LAC LA BICHE – The agriculture industry in Alberta not only includes large farming operations, but also small, family-run enterprises such as Little Beau Seed Co.
Little Beau Seed Co., located between Lac La Biche and Boyle, is operated by Barbara Malacko and her family.
The small farm grows a variety of produce, heirloom/open pollinated and flower seeds, berries, as well as asparagus.
Little Beau Seed Co., Malacko said, also offers several different varieties of daylilies, tulips, peonies, gladiolus, and many other types of perennials.
“Over the past few years, we have been building our inventory with plant divisions and seed saving,” she explained.
They plan to develop flower gardens, which will eventually include an area where the public will be able to come through to u-pick flower bouquets and even select the root stock they would like to purchase for their home gardens.
“This year, we are adding in a sunflower garden of multiple colours and varieties,” said Malacko.
As for the methods that are used to grow produce and flowers at Little Beau Seed Co., Malacko said the work is very labour intensive. Since the first-generation farm was purchased in 2021, the family has invested into machinery and equipment to help them along.
The soil that is farmed is classified as ‘Gray Wooded Soil’, she said, explaining that this soil is characterized by a gray-coloured, leached layer with low humus content.
“Every time we expand, the soil needs to be amended. We incorporate organic matter into the soil to help build the structure.”
Recently, grow tunnels have been set on the farm to assist with stabilizing the temperatures in the fields to allow more of the farm’s seed crops to grow to full maturity.
While Little Beau Seed Co. isn’t certified as organic, organic practices are still used. This includes not using chemicals for weed control or fertilizer.
“We control the weeds with our hands, cardboard and lots of mulch. We compost darn near any organic matter we can get our hands on and spread this on the fields,” she said.
As with other farming operations, there are challenges with growing food. The land where Little Beau Seed Co. is located is comprised of 70 per cent trees, with the remainder being an old hay field.
Each new plot that the family wants to garden needs to be prepared, and this includes breaking the overburden, removing as much old grass roots as possible, and breaking more, along with amending with compost and manure.
Being at the mercy of Mother Nature also brings with it difficulties when putting in crops and hoping that they grow.
Malacko explained that last spring, she waited until mid-June to transplant over 300 tomato plants. A couple of days later, the area was hit with temperatures that dipped to –2 degrees Celsius and all but six of those plants were lost.
Hot weather and drought-like conditions are also a crucial factor in the growing of crops. During an especially hot summer two years ago that brought with it very little rain, Little Beau Seed Co. was impacted not only by the extremely dry weather, but also hordes of grasshoppers.
“We would walk through the fields and the grasshoppers . . . It was unbelievable, the sheer volume. They ate everything in sight. We have a dug out, and we use it. Unfortunately, that summer, we used it to nearly dry, and it still was not enough,” she explained.
Naming the farm
When asked where she came up with the name ‘Little Beau Seed Co.’, Malacko said she was visiting with her daughter-in-law and chatting about the still-unnamed seed gig they were working on.
Beau is her grandson, and the name came out in conversation.
“It was natural and just felt right. I always love to say, ‘One day this all will be his’.”
While Little Beau Seed Co. is still building and growing, the operators of the small family farming enterprise have occasionally sold produce and seeds at markets. The farm, Malacko said, will be harvesting asparagus this spring and plans are in place to take that produce to local markets.
“When we have taken our produce to market, the public has been very supportive and excited to hear this is grown ‘organically’ and locally.”
Malacko believes that when food is produced locally, it is fresh when people consume it, and the nutritional value is so much higher than a product that has been shipped and stored for a week a more – and it also tastes better.
“There is always something to be said about knowing where your food came from. Once a freshly picked tomato is tasted, or asparagus that was picked hours ago, there is no comparison to flavour.”
