First of its kind, The Luskville Farm Hop, organized by Renée Savoie took place on Nov. 6. The Farm Hop included three farms: Mountain View Farm, Infinity Farm, and Leystone Farms. From . . .

10 a.m to 4 p.m community members, neighbours and people from a few towns over were welcomed to walk around their farm and explore their vineyards and enjoy their farm animals.

“I just feel like there’s a ton of really talented artisans in the region, and they’re just not really recognized, there isn’t a lot of places to showcase their talents,” said Savoie, a communication specialist.

This event came to fruition out of a need to showcase farms who are eco-responsible and living that way of life. For Savoie, her family’s five-acre farm which she has lived on for five years is more a way of life and about living sustainably since she and her partner still work full-time jobs. “The hope is that one day, we will potentially make enough to live off of our property, but we’re not really there yet.”

For the Farm Hop Savoie was selling mixed media, art kits and art prints, which relates to some of the work she does on her farm. She holds workshops and invites other artisans to use her space to teach jewelry making or knitting, and all sorts of arts and crafts workshops.

After the couple Victoria Mestres-Laurin and Robert Laurin, who didn’t really have plans to live on a farm recall visiting the property and couldn’t walk away. “She had a tear, she cried, we fell in love with the place and immediately we put an offer,” said Robert explaining how his wife felt when she saw the view from the farm.

Since 2018 they have been growing their hobby farm and learned everything they know through practice and YouTube. Infinity Farm owners started with 15 little chickens and their farm has grown to house sheep, goats, alpacas, llamas, ducks, and rabbits. If you are wondering what colourful eggs look like stop by their chicken coop and enjoy buying free range pink, blue, and yellow eggs.

In her boutique, Victoria sells a plethora of homemade products out of ingredients from her farm such as handmade dryer balls, felted soaps scarves, wool art, sheep wool, raw alpaca fibre, raw llama fibre, maple syrup, arnica oil and fir vinegar, a toxic-free cleaning product.

For Robert, although he’s still learning and acknowledged it can be hard sometimes, he said, “you feel good about it, and that’s a payment in itself.”

Shopping and enjoying the outdoors day before election day, The Equity spotted Joanne Labadie who retired from farming three years ago before she threw her hat into politics. “What a great way to just go out and relax and remind myself what life used to be like before politics,” she said.

Arriving at the last farm, Leystone is hard to miss as it sits on a hillside vineyard owned by first-time farm owners Karri Munn-Venn, a climate policy analyst and Trefor Munn-Venn, a business coach at Rhapsody Strategies. For the couple, they went into it with a guiding principle said, Karri.

“It’s about nurturing the land, nurturing the animals, nurturing one another, nurturing community,” she said. Some of the things you can find at their farm are eggs, hay, soil amendments, grapevine wreaths, Soy Wax Fire Starters, yarn and Knitting Notions

Although they both didn’t grow up on a farm, and they didn’t have the previous farming experience they dove right in and were not afraid to ask questions. When they saw the place almost a year ago, the couple knew this is where they needed to be said, Karri.

“We need to do things with our lives that bring us joy and fulfillment. And so that’s what we’re going to do,” she said.

As part of the theme of nurture, the Munn-Venn’s debuted their artist in residence Noémie L. Cote who was there painting live as she interacted with community members and people visiting the vineyard.

“‘I’m here free to come and enjoy the land, be part of the land, be inspired by the land, said Cote, who was thrilled to be a part of Karri and Trefor’s journey.

In the future Savoie hopes to include more farms and more artisans and that it “becomes a regular thing that people start their Christmas shopping with us,” said Savoie.

Leystone Farms is located at 1965 Route 148, Luskville. Infinity Farm is located at 310 Chemin Kerr, Luskville. Mountain View Farm is located at 575 Chemin Cregheur, Luskville.

One of the many farm animals on display during the Farm Hop.

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