Success and the family farm

At a time when some agricultural sectors are experiencing more downs then ups, it is refreshing when a young Nova Scotia couple is recognized for their efforts.

Wayne and Nicole Oulton of W.G. Oulton and Sons Ltd. of Windsor were presented with the prestigious 2008 Atlantic Outstanding Young Farmers award at the March 14 event held in Greenwich and will go on to represent Atlantic Canada at the Nation Event in Calgary in November.

The couple say they are excited to win the award, but back on their Chester Road Farm it's still business as usual; good business by all accounts. Oulton’s Meats produces, processes and direct markets beef, turkey and other poultry at their on-site store under the Martock Glen Farms brand. They also manage 40 acres of apple orchard and a 600-acre woodlot.

But what sets this enterprise apart, says Oulton, is good stewardship and an understanding of market trends.

What is big on the market right now, he says, are the Oulton's exotic meat products. Along with typical farm fare, the couple also raise 15 varieties of exotic animals such as elk and wild boar. It's not often a buyer can walk into a grocery store and purchase a cut of emu, but that’s just one of dozens of varieties that can be picked up at the Oulton's store.

“He's very innovative and researches the market and what people and restaurants are looking for,” says Nicole. “He starts small with a new product and then expands as the market grows.” Oulton's is also one of the few farms in the Valley area that raises deer, a product popular with seniors who are no longer able to hunt.

Their products are also in high demand by fine restaurants such as Tempest in Wolfville, and Wayne says about 90 per cent of their meats are transported to the Halifax Metro Area. “We're really popular with city people,” he said. During the warmer months, Saturdays at the store bring many visitors from the city. “People don't just come for the meat, they come to experience the farm. We have our very own farm market right on site. We are a good destination point for people wanting to purchase meat products.”

On a local level, Nicole says they can offer the community a good quality product and bypass the chain stores. “Here they know what their getting, they don't have to ask if it's local,” she says. The store can custom cut any product to specifications. “People think of a meat store as a place to buy a whole side of beef. It's not like that here. They can come in an buy just two steaks if they want.”

Oulton says many customers come to buy a steak or pound of beef and leave with a duck instead. “It’s all about trying something new. In the past, farms just sold the same old thing. I want to be different.”

Another priority for this couple is their commitment to both the environment and their local community. The Oultons have actively partnered with the Slow Food Movement, which promotes the buy-local premise, and they work to find innovative ways to improve farm practices. All the farms animals are raised free range and their woodlot is managed, meaning there is no clear-cutting. “We only cut selectively.” says Oulton “You can drive up anytime and there will always be a stand of trees.”

Wayne and Nicole also participate in other environmental farm plans that help manage the use of pesticides and fuel. As well, there is a man-made wetland on the property, which helps to filter run-off before it can enter ponds or streams. Oulton says it's an effective way to deal with farm waste and is tested on a yearly basis. “Not a lot of farms are doing this yet, but it's a natural system.” He said in the past farmers drained their land, but now more are building swamps instead. “It's a pro-active approach that we need to take. Just because we farm doesn't mean we should pollute.” Oulton says it also helps protect animal life associated with wetlands such as ducks and redwing black birds.

The couple also partners closely with other local farms by retailing their products as well. “We believe in the value-chain of the system. Larson's may pay only 40 cents a pound, but we still pay 95 cents so our neighbors can make a profit.”

He said the rising cost of feed has an impact on farms across the board and. in most cases, it costs more to raise and butcher meat on-site than to buy it in the grocery stores. “It's hard to find our beef or pork products in the grocery store. People need to ask for what they want. Go to you're grocery store, ask for a piece of Nova Scotia steak and store owners will start to realize this is what customers want.”

As well, he says what happens too often is that local products are shipped outside the province. “Almost all of what we produce comes from a 30-kilometer radius and the more of these types of business we have around here the better. That’s what helps make the community a better place to live.”

The two first met at the Agricultural College in Truro in 1994. Wayne was in his graduating year and Nicole was a freshman. She wasn't always sure she would want to farm, but having grown up on a sheep farm in New Brunswick she knew agriculture would figure prominently in her future. The couple married 10 years later after Wayne returned to the family farm in 1997.

His parents, Mike and Diane Oulton, built the farm in 1963 and he says that without that foundation it would have been difficult to start fresh.

“My parents put in a lot of hard work 30 years ago. There’s a difference between staring a new business and working at an established farm. If I had to start a new farm now, it would be a real struggle.”

Along with managing the farm, husband and wife are both actively involved with the local 4-H program. Nicole works for the Royal Bank of Canada’s Agricultural Division, is an executive on the Hants County Branch of the Arthritis Society and an organizer for Rural Women's Day, as well is a member of the Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologist. Wayne is active with various agriculture organizations including the Sheep Producers of Nova Scotia and the Agricultural Society of Federation of Agriculture for Hants County.

The Canadian Outstanding Young Farmers Program was founded in 1979 by the Canadian Junior Chamber/Jaycees and winners are judged on the criteria that two-thirds of their income comes from the farm; the progress made during their farming career; maximum utilization of soil; water and energy conservations practices; crop and livestock production history; and the contribution to the well-being of the community, province and nation.

The couple say they are honored to represent the Atlantic program at the Nationals. “To participate and then to win is very exciting. We are proud to be farmers, to have a strong belief in our community and our family and in pushing our farm to produce products that consumer want,” Oulton said in a recent press release.

They both agree their greatest achievement so far is their one-year-old son Ty and being happy with what they do. “It's a lot of work but the point is being happy with what you are doing in life and for us that’s the farm,” he said.