Black Walnut Lane Farms is owned and operated by Ron and Adele Service of Millgrove, and it is a good example of the entrepreneurial spirit that is alive and well in Ontario agriculture.

By day, Ron is the director of information technology for a Cambridge, Ontario-based aerospace firm. Outside of his corporate job, he and his wife run a family operated agricultural enterprise that specializes in Texel purebred sheep, lamb and Dexter beef.

Texel sheep are a white-faced breed with no wool on the head or legs, and their Dexter beef herd is one of the naturally smallest breeds of cows, and is dual purpose having both beef and dairy qualities.

In addition to producing and selling their meat to Ontario families, stores and restaurants, the Service family exports sheep, goats and rabbits to Trinidad, and they are a distributor of QuickStructure buildings in North America and Cover-All Buildings in the Caribbean.

As Ron explained, “Being close to urban markets has been an advantage in terms of farm gate sales, but the biggest issue for us is finding the right production cost model that will ensure our farm is sustainable.

“When we began farming seven years ago, we realized early on that we needed to produce our own crops for our livestock and we outsourced those operations that required large capital investments such as harvesters, disc bines and balers, along with the tractors required to run them,” he added.

The family uses a bagger to store corn silage in the winter, which has helped them avoid the capital cost of building a silo. They also rent land in the community and are planning to use their own 30 acres for pasture rotation from spring to fall.

When the family decided to get into the business of part-time farming, Ron called upon his expertise in the field of information technology. “We’ve found that having a web presence is important, drawing customers locally and internationally.”

The operation is clearly a team effort with Adele Service keeping detailed sheep records, managing the flock and handling export sales. As for Ron’s role, “I tend to be the ‘big picture’ planning guy and take care of the cattle, hay and corn operations. Our neighbour has a 50 per cent interest in the Dexter herd and has been able to offer skills that I just don’t have. We also have a Border Collie trainer who helps out with evening chores, and two to three times a week, trains her dogs on our sheep. No question, people are our most important asset.”

The couple plans to continue seeking niche markets for the products they make and improve operations wherever possible. “And while our farming business has been a mix of frustration, heartache, joy and satisfaction, you just never know what each day will bring,” said Ron. “Bottom line, we love our farm and the challenges and rewards it brings.”