Lauren Nurse

There’s a fresh wind blowing in the agricultural industry, says farmer Lauren Nurse of Small Spade Farm, and not a moment too soon. As a board member of the National Farming Union, she sees more diversity in the union than ever before with women, transgenders and disparate cultures all a growing presence. “It is heartening that change is happening,” she says.

Lauren is still very much a pioneer as a female single-handedly running a commercial farm. She is also an unlikely candidate to be doing so, having been raised in Montreal, completed her B.A. at Concordia and graduated York University in Toronto with a Masters in Fine Arts. Horticulture isn’t a new passion. She has worked in the field for 22 years, and still runs her own landscaping business. Her business acumen in the industry financed her arts education.

She met her husband Eric, a Fine Arts alumnus, at York University. Eric is a contract craftsman, a builder of custom homes and furniture. He is dedicated to his business while Lauren manages the farm.

As the sole boss at Small Spade Farms, one of her biggest issues is that she is often not taken seriously. As at any business meeting or cultural gathering where the input of women is unwelcome, she is often dismissed by the network of male farmers, many of whom go back generations in the area. Not only is she a woman, but she is a city woman. She received unexpected support from unlikely sources in the early days of the farm, proving that there’s an exception to every rule, and she will forever be grateful to them.

Manure schlepping for future fertility! This farm is powered on goat poops and disillusioned art intellectuals. Small Spade Farm Social Media Post

She sees the blending of old homesteads and new arrivals in the area, and hopes that each group can share their knowledge and benefit from each other. Lauren is passionately committed to organic and sustainable farming.

“In a small scale and sustainably managed system, carbon is put back into the soil through cattle (and other ruminants) grazing, as well as creating habitat, food for birds and insects, and a thriving pasture system. Additionally, we need to measure the benefits of having manure be the sole fertility applied - fossil fuel based fertilizers are incredibly destructive and extractive, and if we cut the oil out of the equation, suddenly grazing looks like an excellent model.” Lauren posted this explanation as part of a discussion on social media.

Growing heirloom tomatoes

The food system is broken, she says. “Farming is one of the lowest paying and highest stress jobs. Sometimes consumers forget, or don’t know, that cheap food is expensive for the environment.” Her farm produce, she explains, can’t be sold for the prices available from large operations which produce as cheaply as possible without regard for environmental and health consequences. “We need to be mindful of where our food comes from and how it was produced,” she cautions.

Small Spade Farm is not self-sustaining and thus not Lauren’s sole source of revenue. As well as her landscaping business which takes her to Toronto often in season, she teaches at both York University and University of Toronto. She has learned a great deal about efficiencies since founding the farm in 2012.

Her first year was “ridiculous, chaotic, a nightmare,” she recalls ruefully. “You are 100% responsible and you have 0% control.” She has since established the necessary arrangements with veterinarians, feed purveyors and outlets for her produce. Lauren is an animal lover and runs a no-kill operation. Her herd of Nigerian Dwarf goats produce dairy only and the chicken coop offers nothing but eggs. Her greenhouses grow a host of produce, and she has adapted her crop rotation plans based on her increasing network of direct commercial buyers for restaurants and other outlets. Her barn is home to a feral cat colony while Bella and June, dog and cat respectively, enjoy the comforts of her home and its crackling woodstove. June, formerly a barn cat, won a determined six-month battle of wills to gain house status after the death of Lauren’s beloved senior cats.

Most of her female goats are due to give birth within weeks and she is glowing with excitement at the prospect. “Academia is stressful too,” she explains. “I always asked myself if it was worth it, and sometimes felt that the reward was not equal to the required output. My goats are having babies within weeks. Now that feels worth it!” She is also very attached to her heritage chickens.

Organic Turmeric

Quail Eggs

Lauren’s decision to embark on her extreme lifestyle change was largely motivated by her own health. A vegan for many years, she developed digestive issues and her doctor recommended some animal protein. The experience prompted her to consider the progeny of all the supposedly healthy food she had been consuming. Her organic, sustainable farm is the result. She and Eric now eat meat once per week, which they buy from trusted neighbouring farmers who share their ideologies. The farm provides them with produce, eggs and dairy.

Winter was tough. The Stirling property is situated on hilly terrain, and the yard is a sea of ice despite best efforts to maintain control. Negotiating her way down to the animals relying on her was hazardous much of the time and she took a couple of nasty spills. She worried incessantly about her charges with this year’s frigid temperatures. Lauren is looking forward to spring with enthusiasm.

She loves being a farmer. “I only hire women,” she grins. “They’re tougher.” Her hope, for female farmers and for women everywhere, is that they be able to move in the world more comfortably, and not be exceptional because of their gender. Amen to that.

Links
Small Spade Farm on Facebook