Carl & Jisteen
Briar, Francesca, Daxter and Edgar
Carl and I went to school together when we were young and honestly were not any kind of friends. We never got to know each other then and when we met again in 2015 it seemed that life experiences had shaped us into extremely compatible people. He quickly took a shine to my farming dream and together we formed Maple Leaf Community Farm.
Our slogan is, "Grown with gratitude," lends to our spiritual path and belief system. Everything we do is done with so much appreciation and since adopting this mindset we have been connected with a gambit of beautiful people who have graced our journey as a family and as a business. By choosing to go by "community farm" we hope to really pay forward that miraculous gift by serving locals and giving them opportunities to come together in a meaningful way.
Briar is our eldest and the most submersed in the farm so far. He has a small flock of silkie chickens as his homeschool business project. He loves his horses and calves.
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Frankie is our only ngirl and so in love with her pony and the flowers in the garden. next year she is hoping to sell cut flowers and herbs as her homeschool business project.
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Daxter is our middle boy and has no fear. He has shown in terest in many areas of the farm but particularily the LGD pups.
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Edgar is our newest addition, born in 2023, only time will tell where this little man will shine the brightest.
Of course there are hundreds of people who have played a support role in getting where we are and where we are headed but there are two men in particular that led the way to these wild ambitions and helped pave the way when I became old enough to make real moves toward them.
Eugene Dufva
My maternal grandfather and primary father figure when I was younger. I spent a lot of time at the farm with both my grandparents and remember endless conversations with him and being amazed how he always knew something bout everything that came up.
Grandpa was diagnosed with polio at only 16 years of age and was told by doctors that he would never walk without assistance and that he would never have children. Well that man walked without help well into his 70's and had four children. He taught me the value in quiet persistence as he was a many few but very thoughtful words.
In 2016, at the age of 80, post polio syndome finally took him from us but not before he could show us all when real strength and character looked like. I am so blessed to be living on the property he spent his life building. It will forever be my goal to continue what he started.
Thomas Stewart
Also known as Dad. He has literally embodied the song and been the Dad that he didn't have to be. He adopted me after he married my Mom and has been an endless source of advice, support and inspiration ever since. He started raising Full French Charolais cattle back in the 80's and has since grown a name recognized internationally for the quality and impressive temperment he produced in his animals. Maple Leaf Charolais is still recognized by many, many breeders and holds a impressive repuation and we are honored to share that name and to have his animals be the beginning of our Charolais herd. Dad's knowledge is what gave us the push we needed to get into purebred animals and artifitial insemenation to increase the diversity of our herd. of course this knowledge has given us the courage to pursue higher qualiy in all the species that we have in our operation. He continues to be a huge help and empathetic support system as we encounter challenges.
