So a rare trip yesterday for this city boy, who took a ride out to the nether reaches of Essex County (and I’m not talking about Tecumseh!) and paid a visit to the Thibert Farm in Comber.
Farmer Richard Thibert, is a weekly participant in the Downtown Windsor Farmer’s Market, running tomorrow and every Saturday through October 10th, from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. I told him he needs to bring this delicious looking garlic along with him on Saturday…
Regular market goers may recognize his local pancake mix from the market…
Richard graciously spent several hours with myself, along with local bloggers John of Western District, Victoria of My Local Food and Linda of Lulu Jane, giving us a full tour of his working farm.
The farm dog keep a suspicious watch over us city folk….
The Thibert farm, has been in the Thibert Family since the 1880’s. In the mid 1950’s the farm was sold out of the family, but in 1999, Richard started the process of trying to buy back the old family farm. First renting, then buying the house and out buildings in 2000, and purchasing the 75 acre farm in 2004.
On the farm, they raise cattle, seen here is a Red Angus Cow.
Here is Richard Thibert (who you might recognize from the market), in the chicken coop feeding the little guys.
During our brief visit, I learnt that there is a difference between chickens…
These white and brown guys are for lack of a better term, eating chickens. These are the kind that end up on our plate at dinner time.
These little speckled gals are egg laying chickens. Being city folk, I always assumed that the same chickens that laid eggs, were the same kind that made McChickens… I guess not!
So don’t forget, get out to the market tomorrow, and support our local farmers.
See you back here Monday!
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I bought an excellent loaf of bread from Richard Thibert at the downtown market. This guy is awesome. He told me how he grows his own wheat (a special kind that farmers don't normally grow because the yield is less profitable), mills it into the flour, and bakes the bread on site. The only time the ingredients left the farm in enroute to the downtown farmers market! His enthusiasm about his wheat and farming make me want to buy his bread, which by the way, was delicious. Its great to know where you food comes from, and ever better to know that it comes from a local source. Kudos to all the farmers and vendors that brings their goods to the market, and also to all the people that attend the market and make it a great success.
Hopefully Richard is the vanguard for a new breed of community farmer. For now he's a one-of-a-kind in this area. Friendly and enthusiastic about welcoming visitors to his farm, his operation is an open book. As he calls it on his website, "transparent". I'd recommend anyone who is out in the Comber area to pay a visit to his retail store and maybe even ask for a look around if he has time.
It's a truly great thing that you can buy a loaf of bread that went from the farm to mill to bakery to shelf all on the same property and by the same family. His pancake mix as Andrew knows is my favorite. Most pancakes are just a tasteless spongy mass to pour syrup onto. But these are really good tasting and texture in their own right. And all natural of course.
Best of all you don't have to drive out to Comber to get this stuff if you don't want to. Don't forget what Andrew said about Thibert's presence at the Downtown Farmers' Market every Saturday (a real farmers' market with real farmers selling real local produce).
Richard's farm is an amazing place and the stuff he brings to market is fantastic. Seeing the photo of the dog made me laugh. When we visited he demonstrated some amazing work instincts. As we tried to drive off he kept circling the car so rapidly it was difficult to leave.
For sure, Tristan. Same with us. Pharoah sometimes was out of site but if you looked carefully he'd be out there somewhere laying in the field watching like a hawk. Herding dogs never take a break. :)
If anyone is interested, a link my own set of photos which I didn't blog but put up on Flickr instead:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiz68/sets/72157621964595364/
Yeah! More people are getting behind Richard and supporting him! Awesome! I'm really glad you made the trip out and put this up on your blog! The multigrain pancake mix is my fav!
stevegreen
windsor essex community supported agriculture
Although Richard's bakery items are second to none, I still think his best kept "secret" products is the beef and chicken. Naturally raised, aged 21 days, processed at a local abattoir, and sold frozen on site at the farm. You truly won't find a better steak and roast. Don't bother with the knife...it's that tender!
Keep up the good work Richard.