From the ashes, new plants and plans rise

Carolyne Siebert is moving ahead with her annual 9 Acres Organic Farm seedling sale in May, despite a March fire wreaking havoc on the small Grimsby operation. ~ Luke Edwards photo

By Luke Edwards

A fire may have destroyed her beloved barn, but it hasn’t extinguished Carolyne Siebert’s passion for farming.

For the past decade the view from her second floor window has provided a constant reminder of why Siebert moved to Grimsby with her husband Rodney.

Looking down from the vantage point, she could view the barn across the driveway, with fencing wrapping around it from the days when the property was home to several horses.

“I’m always looking out because it’s beautiful,” Siebert said from her Ridge Road property.

The owner of 9 Acres Organic Farm, Siebert’s put her heart and soul into the land since moving there 10 years ago. She grows tomatoes, peppers and garlic, selling them at “The Nook,” an on-farm shop. She’s also a staple at the Grimsby Farmers Market and can be found at seasonal markets throughout the year.

But as she looked out that very window on a Sunday morning last month, the view troubled her.

“I noticed there was something, that the air just looked a little weird around the right side of the barn,” she recalled.

“And in my gut, I just didn’t feel good.”

Siebert rushed out, still in her pajamas, and discovered a fire quickly growing inside the barn. She remembered there was a fire extinguisher nearby and briefly thought she could put out the flame before serious damage occurred. But opening the barn door quickly told her otherwise. By the time she called 911 and fire crews arrived, it was too late. It was virtually destroyed.

“This barn was the heart of this place,” she said.

Not that there’s a good time to have a fire, but early March is about the worst time for Siebert. Three years ago she gave up her previous job at Oxford Learning to focus on farming full time. In a normal spring, Siebert said she’s incredibly busy getting things ready.

“I need to clone myself as is,” she said.

Much of her equipment - including tools for planting, caring and harvesting, as well as jars and the like for her jams and honey - were in the barn, leaving Siebert shorthanded as she preps the farm for the growing season. Losing all the jars and preserving equipment is an added kick, as those products are a key source of revenue in the spring when there’s little else to offer.

The couple also lost some personal keepsakes that they were storing in the barn due to lack of space in the house.

Despite the setbacks, she’s still hard at work getting seedlings started for her annual spring seedling sale.

Fortunately, the local community has rallied around 9 Acres Organic Farm.

“A lot of it has just been the words of encouragement,” Siebert said. “Farming is hard enough, and some days you’re like, ‘why am I doing this?’ And then somebody will tell you how much they love your shishito peppers and you remember, ‘ok, this is why I do this.’”

She described a constant stream of messages and support, and much more.

“It’s been financial, it’s been skills. It’s been people’s connections for things like rebuilding and cleaning up. Everybody’s contributed so much. I can’t say that enough.”

Fortunately she kept most of her seeds in the house, so when May rolls around visitors will be able to pick up their favourite plants like tomato, pepper, squash and eggplant, as well as a mixture of herbs. She’s currently hard at work getting the seeds started and plants growing.

While the experience hasn’t been easy, the support has helped. And Siebert said she’s realized just how much potential exists in her and her farm.

“We’re capable of more than we think,” she said.

And having received an outpouring of support, Siebert encourages others to support not just 9 Acres, but the other farms in the region.

A GoFundMe was set up by friend Jeannie Clark, which had surpassed $15,000 by late March.

While they had insurance, Siebert said the process is a lengthy one, and it will be a while to get resolved, with little indication of what that resolution will look like. A cause of the fire still hadn’t been determined as of late March.

However, she does plan to rebuild eventually, and could use it as an opportunity to turn the property into more of a teaching farm, something that fits in with her previous career. Educating the public about farming is a passion for her.

“I love taking them on a tour of the farm,” she said.

The seedling sale will run for three weekends next month: May 8-9, May 15-16 and May 22-23. They’ll be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, and pre-orders are available. For more information, including a list of varieties, visit 9acres.ca.