 4-H Club Jared Blanchard has shown X's and O's his Limousine Cow several times at several local fairs and the first time at The Royal Winter Fair last year. He has won many ribbons.

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For Natalie Blanchard one of the definite perks to living on a farm is the ability to have and train horses. She spends lots of time with both Falcon and Rocket and often enters events at the Madoc Fair.

Gail Paquette , Belleville EMC

For Natalie Blanchard one of the definite perks to living on a farm is the ability to have and train horses. She spends lots of time with both Falcon and Rocket and often enters events at the Madoc Fair.

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Elly Blanchard handles one of her laying hens. They produce enough eggs all winter long to provide for her family and a few friends, family and clients.

Gail Paquette , Belleville EMC

Elly Blanchard handles one of her laying hens. They produce enough eggs all winter long to provide for her family and a few friends, family and clients.

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At her large harvest table Elly sits behind a five-pound bag of her infamous Mennonite Garlic and in front of some of the ribbons her son Jared has won for showing their Limousin Cows at various country fairs.

Gail Paquette , Belleville EMC

At her large harvest table Elly sits behind a five-pound bag of her infamous Mennonite Garlic and in front of some of the ribbons her son Jared has won for showing their Limousin Cows at various country fairs.

EMC Lifestyles -Cooper -Even though the blustery days of winter slow things down a tad at Railway Creek Farms, Elly and Grant Blanchard and children Jared and Natalie are outside doing chores several times a day. Eggs are still be delivered to Madoc and there are cattle ready to calve.

"My day begins with breaking ice in the water troughs for all the animals, opening the doors for the chickens and checking on heifers and cows who are getting ready to calve," said Elly.

For nine years the Blanchards have been living and working on their farm 20 minutes north of Madoc village. They sell their beef and Elly's famous garlic year round.

Blanchard is a third generation green thumb and her grandmother was her inspiration.

"She was organic way before organic was even a known way of farming," she said. "My grandmother used no chemicals or pesticides and kept the soil healthy."

Blanchard has always been a country girl and had a love of and interest in animals. She attended Guelph University for three years and holds a degree in horticulture.

She has been growing organic vegetables for 15 years, starting on her mother's farm, a few miles down the road and has continued at Railway Creek Farms. Her largest crop is garlic, sixteen different kinds including Czech, Polish, Hungarian and the infamous Mennonite.

"Railway Creek Farms have been growing Mennonite garlic since the nineties when a Madoc resident gave us a bulb. The origin of this porcelain garlic strain is not known beyond that it was bought from the Bass Brothers, farmers in the London, Ontario, region. From that one bulb, we have slowly increased the number of bulbs to the thousands. We named it Mennonite to remind us where the first bulb came from."

Harvesting over 27,000 garlic last summer, Blanchard says she may have overdone it just a bit but she has lots to sell over the winter months. She also produces garlic powder.

Spring and summer are crazy busy in the Blanchard's line of work but come fall there are many things to do to prepare for the winter months.

"You don't want to be out in the cold fixing fences or equipment," she said. "All that has to be looked at before the snow flies."

They calve most of their babies in the winter and that is a consistent job, checking on those in heat, those pregnant and new mothers. "Grant chose to raise Limousin, French, mid-size animals that are hardy and easy to calve. They do well in our cold and snowy winter, and pasture well on rough pastures."

One of Blanchard's passions is to connect people with their local farmers. Besides travelling to the Belleville market during growing season and right up until it closes in late November, she is linked to Harvest Hastings and Quinte Organic Farmers Co-operative.

"Selling from the farm can be difficult," she says. "I often have people say they don't want to inconvenience me." She wants people to know that they do have a fully stocked freezer and sell their beef all year round. "We are often busy out in the fields and with the animals so we do encourage people to call ahead but we will be available for anyone wanting our organic products."

Besides the winter chores, Blanchard spends the cold months planning, recording and updating the books and says she lives on the computer. On top of her web site < www.railwaycreekfarms.com>,blog, Face book page, LinkIN and Twitter accounts, she searches for ways to bring farmers and people together.

"I would love to see a cooperative in this area of Hastings County," she says.

"2012 is the launch of the Canadian year of the Co-operatives," says Blanchard. "I hope that draws attention to the importance and benefits to local producers such as us and we find a way to get together to offer a place to sell locally grown food in this area all year round."