Angela Neufeld chats affably as she strolls around the 10-acre South Surrey property she and her husband Paul call home.
Occasionally, she stops to address some small issue or other that has caught her practised eye.
Whether it’s making adjustments to a watering hose or trimming the stems of dahlias bound for market bouquets, there’s always something to keep Neufeld’s hands occupied as she offers a tour of Kingfisher Farm Market on a pleasant summer morning.
The farm’s massive flower beds are a riot of colour, spilling over with zinnias, dahlias, snapdragons, sunflowers and larkspur – all of which have taken over from the spring’s offerings of daffodils, tulips, anemones and ranunculus.
Choosing the loveliest blooms and cutting them to be gathered into eye-catching bouquets – to which a range of attractive and aromatic herbs will be added – are Neufeld’s mother, Maryanne Balzer, and her cousin, Rachelle Kraul.
It’s a job that needs to be done first thing in the morning, before the day gets too warm.
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Nearby, Paul is busy rinsing mixed salad greens in a large tub and spinning them dry in a washing machine-sized centrifuge before bagging them up for sale.
Like the flowers, the greens are grown on the property, along with a host of other vegetables – including (but by no means limited to) squash, carrots, beets, broccoli, cabbage, eggplant and celery – all of which are sold at a weekly market, online, and from a roadside stand at the farm’s gate.
The couple relocated from East Vancouver 12 years ago, but prior to that they’d been farming the parcel of land at 512 172 St. for about five years.
“In 2011, we made the move from East Vancouver to live here in South Surrey, and, until 2020, Paul managed the sustainable agriculture program at A Rocha as well as the land A Rocha leased from Kingfisher Farm,” the couple explains on their website.
They are now in their third year of farming exclusively at Kingfisher Farm. In the past couple of years, they’ve taken the leap into making a living off the land by selling vegetables, flowers and more through a Tuesday market, online sales, flower subscription programs and vegetable sales to restaurants.
There are six families who co-own and live on the property. Some are more directly involved with the business than others, including helping out on market days.
“We care for the land together,” says Neufeld, whose formal training is as a music therapist (a combination that makes a rather nice balance, she notes).
“The families are all supportive, but it looks different in every case.”
Market days are busy days.
Each Tuesday, between June and early October, the farm’s historic barn – built in 1928 – bustles with activity from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Neufeld estimates that 600 people or more come through in any given week to purchase Kingfisher’s vegetables and flowers, as well as local meat, cheese, bread, eggs and honey. Visitors are also encouraged to take a moment to say hi to the resident goats, ducks and chickens.
Among the market’s more popular items is hot sauce made from peppers grown at the farm.
While tomatoes and cucumbers are cultivated inside greenhouses, a wide variety of peppers – both hot and sweet – are planted outdoors in the garden.
“You can notice the difference in the flavour,” Neufeld says.
While Kingfisher Farm Market is not certified organic, in practice it is, she says.
“We sell directly to the customer, we’re very clear about what we’re doing and people can ask questions.”
Sustainability is another of the couple’s priorities in their stewardship of the land.
To help preserve the fertility of the garden’s soil, they’ve adopted a no-till method of horticulture. By disturbing the earth as little as possible between the fall harvest and spring planting, microbes and insects, which form part of a healthy soil biology, are preserved.
According to the Regeneration International website, “Undisturbed soil resembles a sponge, held together by an intricate structure of different soil particles and channels created by roots and soil organisms. When the soil is disturbed by tilling, its structure becomes less able to absorb and infiltrate water and nutrients.”
Between crops, the ground is covered with a black tarp to block sunlight and kill weeds.
Additionally, on a pair of beds, the farm employs hügelkultur – a technique wherein a mound constructed from decaying wood debris and other compostable biomass plant materials is later planted as a raised bed, which starts at about five feet tall. Over time, as the bed settles, it densifies, becoming exceptionally nutrient-rich and holding moisture well, Neufeld explains.
Not far from the hügelkultur beds at the south end of the property, 25 community garden plots are made available to the public for growing food or flowers. Inquiries are accepted at the beginning of February and priority is given to people who live within walking distance of the farm, since parking is at a premium.
That lack of space is especially noticeable on market days. While Neufeld would love to invite people to bring picnics and enjoy spending more time at the farm, the limited amount of parking simply won’t allow it.
The roadside stand, meanwhile, operates from Wednesday to Sunday, with many of their regular customers being neighbours who stop in on their way home from work.
“We really don’t have to step out of our door to sell, which is really unusual for a farm.”
Flower subscriptions are another source of income. They’re sold on the Kingfisher Farm Market website, along with ‘Farmers’ boxes’ of vegetables and ‘Eat local’ T-shirts.
While the Tuesday market will wrap up for the season on Oct. 3, it will re-open on Saturday, Nov. 18 for a holiday market.
Meanwhile, the Neufelds are grateful for customers who support the farm year-round, through the purchase of gift certificates during the winter to be redeemed in spring or summer. They, too, are available on the website at kingfisherfarmmarket.com