Located in picturesque Foothills County, Alberta, we are a small family-owned farm committed to preserving the land through regenerative farming practices. From July to October, we offer a variety of fabulous flowers, vibrant veggies and pretty pumpkins, all grown right here on our little patch of heaven.
My Roots
I love the warmth and comfort found in rural towns and the slow pace of living in the country. At heart, I am an admirer of nature, a writer and an ardent gardener passionate about homesteading and growing exquisite blooms.
My deep love for vegetable gardening and wholesome foods came from my French grandparents on my father’s side of the family. For them, relying on your homestead to sustain your family was a way of life. Their appreciation for the land ran deep, and I’m sure they felt the magic and excitement that comes with growing a garden every spring. It was surely one of the reasons why—along with the incomparable taste of freshly grown, organic foods—they kept this beautiful tradition going year after year, when many had already begun to solely depend on supermarkets. I’m grateful to have spent so many memorable summers with them gardening and picking and eating fresh vegetables to my heart’s content. I’ve learned so much from them, and hopefully I’ll pass along this knowledge to my children one day.
My earliest love for growing flowers came from my Dutch grandmother on my mother’s side of the family. When I was seven years old, she brought me to the local nursery where she worked and I fell so completely in love with the way it felt inside a greenhouse. The warmth, soft light, earthy scents, signs of new life, vibrant colors… all that beauty and peace drew me right in, it felt like a mystical place. On that day, I was given my very first plant. My grandmother helped me plant a delicate, blush pink begonia in a terracotta pot, embossed with bumblebees. I still remember that day vividly, because I felt deeply content. I loved my little plant but it was fragile and didn’t last very long; however, I kept that pot and it has seen many plants over the years.
Flower farms in our country is a rather recent trend, especially in Alberta, but I had found myself profoundly inspired by other growers and loved the idea of trying it too. Little did I know that I was searching for more beauty and purpose in my life. And I now understand that it’s also about healing. There’s something so magical about watching flowers grow and tending them every day. These little blessings hold such power and inspiration and I’m sure many find healing through growing them as well.
Sheep River Farm’s Beginnings & Future
I grew up in a small town with nature at our doorstep and raised my children on a serene patch of land where there was an abundance of trees. wildlife and all the wonders that country life brings. While living in town, as a hobby, I began to design pillows, aprons and kitchen linens made of sustainable and organic fabrics. This led to the opening of my online shop called Sheep River Home Goods, in 2020. The goal was to eventually move the little business out to the countryside and offer fresh, homegrown foods as well.
In 2021, Sheep River Home Goods became Sheep River Farm, after we left our home in Okotoks to live in the foothills of Alberta to further our homesteading dreams, while sharing the goodness of our gardens with our beautiful community. And so, our farm-to-table plans of growing fresh produce and flowers began to unfold on a parcel of compacted and depleted dirt, during a season of drought.
The first year was difficult, to put it mildly. But we rolled up our sleeves, and by the next season, we had built two greenhouses and a large enclosed garden—to keep the frolicking deer from devouring our vegetable patch—as well as a whole new section filled with pumpkins and flowers. Fierce drought persisted the following year and that could’ve been enough to give up on what seemed like a futile idea. Unforeseen circumstances at this place had been at play from day one and even though our desire was to carry out our vision, as our second season came to a close, we realized it was time to start fresh.
Our love for the foothills, where prairies meld into rolling hills at the foot of soaring, snowcapped mountains, as well as our wonderful community has kept us here, as there is no other place we’d rather be. But with this beauty, comes the challenge of an extreme climate of hot, dry summers and frigid winters. A lot of trial and error has gone into our gardening endeavors over our many seasons of growing. However, there have been pleasant discoveries along the way and we’re very hopeful that this knowledge will serve us well, as we begin again at our new location.
As always, our plans are to nurture the earth with regenerative farming practices, and grow wholesome foods, uplifting blooms, and whimsical pumpkins… after all, what would a sweet, little farm be without a touch whimsy?
My vision has always been about building my life around simplicity and good health. I want to promote a healthy environment as well, and that means making mindful choices every day, from the way we grow and raise our food to the items we use in our home. Quality products and fine craftsmanship are at the heart of Sheep River Farm; I truly believe that farming with sustainable practices and creating items that last are a good way to honor the land.
Thank you for visiting our website and supporting our farm, we are greatly looking forward the new season ahead!
With love & gratitude,
Christine Lemieux
