COVER FEATURE
Carolle Anne Blanchard, always wanted Flory to be a good role model in her community, it’s all she’s ever wanted, and she is certainly doing that. The home on the stead of the farm has been there since the early 1900s. With the help of her family and employees, Flory has created a major success on PEI. “When I opened the business, we had horses, a donkey, laying hens, a rooster, a pig, and goats. Lucy was my first farm animal who started my passion for it all, especially goats and their curiosity and funny personalities, and originally I wanted to be a meat goat farmer,” she says.
She even initially began selling goat milk soap in tiny shapes with lavender
and sandalwood scents. Things began as seasonal and on weekends year- round, as she had a day job. All the farm tours were volunteer and there was one staff member for the summer camp. The biggest surprise for Sanderson was how much the idea took off. “It made 'this girl with a dream' so happy that the venture was so well received for. In the beginning, people wanted to stay for long periods, and we had no public washrooms, so I had to open my own house. We also didn’t have enough parking,” she said. “In the beginning, because I wanted to be a meat goat farmer, knowing that farming isn’t always a large industry, I needed to be diversify to bringing people to the farm and teaching them about our animals to become more sustainable. Each section of my business brings in income, but I couldn’t survive solely on one side of the business. Knowing that people didn’t know where their food came from gave me a bigger drive to educate people on sustainability and farming. I am still surprised by how many people don’t know about livestock and where your food comes from.”
▲ Carolle Anne Blanchard, Earle Shepherd (Flory's parents) with baby Flory
▲ Farmer Flory and her daughter, Rebecca
▲ Flory's daughter, Casey
▲ Flory's daughter, Jennifer
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www.pei-living.ca FALL 2021/WINTER 2022
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