Rosy Farms U-Pick

Rosy Farms, a haskap orchard just 45 minutes out of Edmonton is perhaps one of my favourite places to go and get lost during the summer months, head down picking berries until my hands are deep purple. Owned by my friend Andrew Rosychuk, it’s a peaceful little farm in Sturgeon County with views of surrounding grain crops, sounds of bird song and the aroma of sweet haskap berries. If I’m being totally honest, you’ll also probably smell bug spray (on yourself!) and hear the buzzing sound of mosquitos – a flat, calm prairie farm with a dugout in the centre, it is Alberta, we take the bugs with the summer months!

I first heard about haskap berries in 2017 when I was visiting Tony and Penny Marshall of Highwood Crossing Foods, they invited me out to their farm to pick honey berries. I had never heard of honey berries but was assured they were super tasty. My sister in law, niece, nephew and I went out to pick some for our trip home from High River. A funny little story – my nephew hates berries, since he was small even one blueberry in a dish would result in him returning the blueberry skin to you with everything else in the bite gone. He was eager to pick, picking a container full when Penny told him that the birds really liked them, he threw them on the ground (he was 3!), we all asked what he was doing, “Well, Penny told me the birds really like them…” My niece on the other hand is a berry fiend, she can’t get enough, the problem with picking berries with her is more end up in her tummy than the container – I must admit, I’m on her side!

In June of 2017 I hadn’t heard of haskaps, by the end of that summer I swear everyone was talking about them – whether they had a friend who planted a few plants in their yard, or they had planted a few plants themselves a few years ago, but the birds got to all of the berries first, it was the talk of the summer of 2017. The birds do apparently really like haskaps, but interestingly enough, Andrew doesn’t struggle with birds on his farm at all.

I had posted about picking haskaps with the Marshall’s on Instagram, and Andrew commented inviting me out to his farm when the berries were in season the following year. Out I went to meet Andrew, hear more about his farm, haskap berries and of course to pick some berries (without my nephew in tow!). Andrew is the most outgoing, funny, smart guy, he is bigger than life, and he really has a passion for the little blue berry that tells a big story. Now three years later he’s one of my biggest supporters, a great friend and I visit his farm as much as I can in the summer, not only to pick those berries that I love so much, but also to visit. Andrew and I talk a lot about business – we both own small businesses, although they look very different. Over the last three years I have watched him succeed, grow, and build his business and farm to something so incredible – I’ve also seen the struggles, stressful times and endless questions he has to ask and answer. Our friendship allows me to see all aspects of farming, including the business side – something I am so grateful Andrew is willing to share and teach me about. This connects me as a consumer, as a teacher and as an advocate to the end product so much more. I take this knowledge he shares with me and connect it to other farmers I know and work with. It’s funny although Andrew doesn’t really like to be called a farmer, he (like so many other farmers I know and work with) debunk the idea that farming isn’t cool, or that you don’t have to be smart to be a farmer. As I mentioned, farming is a business, but farming takes guts, strength and brains. Afterall, without farmers we wouldn’t have food.

I asked Andrew a few questions about his farm:

What does a local food system look like to you as a farmer?

A local food system sounds very simple. At first it did for me; grow the produce, make the product, sell the product, happy purple faces everywhere. In reality it is extremely complicated, including food safety on the farm, food safety when making the product, traceability from planting, to picking, freezing, production to the final person. I wish my farm had all amenities for vertical integration, but at this time I am too small, so I need to hire outside contractors, for distribution, marketing, product development, ext. All this has really made me appreciate what our local food really is. So now when I purchase a loaf of bread, I respect what it takes, because of this it might even make it taste better.

What does community support mean to your farm?

Sounds like you’re asking about how I run my business because it has taken a large community of growers, friends and family to make Rosy Farms happen. Almost like saying with Rosy Farms, The Rosy is me, the Farms is everyone else. Discovering some lifelong friendships along the way. People who I collaborate with, because the old school competitive ways of doing business, can greatly slow down a business. Just look at how you and I started off, an instagram hello, common crazies, impromptu farm picnic, now we talk all the time about our businesses, the communities we are in and most importantly about life.

What is the most inspiring, positive or uplifting part of farming?

For me it is the ability to create. Working with fellow business owners on projects, creating a product package with my amazing graphic designer, even just sitting down for a beer with a friend yip yapping about possibilities. Having a farm gives me opportunities, working with haskaps is endless possibilities, who gets the chance to work with a new fruit?

What is the biggest challenge you face as a farmer or your farm has faced?

Few people know what a haskap fruit is, and it’s amazing health benefits. Being able to get the amazing word out that we can grow a better blueberry in our own backyards is the hardest part. Where I am so happy to work with other local haskap growers, North49fruit, to make haskaps an everyday fruit. Knowing this will take a long time, I am committed to grow the healthiest fruit possible for people.

Tell me a bit about your farm and haskaps.

Thinking it is best to go back to the start. In 2005, while taking the Production Horticulture Diploma program at Olds College I planted a test plot of sour cherries, currants, and haskaps on our family farm. The deer loved the cherries, insects loved the currants and he fell in love with the haskaps. How could I not, they are 3 times the antioxidants as high bush blueberries, tough as nails being able to thrive in our northern climate.

My vision was born: To grow incredibly healthy haskap berries and develop the market, in the prairies and internationally.

I quickly realized that starting an orchard was going to take more than an education and a dream. Digging his heels in, working in the trades as a Canadian Red Seal welder and boilermaker to make my berry farm a reality.

In 2014 I bought 80 acres of land northwest of Edmonton, amending the intensively farmed dirt into lively soil. The farm is going into its 5th year of growing haskaps, 27,000 haskaps are planted. Expecting a large harvest this July. One that I am looking forward to sharing with U-pickers.

Our roots are in, the industry is growing. Time to work with fellow growers, making haskaps a household name.

What do you do on the farm to promote healthy soils?

Out of the questions you asked this is the one I could go on and on about. Soil is my favourite part of growing. The more I take care of the soil, the more it will take care of the haskaps. Soils have always taken care of themselves, not needing the inputs of man. The natural link has been broken with industrial agriculture. Yes we need industrial agriculture, but not on Rosy Farms. The goal is to guide the farm back to a natural state, creating a system that takes care of itself, which will also produce more nutritionally dense fruit. This is done by having a diverse planting of ground covers and flowering trees, because plants work together, insects need diversity. I use biological stimulants to perk up these natural systems. Yes my farm does not look like a traditional orchard, letting the cover grow a bit more, diverse plating of flowering plants. My soil is everything.

If you’ve never heard of haskaps – they are a tiny blue berry that is quite long (and don’t you dare compare it to a blueberry or Saskatoon in front of Andrew), depending on the variety they can be quite sweet or a little bit tart. They are great in crumbles, pies, smoothies, jams, cordials and really anything you’d use any other berry for! You can head out to Rosy Farms to pick haskaps this year as the season is just starting. A great activity to do with the family. A note on heading out to u-picks – farming is a business, pay for what you pick (if you eat along the way, pay for those too!), pick properly through the rows and listen to where you are to pick. A farm is a diverse ecosystem, be mindful of this as you visit farms and treat it as if it was your own garden.