Chatsworth Farm is located in east central Alberta, about two hours east of Edmonton and a four-hour drive from Calgary. The closest town is Vermillion, about 20 minutes away, with a population of a little over 4,000 people. On the farm, the Wasylik family raises beef cattle, sheep, chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese and grows cereal and legume crops on over 2,500 acres of beautiful rolling parkland.
Their passion for raising sustainable, ethical, and quality beef, lamb, poultry, eggs, and grains transcends everything they do.
“We love to cook because we love to eat,” says Johanna, who remembers cooking with her grandmother and has recreated those cherished moments with her children. The food the family eats all comes from their farm — beef, chicken, lamb, eggs, and flour from the Red Fife wheat they grow.
In addition, Johanna grows a 12-month supply of veggies in her 6,000-square-foot garden. “I have figured out which vegetables and varieties last the longest over the winter, and now I grow 200 hills of potatoes, lots of pumpkin vines and carrots, beets, onions and leeks.”
Nose-to-tail eating is very important to the family who doesn’t waste a thing. “We are raising an animal — the entire animal — not a specific cut,” says Charlotte. “For us, it’s really important to honour the animal as a whole, and we make sure that each cut is utilized and given the respect it deserves because that animal is providing us with delicious and nutritious meat.”
Chatsworth Farm was started in 1994 by Rick and Johanna, and as you can see, it has grown since then. The place is named after the old one-room schoolhouse that’s just up the road from them, the old Chatsworth School, which is now home to the occasional owl, family of foxes, and pigeons. The school is not a place where Rick and Johanna’s three children, now all in their 20s, spent a lot of time.
Homeschooled by their mom Johanna, Charlotte (the oldest), Nick and Alex, followed lessons that were planned around the major events happening on the farm: Calving season in early spring, planting season in May and harvest time in September. Outside the home classroom, there was a lot to be learned through daily
life on the farm, and when class was in session, Johanna’s lessons were hands-on.
Biology class was real-life learning about chicken genetics and the application of fractions in math led to her sons learning carpentry and building a clubhouse for an assignment. These times were very busy but full of
fond memories for Johanna, who says the lifestyle worked well for both her family and their farm.
And because the kids were at home, they were all able to be a part of the 4-H Club — a youth organization with the mission to nurture responsible, caring and contributing leaders who are committed to positively impacting their communities. For more than nine years (that was the max membership allowance at the time), they all enjoyed the 4-H Club’s swimming and curling as well as memberships in the Beef Club and the Outdoors Club. And, Charlotte remembers her time at the Baking Club fondly.
Fast forward to today, and Charlotte, Nick and Alex are still following the farm’s seasonal rhythms of calving, planting and harvesting. After high school, the siblings left home to pursue their studies (nope, not in agriculture) and have since come back to work at the farm. Johanna says, “Rick and I didn’t want to put any pressure on the kids to work on the farm because we know how hard it is… there were never any summer
vacations… but I have to admit that there was always a hope that they would love it as much as we do.”
Not only have they chosen this path for themselves, but the Wasylik siblings also want others to know about it too. That’s why they are participating in Alberta Open Farm Days on August 19th this year. Open Farm Days is a free, province-wide open house for Alberta farmers, who invite their urban and rural neighbours to stop in for a visit to meet the people behind the farm.
For Charlotte, an Event Management and Digital Publishing grad from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton, this is one of her favourite days of the year. Her excitement is palpable!
So, if you’re in the middle of your summer vacation planning, be sure to add this to your itinerary. A visit to Chatsworth Farm will include a guided tour to see the animals, check out the machinery demonstrations, shop at the artisan market, and stay for a barbecue meal.
“It’s not just about the event itself,” says Charlotte, “it’s also about our community and how we all come together to support Open Farm Days, agriculture in Alberta, and this very special day in our community and in our province. Showing everyday life on the farm is really important for farmers to share our story with others.”
“Striploin steaks are very popular with our customers at the farm store, but equally nutritious and delicious are other cuts like the shank, which people in North America are not as familiar with,” says Charlotte. When the Wasyliks have those piling up in the freezer, they use them themselves and create delicious and beautiful recipes to encourage others to try those cuts too. Pictured here are their all-beef hot dogs, Roasted Spiced Lamb Ribs (recipe on their website at www.chatsworthfarm.ca) and a classic eggs Benny with fresh asparagus.
The family is grateful for the decadeslong tree program that provided their community with thousands of trees to plant. Since its founding in 1901, the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) has provided free tree seedlings to landowners for the development of shelterbelts. These free trees helped protect farmland from the destructive forces of drought and wind, and though the program has been cancelled, it continues to shelter prairie fields to this day.
Johanna credits the program for improving the landscape in the areas, bringing with it new species of migrating birds and magnificent fields of fragrant lilacs. Early droughts have shaped how the land is farmed. The Wasylik family rents pastures two hours away to bring the cows to graze on new grass and let the grass grow. “As farmers, what we do most is grow grass,” Joanna laughs.
