Our Story

Glenmaple, a small farm with big plans

It all started with a chicken..... the most common gateway drug to homesteading and small scale farming.

Chickens are relatively inexpensive, forgiving and entirely satisfying. But let’s back up a step and introduce ourselves. Our family lives on a 2nd generation small farm and has roots from a multi-century heritage rich in agriculture. Our barn dates back to 1857, and our house was built around 1900. We pride ourselves on maintaining the integrity of our property and facilities.

Our primary values are simple: happy livestock, happy times, and superior quality food.

Currently my wife and I work full time, but are edging closer and closer to our goal of one day being able to stay solely on farm. Farming was not even on our radar until July of 2019. This is when a friend of ours asked if we could house a few chickens for her as they were getting too noisy for the neighbours, just until she found a solution for them. Foster chickens! Well, by July 29th we were the proud owners of 8 teenaged chickens and 1 very proud adult rooster. After some housing relocation and daily routine adjustments, we were settled in nicely with our small feathered flock. By the beginning of September, our young friends had grown up and the crowing began. 1 rooster, 2 roosters, 3 roosters....... are any of these birds hens??!!?!?? As it turned out we had exactly 8 roosters and 1 very popular hen named Butter.

Egg production was not looking great.

Butter laid her first egg New Year’s Eve that year and we replaced roosters with (confirmed this time) more laying hens. Fast forword to present day and things look a little different. We now raise not only laying hens but ducks, guinea fowl, meat chickens, meat turkeys, goats, sheep, pigs, cows, and a few overly friendly and not very hard working barn cats.