Sally

First mate of the fair ship ECOFM & Barnyard Organics Ltd.

After graduating from Mount Allison University, Sally felt drawn back to her farming roots and found herself in Truro completing a diploma in Plant Science from the Dalhousie Agricultural College. It was here she met and married fellow student Mark Bernard. Together they ventured into transitioning Mark’s family farm in Freetown, PEI, to organic production (primarily as a financial consideration). As their soil management practices improved and they witnessed land and nature respond positively to their organic practices, Sally started taking organic more seriously, applying these practices to her (former) flock of sheep, and to her home and commercial livestock production. She’s never looked back.

Among duties such as managing their four children, and co-managing the expanding Organic Grainery, Sally is the primary force behind raising livestock at Barnyard Organics, including, since 2007, raising organic meat chickens & organic laying hens.

As part of their laying hen operation, Sally is passionate about spreading her love of hens to anyone who will consider it! Her Hens4Rent business is an initiative that provides families with an affordable and practical opportunity to try out having backyard hens for fresh eggs without incurring long-term commitment and start-up costs.

As one might expect, her livestock duties extend to managing The Dead End: their custom-built, on-farm provincially-inspected organic poultry processing facility (link to The Dead End).

Sally has also built a reputation as an engaging and captivating speaker, and has worked with ACORN (Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional Network) delivering a variety of professional, educational presentations to hundreds of people, in addition to school presentations and other farm organizations.  Find out more!