Article and Images By Rebekah Friesen
On our second date, my now partner, Jonathan Woodworth, suggested we go foraging for goose tongue greens, and I knew there was much to love about this man. Driving down the 114 to visit him again, I felt a wave of something I can only describe as coming home.
The community pastures and dykelands around Riverside-Albert are similar to the landscape I grew up in on the prairies, farming marshland reclaimed from Lake Winnipeg by my Mennonite ancestors.
On our second date, my now partner, Jonathan Woodworth, suggested we go foraging for goose tongue greens, and I knew there was much to love about this man. Driving down the 114 to visit him again, I felt a wave of something I can only describe as coming home.
The community pastures and dykelands around Riverside-Albert are similar to the landscape I grew up in on the prairies, farming marshland reclaimed from Lake Winnipeg by my Mennonite ancestors.
Jonathan and I soon found we were in a similar place in life, ready for change but not sure what that change would look like. Through our conversations, we discovered a mutual interest in creating space for people to engage with food and how it is grown. It was obvious to both of us that we would do this in Riverside-Albert, a beautiful place that feels on the cusp of a new wave of growth. We started dreaming about what it would look like if we combined Jonathan's love of learning and skills as a carpenter with my knowledge of gardening and baking.
More than 20 years ago, my family started an on-farm artisan bakery in the boondocks of Manitoba when their small-scale farm (by prairie standards) of cereal grains, 3000 laying hens, and 500 hogs became unviable in the new context of corporately owned farms. Seeing them create something in the middle of nowhere has given Jonathan and me confidence when we think of starting our own business 45 minutes away from the nearest grocery store.
The pandemic has also served to galvanize our belief in the path we are on - Hearth & Hive's mix of gardening, wood-fired baking, beekeeping and glamping accommodations provide an opportunity to connect with simple life on our rural homestead.
At the start of August, 2021, we opened our farmstand at 51 Forestdale Road in Riverside-Albert. At present, it is stocked with veggies and honey, with baking and value-added products from our gardens and foraging to follow soon. This winter, we will be offering bread and soup subscription boxes. We get excited when we think of plans for next year - putting on pizza nights and hosting workshops with local facilitators, bringing people together over good food and learning.
Come and visit us!
More than 20 years ago, my family started an on-farm artisan bakery in the boondocks of Manitoba when their small-scale farm (by prairie standards) of cereal grains, 3000 laying hens, and 500 hogs became unviable in the new context of corporately owned farms. Seeing them create something in the middle of nowhere has given Jonathan and me confidence when we think of starting our own business 45 minutes away from the nearest grocery store.
The pandemic has also served to galvanize our belief in the path we are on - Hearth & Hive's mix of gardening, wood-fired baking, beekeeping and glamping accommodations provide an opportunity to connect with simple life on our rural homestead.
At the start of August, 2021, we opened our farmstand at 51 Forestdale Road in Riverside-Albert. At present, it is stocked with veggies and honey, with baking and value-added products from our gardens and foraging to follow soon. This winter, we will be offering bread and soup subscription boxes. We get excited when we think of plans for next year - putting on pizza nights and hosting workshops with local facilitators, bringing people together over good food and learning.
Come and visit us!
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