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Welcome to the Field of Stars!Compostellae is a vibrant small farm passionate about producing delicious vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers using organic and ecological methods.Located about 10 minutes from the mighty Trent River in the rolling Northumberland Hills, Ontario, Compostellae is 2 1/2 acres of rich loam, bordered with mixed woods and hedgerows, bisected by a small creek. Click here to see what's happening at Compostellae right now.
Like every organic garden, Compostellae will always be a work in progress. Longer term plans include adding to the small fruit orchard, planting a nut orchard and expanding soft fruit gardens. Garden beds will be properly rotated with a variety of crops and given time to rest and renourish themselves in different years using green manures and compost. Certain parts of the property are designated to stay wild but will have medicinally important and scarce herbs replanted and sensibly harvested. The creek bed and valley is in one such area and will have appropriate water and bog plants added each year. What's a Micro Farm?Micro farms, also known as small farms or mini farms, are an important part of the new face of agriculture that includes organic farming, CSAs, and market gardens, all initiatives to bring better food back to the consumer. Ranging from an urban backyard or small greenhouse, to rural parcels of land from 1 - 20 or so acres, micro farmers are work with a limited amount of land to deliver big results, providing fresh food for themselves and their communities.Until the last few years, it would have been considered impossible to farm with less than several hundred acres. After all, even big farms have historically had a hard time surviving financially. By using methods developed for growing in small or limited space, it's more than possible to produce a huge variety of crops for yourself and local markets. Suddenly, money and space are less of an obstacle and allow people from all backgrounds to work in agriculture.
Until fairly recently, you would probably have been able to use the terms ecological and organic interchangeably when it applied to farming. With organic growing in popularity over the past 20 years, as consumers become more conscious about what they put on and in their bodies, the term organic is restricted in its use. Ecological farming isn't. And while eco-farming follows many of the same principles as organic farming, with ecological farming, there is also the added component of integrating nature in the farm's design. Flowers and plants are chosen to attract benefical insects or repel predators; companion planting is used to insure the health and strong production of all members of the garden.
Nothing tastes better than a tomato fresh from the vine and warm from the sun. Perfectly ripe tomatoes are as sweet as candy.For those that want to know what's going into their food and where it comes from, supporting a local small farm allows the consumer to become an integral part of the food chain.Taste our fresh produce and rediscover flavour! |
 Using mulches and harvested rainwater to nourish sensitive heirloom varieties allows a greater diveristy of food to be consumed.
 Supporting a small farm is a great way to get reconnected to the earth and a source of natural food.
 The flowers from perennial and annual gardens supports beneficial insects like honey bees, ladybugs and butterflies.
Buying produce locally allows consumers to eat with the seasons and enjoy a huge variety of fruits and vegetables at the same time.
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Fresh herbs, with their fragrant flowers, are an important part of Compostellae's gardens. Their rich flavours are used for seasoning, in jams and sauces, and mixed with flowers in bouquets.
Sunflowers are important part of the farm landscape, used for windbreaks, cut flowers, and to attract beneficial butterflies and insects. We have a variety in different colours and heights.
