Hawthorn Creek Farm
Louisa and Bill Chapman are the farmers at Hawthorn Creek Farm. They specialize in growing a wide variety of produce, using a combination of a simple technology with complex understanding.
Who are the farmers at Hawthorn Creek Farm?
Louisa and Bill Chapman
Where are you located?
Tarrys
What do you grow?
Basil, Buckwheat, Currants, Eggplant, Flow Hive Honey, Flowers, Heirloom Tomatoes, Melons, Pear varieties including Asian, Peppers, Pickling Cucumbers, Plums, Pumpkins, Scarlet Runner Beans, Squash, Transparent Apples, Walnuts, Wild Blackberries, Zucchini
How would you describe your farm?
Our farm integrates simple technology with complex understanding to produce pesticide-free crops. We use wick irrigation in our greenhouse, as well as ridge and furrow cultivation in our fields. Chipped ramial wood management maintains soil health and fertility. We work together with earthworms and deciduous trees to develop and maintain brown wooded soils for our cropland and are transitioning our forested land to be less fire-susceptible and more productive hardwoods.
How long have you been in business?
We moved here to our farm only two years ago, but we raised Muscovy ducks, chickens and Chinese geese near Williams Lake for over 25 years.
What motivated you to start?
Growing our own food has always been important to us.
What are some of your greatest joys?
Picking and eating our own produce!
What are some of your greatest challenges?
Soil health and fertility.
What is your vision for your farm?
We are currently building up our nursery with black mulberry, American pawpaw, persimmon and chestnut and selecting tea and pomegranate strains for cultivation here in the West Kootenay. Our intention is to establish a legacy of fruit and nut trees that will flourish now and continue to do so for future generations.
Why is local food and/or local purchasing important to you?
Local food and local purchasing are important because they help to create a strong local economy, and we are encouraged to see more customers and more vendors at our local farmers’ markets.
