Charles Ryan and Jessy Wysmyk own and operate Wysmykal Farm on the Northumberland Shore.
Wysmykal is a small, certified organic market garden that usually frequents the Sackville farmers’ market year-round.
Ryan and Wysmyk were able to finish the construction of a new greenhouse just before COVID-19 hit, and were able to produce vegetables early in the season this year.
This made it easier for them to respond to when the COVID-19 hit Canada.
I speak with Jessy Wysmyk to discuss how Wysmykal Farm is holding up this summer.
They have set up an online store and delivery service to accommodate their customers.
J: We wanted to get our veggies to customers as safely as possible. So we decided to set up an online store and offer pre ordering and delivery. And yeah, that’s really been a big shift for the farm and that’s how we have adapted.
Wysmyk says that the market is competitive, but that local farmers have more of a collaborative relationship.
J: There is a relatively small group of customers to buy their veggies that way. So when there are a number of different farms kind of growing similar products that can result in lower sales. But on the other hand, like every farm is so unique and does things a little differently. I think, overall, it’s better to have that diversity in the vendors and in the offerings. I find that farming in general is a fairly collaborative and supportive community because it’s very challenging and not that many people are doing it, I guess.
M: COVID-19 has highlighted the pre existing issue of food security in our area because our area is very rural. As a farmer, are you noticing that people are paying more attention to it and do you have any thoughts about your role in food security?
J: In the overall scheme of things where we’re just, you know, as a small farm supplying food to a small group of people, but it’s something. Hopefully as interest in supporting local producers grows other farms will find a way to meet that interest and increase our food security.
What Wysmykal farm finds more challenging than COVID-19 this year is the lack of rainfall this summer.
J: We’ve had, like a very, very dry year, which is, which has been another challenge. So yeah, and we’ve noticed a pattern of kind of increasing dry periods in the summer. So we’re trying to figure out how we can best prepare for that and which, like, where we’re on our firm, we can reliably produce things during that hot dry time.
M: Sure. And when you say you’ve noticed a pattern, do you mean over several summers or just over this summer
J: Yeah, over several summers, which is like, I don’t have decades of data or anything but
yeah, that. Yeah, we’ve had a hot, dry time over several summers and then this one is just record setting.
M: And that would you agree that that is something that you’re anticipating from now on considering the effects of climate change?
J: Yeah, we’re anticipating this hot dry time in the summer we’re also anticipating increased hurricanes and strong strong winds which are another challenge with greenhouses and just with crops in general, like we we exclude a lot of pests with physical barriers like row covers, we have greenhouses to extend our season. And even plants that are just growing in the field don’t don’t love to be subjected to high winds all the time.
Between the lack of rain and high winds, the effects of climate change will impact Wysmykal farm’s future plans and harvests.
For now, Wysmykal veggies are available through their online delivery service or on Saturday mornings at the Sackville farmers’ market.
