Moving the Family Farm Forward

Matheson Century Farm's Sunflower U-Pick

MATHESON CENTURY FARMS HAS KEPT UP with the times. With environmentally friendly farming practices, an interactive aspect that invites people to enjoy the panoramic view from the market garden, and an attractive, resourceful website, this farm is on the cutting edge. Now run as a multi-family farm by three brothers, Matheson Century Farms has been a fixture on Prince Edward Island since before Confederation. The farm took root in 1840, when brothers Neil and Archibald Matheson arrived on PEI from the Isle of Skye, Scotland.

The brothers were first settled in Heatherdale, until Neil's son and daughter-in-law made their journey to Forest Hill. With everything they owned packed into a two-wheeled wagon and pulled by a single horse, they persevered. Using nothing but an axe, stumping hoe, and sense of determination to clear dense forest and build a home, the Matheson's farm and hard-working attitude have now been passed on through six generations.

Brent, Floyd, and Calvin Matheson took the farm over from their father in 1996. Each of the brothers, with help from their own children, now operates separate aspects of the farm.

"When the kids were young they were interested in growing things," says Brent, describing the humble beginnings of the market garden. "We did a fall focus for Halloween and decorating. Just fun and playful, with pumpkins and gourds." The market garden expanded from there. It is now about an acre, and is home to a large selection of organic squash, gourds, pumpkins, beans, cucumbers, chives, carrots, broomcorn, rhubarb, and "U-pick" sunflowers and cut flowers.

In 2005, the market garden of Matheson Century Farm was first certified as organic for by Maritime Certified Organic Growers (MCOG). "We were looking for ways of getting an edge, of reducing costs of input," explains Brent. "Having less impact on the environment was always in the back of our minds. Some of our friends are involved in organics, so we checked it out."

Brent admits that the process of becoming organic wasn't exactly easy. "Transitioning certainly was a learning process. We've only started, so I'm sure the learning curve will continue to be quite steep."

He cites both weed management and marketing as challenges. "We do a lot of marketing through farm gate sales. Just learning what varieties to plant, what people do want-–everything is still a learning process."

Although his main focus is still on squash, Brent is also trying "U-pick" cut flowers. Visitors can stroll through the zinnias, gazinias, daisies, nicotinias, asters, and black-eyed susans while enjoying a view of Forest Hill, one of the highest points on PEI.

"We continue to look at what to grow and what our best sellers are, what types of produce people are asking for, and what we could provide," says Brent.

The Mathesons may expand organic certification to the rest of the farm sometime down the road, but for now they are only concentrating on the market garden. According to Brent, "we're just dabbling to find out the best mix."