Our Farm: Past, Present, Future

Past

In 1959 Leslie's parents (Chris and Helen Riddell) as newlyweds purchased the current farm site and surrounding acreage. While raising 3 children during the early 1960's, growing grain, raising hogs and beef, the chicken business was established. Soon farm gate sales took off. Processing was and still is all done on the farm.

Present

In 2003, daughter Leslie and her husband Rudy Reimer purchased the family farm. With the improvements to the poultry barn and processing system, 25,500 chickens are raised each year. Processing and sales are in April and October, when close to 1200 customers arrive on the farm to purchase fresh 6-10+ Lb roasting chickens.

Future

In 2009, plans commenced for a $1.2 Million model rainbow trout farm project on the farm site. This endeavour will see up to 130 Tonnes of fresh fish per year. This is the first model farm in Canada of this type, with the idea that future farms of this structure will develop across Canada. Go forward, plans are to set up processing on farm, with greenhouse and water usage research and development.

September 2010 will see the introduction of the first rainbow trout fingerlings into the raceway system, and also the introduction of our new farm name “Watersong Farms”.