Acres of waving spelt, einkorn wheat, and other heritage grains flutter urgently under the downdraft of an approaching thunderstorm. This year at Gold Forest Grains, a small organic farm in Sturgeon County northwest of Edmonton, the crops are thick, healthy and weeks ahead of schedule.
Farmer John Schneider could be harvesting well before the first frost hits. It's an outcome no one could have anticipated a mere two months ago, when a crippling drought threatened to suck the life out of Alberta's agricultural heartland.
"We almost didn't seed this year," Mr. Schneider says.
Any farm is vulnerable to the grander forces of climate and economy. Last year, farmers witnessed the strongest El Nino on record; this quasi-periodic shift in global temperature and precipitation robbed the Canadian Prairies of rainfall and snow cover. Combined with above-average temperatures that spilled over into 2016, March felt like May. Grain prices are also inherently variable and farmers expect diseases and pests to increase under predictive climate change models.
Amber Bracken/for The Globe and Mail
But farming has never been an occupation rooted in certainty.
Mr. Schneider's 121-hectare, certified-organic farm is no more immune to these forces than are farms 10 times its size. He and other enterprising small farmers in the Edmonton area stack the survival odds in their favour by growing heritage grains, vegetables and livestock on small parcels of land. The increased genetic diversity of their stock renders them less vulnerable to disease, pests and extreme weather. As well, by scaling down, small farmers can stake out niche markets where big players cannot tread.
"A large percentage of cereal crops in Canada are genetic singularities. Plants with no genetic variation are at a huge risk for disease and insects," Mr. Schneider explains. "If a pest comes along, it's like an unlimited food source for them. You're done." He shakes his head and adds: "I can't understand why so many farmers defend a broken system so vehemently."
But it wasn't easy for Mr. Schneider to make the change either.
"My ancestors started farming here 150 years ago. I've been a farmer my whole life, and I resisted," he admits. "[My wife] Cynthia was after me to do some research on the effects of disease and climate change on crops, and I was like: 'Come on, give me a break. As if the world is warming up.'"
Amber Bracken/for The Globe and Mail
Mr. Schneider's curiosity was piqued, though. Further reading and research prompted the Schneiders to permanently switch to organic, ancient-grain farming in 2010. He ground a few bags of flour, and tested the waters at a small, inner-city market. "I talked to 10 people that day," he recalls, "but they each went home with an $8 bag of flour. I grossed $80 that day, but it told me that Edmontonians cared where their food came from."
Gold Forest Grains' reach has since grown to include multiple farmer's markets and Edmonton-area restaurants. Mr. Schneider's success as a small, highly specialized farmer, lies in his ability to direct market. Whereas industrial-scale farms are inevitably bound to wholesalers, brokers and chain stores, there are no middlemen between Gold Forest Grains and its customers. "It's how I maintain my niche," Mr. Schneider said.
One hundred kilometres south, Vicky and Shayne Horn of Tangle Ridge Ranch marvel at the year's brisk 180-degree turn. These first-generation sheep farmers raise an unusual breed of lamb (known as "hair sheep" for their conspicuous lack of wool) that is coveted by chefs for its mild flavour.
"It's been a crazy year," Ms. Horn explains. "The snow was gone in February. Green-up started in March. A huge fire almost crossed our farm. By May, it was a severe drought. Our pastures were so dry they were crunchy."
A harsh reality faced Tangle Ridge Ranch: Fork out $10,000 for hay or reassess whether small-scale sheep ranching was a viable future. The Horns had already spent a small fortune on hay in 2015.
"We didn't want to lose our customers through that hardship," she adds, "so we rode it out."
The Horns had built their customer base up a decade ago via word of mouth; Tangle Ridge lamb now makes regular appearances on Edmonton restaurant menus. The pair was hesitant to surrender their niche to significantly larger lamb suppliers, particularly when at least 50 per cent of lamb in Canada is imported.
Fortunately, Mother Nature – ever the wild card – pulled through. "It started raining on the May long weekend and really hasn't stopped. The rain has been a lifesaver," Ms. Horn laughs.
At Gold Forest Grains, Mr. Schneider says he'll patiently weather the storms. "So many farms operate on such vast scales that even with huge equipment, they can't seed or harvest everything on time. The unsustainability of the whole system gives me hope," he says. "Eventually, it has to change."
