I’m not sure if even I know this answer. And I’m certain it’s a moving target. The question “What IS North Farthing going to be?” is a huge Pandora’s box of ideas and potential. I’ll see if I can hit the high points without too many tangents.
First it’s a place for me to live. Simple enough, right? I don’t want a McMansion in the suburbs. In fact I know I want LESS than a thousand square feet of indoor living space total. Possibly even half of that. Less to heat and cool, less to maintain, and in my last house more than double that size I only ever really lived in half of it. Something simple but chic. Sympathetic to the surroundings but interestingly different. I think Maritime Canada needs a modest injection of style as much as it needs fresh ideas so why not lead by example I say.
I’ve looked at “tiny” houses and while I like the premise of living within your needs and means, I also don’t want a composting toilet crammed next to my bed that’s hanging over the stove. Small, yes. Tiny, no. The way I see it, I’ll actually be living in twenty five acres if I can grow the gardens and other outdoor spaces into the grand vision that’s rattling around in my head. I’m almost sold on timber frame construction but I’m also open to ideas. Any good builders out there that work for awesome dinners and a lifetime supply of vegetables?
Next it’s a farm. What kind of farm you ask? Good question! I can comfortably declare it will be plants rather than animals, multiple micro crops rather than one giant field of potatoes, and with enough food-related activities to make Halifax chefs green with envy. Think cooking school. Think small garden cafe. Think sweeping herb and vegetable gardens that anyone can come pick by the pound. Think cider making and pumpkin picking in the fall by stressed city folk that come out for the day. Think edibles grown year round and sold to friends and neighbours instead of grocery conglomerates. Be sure to envision the orchard and berry patches because I certainly do.
I said I didn’t want any animals but I do plan a workforce of several hundred thousand… bees. They’re a no-brainer addition to everything else going on at the farm. Pollination. Wax. And of course honey. I’m nuts for the little ladies and have kept them before so expect to see several hives when you visit.
Perhaps primarily it’s a garden. I should define that better. Not just the beds where foodstuffs are grown, I’m talking show gardens. Almost botanical reference scale here. Roses and topiary and French parterres along side yurts and arbours in which people can hold weddings. A catering kitchen next to the grand lawn for events. Sweeping English borders and native forest walks. Coppice gardens nestled next to the creek. Paths that twist and turn and take you to hidden spots for a picnic. Getting the idea? I do have twenty-five acres to fill after all.
With all good gardens come nurseries and if you’ve got one of those, why not open it up to the public to sell your surplus propagation I say. It’s incredibly hard to find some things here yet I know they’d do well in our local climate. Bay trees, figs, and even citrus can grow here if brought indoors in the winter. Everyone can grow herbs but not everyone has the patience to work from seeds. I can fix that. All manner of fruit and nut trees could be grown here. Even Camelia sinensis (tea plants) would thrive in this climate. A nursery that might have my own personal food-ish bent and would mesh with the culinary angles elsewhere on the property.
Speaking of tea, I need a tea house. I’ll import my own as I’ve done before in my former life as a tea merchant. When coupled with the gardens, I can see a lovely destination for an afternoon. A few hundred tea plants make for some great hedges and imagine what people could learn about tea when they’re sipping a cup next to the plant from whence it came. Whip up some picnic baskets and throw them into the mix. I’ll have the kitchens to do it soon enough. See how this is all blending together like crumpets and clotted cream?
While I’m importing again, I might as well dust off the old spice trader contacts and restart that business as well. Tea and spice go well together in a marketing model and I’m going to want as many irons in the profitable fire as I can muster while I see which works best here. Both work a treat with mail order so guests that have visited the farm personally can continue to get a small piece sent to them in the post while they plan their next trip. Toss in a cider house, a small music stage, and a fall harvest festival too while you’re at it. You gotta think big.
Since it’s me talking here, you know I’ll have to wrap it all up into a media frenzy. Youtube channel videos. Live garden feeds. Books on everything I do right. Books on everything I do wrong. Camera crews poking around in the hedgerows like chickens filming television series. I do know how to make an interesting story at the very least. Whether it becomes comedy or drama remains to be seen but that’s the big picture in a nutshell. Would you watch it unfold? Would you visit? Would you laugh if a moose ran through my greenhouse? Let me know what you think.
