Hazelwood Gardens is operated by Valery Rossbach and Brigitte Bérubé and family members. From the left: Melody Marafurt-Breakenridge, Thomas Rossback, Teddy the toy poodle, Valery Rossbach and Brigitte Bérubé. Thompson Goddard Photo
NORTH GLENGARRY – Close to 45 people enjoyed a pizza dinner, the opportunity to socialize followed by a Twilight Tour sponsored by Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS) Ontario East and the Raisin River Conservation Authority (RRCA) on Aug. 27.
The Twilight Tour featured Kirkview Farms and a visit to Hazelwood Gardens located on the outskirts of Dalkeith in North Glengarry. It was designed to showcase land management practices as well as programs offered by both organizations. ALUS Ontario East operates within the Raisin Region Conservation Authority as well as South Nation Conservation Authority and is led by a local Partnership Advisory Committee, with members drawn from local environmental and farming communities.
“ALUS works to engage farmers and ranchers in creating nature-based solutions on their land to build climate resilience and enhance biodiversity for the benefit of communities and future generations,” said Brendan Jacobs, ALUS Ontario East Coordinator in a pre-event press release from the two organization. He continued how participants receive “an annual payment for every acre enrolled in the program” for “managing and maintaining projects such as wetlands, windbreaks, buffered, delayed hay cuts and more.”
Located on the outskirts of Dalkeith in the Rigaud River Watershed, Kirkview Farms is a multiple generational operation and currently operated by Mike and Cora MacGillivray. RRCA Stewardship Coordinator Jessica Herrington commented how this agricultural operation has successfully implemented several agricultural best management practices into their operations” in the August 2 release, before continuing “These practices can provide on farm benefits such as increased average yields, as well as improving the health of our local watersheds.”
As he welcomed people to their farm, Mike commented the partnership with ALUS began about seven years ago, with the plan to integrate more nature into the farm. The MacGillivray’s use regenerative farming principles which are combined with “permaculture based designs to create an agroecosystem type model” according to information on their website located at www.kirkviewfarms.ca.
Visitors were provided an opportunity to visit the diversified tree windbreak which creates a buffer zone to neighbouring farms. Cedar, oak, hybrid poplars and hickory are some of the species which have created the windbreak on the edge of the farm. Mike mentioned how diversity is a key component on their farm, noting they practice rotational grazing of their animals and have a mix of fast and slow growing trees on their land.
The next area visited was the wetland area which has been developed on the top of a hill. The project was begun when it was noticed there was no place where birds were able to drink which resulted in their death in pastureland. The hole for the 0.7 pond was dug which filled with water and has resulted in a thriving natural ecosystem attracting several different species of insects and animals.
Hazelwood Gardens is located a few kilometers from Kirkwood Farms. It is described as having 100 acres of land used for “paddocks, orchards and fields”, with a woodland habitat of 100 acres as well. Described in literature which accompanied people on the tour the farm is “dedicated to growing organic, regenerative and sustainable produce. Products produced include hazel nuts, maple syrup, herbs, foraged goods, farms animals, eggs as well as “artisanal goods such as soaps, salts and ferments.”
Just prior to the Twilight Tour, the excavation of one of three planned wetland areas was completed, with guests invited to view this area and its adjacent field.
The 2024 Twilight Tour was an opportunity to view first-hand work done in partnership with the two organizations which sponsored the event as well as gather information on the process undertaken by these two farms.
