Big Things Growing on The Island
Pykeview Meadows
Across one thousand acres of farmland on Wolfe Island, the Pykes continue a long family tradition of respecting the land and raising animals and crops with care.
The Pykes grow corn, wheat, and soybeans sustainably using no-till practices on the farm and adding tile drainage to their land. Soil health is very important to the Pyke family and as farmer Jason says, “You have to look after the soil, for your kids and the generations that come after us. It’s a balancing act, to make sure we leave the ground in better shape than we found it.”
“It’s important to take part in our local fairs and festivities. We want to remind people: your food comes from someplace. People need to know where it comes from, how it’s grown, who it’s grown by.”
Christina Pyke, Pykeview Meadows
For 18 years, Jason and Christina Pyke raised bison on Pykeview Meadows — truly a unique sight on the small island — before the business became all-consuming. “We just needed to take a step back,” says Christina. “We needed to spend more time with our family.”
Family is the touchstone of the farm. It’s where Jason was raised and where his children now hold the title of fifth-generation farmers, and he hopes their kids will want to carry on the tradition. Jason and Christina’s son Jack is taking a two-year diploma in agriculture, and their daughter Chloe is an animal lover, raising pigs, goats, llamas, donkeys, rabbits, chickens, Holstein calves and a pony.
Christina and Jason were both raised on dairy farms and agriculture has always been in their blood. They studied agriculture at the University of Guelph before buying the Pyke family farm and getting to work making a name for themselves. Christina and Jason are co-chairs of Ontario’s Outstanding Young Farmers program, which recognizes agricultural excellence with an annual award (an award that Jason and Christina received back in 2009.)
“We are very involved in the agricultural community and education is a big deal for us,” says Christina. “It’s important to take part in our local fairs and festivities. We want to remind people: your food comes from someplace. People need to know where it comes from, how it’s grown, who it’s grown by.”
Pykeview Meadows participates in events like Taste of Wolfe Island which was recently hosted by Kingston Food Tours and invited guests to spend an afternoon getting a behind the scenes look at three family farms on the island, complete with a locally-sourced meal.
Their busy harvest season stretches from August to November and most of their yield is sent to the Port of Johnstown, east of Brockville. From there, the harvest could be shipped anywhere in the world.
Pykeview Meadows’ biggest challenge is transportation to and from Wolfe Island — it’s not always convenient to hop on and off the island. As a result, Jason and Christina recently built new grain bins so that they can dry and store grain on-farm. The bins will ease their transportation challenges, and allow them to sell grain when prices are better. This new infrastructure is all part of their long-term approach.
“I’ve always been attracted to the beauty of Wolfe Island,” says Jason. “Although it’s getting busier every year, it’s still a quiet place to raise a family.”
