If you live in Halfmoon Bay, most likely you are familiar with The O Farm on Redrooffs Road. Also, you may have recently seen a for sale sign out front and, like me, exclaimed, “Noooooo!!!!”
I am here to put your minds at rest…yes, the current owners, Jason Ainslie and Jonathon Curley, sold the farm; yes, someone bought the farm (in a good way); and yes, the new owner is going to farm the farm! I reached out to Jason who was happy to chat about the farm. (He also told me that they have purchased a home just a few blocks away.)
Jason and Jonathon purchased the farm, which has been managed organically for more than 30 years, in May 2020 from Dan and Diane Gidora. In a 2017 article on Gidora’s Garden website, Diane writes, “Looking forward to…the Halfmoon Bay Country Fair. It’s a great community event…we will bring lots of garlic and garlic-themed foods…and will be doing garlic braiding demos so you can learn to make your own garlic braids.”
Jason and Jonathon’s dog is named Theo, so The Organic Farm became The O Farm (TheO).
Jason told me, “I’ve been coming here my whole life. My parents, myself, my siblings and our dog would camp on our 26 ft boat along the Sunshine Coast, with our first and last stop being Halfmoon Bay.” When the property came up for sale, it was fitting that Jason and Jonathon purchased it. Jason’s oldest brother, Chris, is a well-known artist who owns The Mink Farm Gallery in Halfmoon Bay. His brother Ryan builds furniture and restores boats. Find him on Instagram @raw_ryanainslie.
The almost .7-acre property boasts 68 garden beds, 3,000 plants of six varieties of garlic, 16 apple trees, a 400-stalk raspberry patch, 30 varieties of peonies, and so much more! Along with flowers, vegetables, and fruit, they have produced preserves and flavoured oils. Justine Gabias has been helping run the farm. “She does the work of three people, she’s amazing!” said Jason.
The farm has a cistern water collection system, which normally supplies enough water. “Last summer was challenging,” Jason told me, and this year may be much the same. However, the new owner, who takes possession Sept. 1, isn’t a stranger to the challenges of weather on the Sunshine Coast. Currently living in Gibsons, he is a volunteer firefighter and I am told he is going to continue farming. At the time of writing, I had not been able to interview him, so I’ll save that for another time.
We are very grateful that this organic farm will continue to provide such a bountiful harvest for years to come.
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