Organic farming tantalizes the taste buds by Tamara Stecyk
Farm Gateway, December 2002/January 2003

Target marketing and a hands-on approach is key to the success of Highwood Crossing Organic Farm in Aldersyde.

Tony Marshall spends 99 per cent of his time on the phone and one percent on the tractor, which he says is a complete reversal of the traditional role of a farmer.

“Traditional agriculture farmers are hauling their crop to the elevator and are waiting for a cheque to come. There is not a lot of though given to the marketing. It’s more production focused than marketing focused,” said Marshall.

“We are completely market driven, [rather] than production based. We are driven on what our customers want and what the market is asking for,” he said.

Highwood Crossing produces 100 per cent certified organic crops that include wheat, rye, flax, canola, oats, barley, peas, hay and sweet clover.

When Marshall and his wife Penny, switched to organic in 1989 they found there was a demand for value-added processing. They invested in a processing facility where they package flaxseed muffin and pancake mix, stone-ground flours, whole grains and cereals as well as a cold extraction press from Europe to freshly press their own oils every week. A co-processor mills their flour.

“Our real success has come from the value- added processing. We spend over 100 days in stores, at farmer’s markets, doing demos in restaurants and talking to our clients. So we have a real good feeling on what our customer wants and what the market wants,” said Marshall.

Prior to returning to farming, his background was in marketing and sales and that’s a plus for Highwood Crossing to help get the product into the right retailers and clients’ hands. Marshall says he’s returned to the methods that his great-grandfather and grandfather used on the same farm.

At first, the Marshalls used conventional farming practices on their half section of land for 10 years. “With our land base, it was difficult to make it work conventionally. My grandfather and great-grandfather were organic by default because there were not chemicals,” he said.

The Marshalls affiliated with a sustainable agriculture association to make the switch and spent their first three years using no synthetic chemicals and learning about sustainability. Green manures and crop rotations are critical, said Marshall, who has eight different crops in rotation.

Highwood Crossing has eliminated canola from its crops because neighboring farmers have switched to genetically modified canola and Marshall does not want to worry about cross- pollination. The farm keeps to a high organic standard and this step ensures their customers that no chemicals, pesticides or genetically modified organisms have been used in their products.

While Marshall concentrates on marketing, his wife looks after growing over 80 different varieties of heirloom vegetables and the day-to-day operations of the farm.

Calgary restaurants are the bulk to Highwood Crossing’s clientele. Chefs have used the organic canola oil to make a vinaigrette dressing. That same dressing was served to the G8 leaders in Kananaskis last June and Marshall heard it was a big hit.

The Marshall’s have included their daughters, Megan, 19, and Kerry, 14, in the business and employ between six and 12 part-time workers. They have no plans to expand into the United States or Europe, although they have been asked.

“What we are doing works well for us. We still have a lot of marketing opportunities right here in Alberta,” said Marshall.

For more information about Highwood Crossing, visit their website at www.highwoodcrossing.com.