 Julie and Greg of Gully Ridge Farms moved onto their homestead family farm, just outside of Port Stanley, in 2016. Greg decided that he wanted to use some acreage to try and dabble with some farming, and he ended up settling on garlic, since there aren’t any garlic farms in the area that grow on a large scale. They officially named their farm Gully Ridge in 2017, after the tall hills and winding gully the farm oversees. Julie and Greg each grew up on farms; Julie’s parents had chickens and cash crops, and Greg’s dad had cattle. Greg works in the automotive industry, and Julie is a nurse, so the farm served as a connection back to their farming roots, and also as a hobby farm outside of their full time work. In the beginning, Julie and Greg sold their garlic to local people, family and friends. They tested out many different varieties of garlic before deciding to focus on the hardneck garlic varieties of Mount Hood and Duganski. Hardneck garlic tends to have more flavour, with four to twelve cloves in each bulb. Mount Hood garlic produces huge white bulbs with large easy to peel cloves that have a vibrant flavour that mellows out when roasted. Duganski garlic produces less cloves per bulb, but they are large and pungent, and pack a wallop of deep, rich earthy and musky tones. Gully Ridge Farms sells their homegrown garlic scapes and bulbs, as well as homemade smoked garlic, garlic powders, and minced garlic in an olive oil blend. Julie and Greg started making garlic powder instead of just doing dried garlic. Initially, they started off with plain garlic powder, but Greg suggested trying to add in some flavours to see how they worked. “[Greg] said we should try either jalapeno or smoked, so we did it smoked,” Julie said. “Our goal [now] is to bring in a new flavour powder each year. So then [after the smoked] we added in jalapeno, then havanera, and last year the new products [used] red bell pepper, which is our sweet red.” A lot of manual labour is involved, from planting and harvesting the garlic, to preparing it by hand. “Everything is done by us,” Julie explained. “We both will crack, peel and mince. [Greg] mostly does the dehydrating because he’s mastered it, and he does all the smoking.” The peppers they use for their powders are from Ontario family farms (something which Julie said is non-negotiable), and Greg and Julie dehydrate the peppers themselves. Currently their products can be found at the Horton Farmers' Market, or online with local pickup and even delivery if the location is reasonable. The powders were a huge hit, and then Julie began to try out minced garlic, which has also become very popular, with people asking for it year round. Their garlic is cracked, peeled, and minced by hand, and then it is jarred in oil. “The initial order is usually about 80 to 100 jars,” Julie said while cracking bulbs of garlic. “It’s easy and fast [to use], and it keeps well in the fridge.” Working as a nurse, Julie spoke about how it is perfect for busy people and older folks, who may not have the time or physical ability to crack, peel and mince garlic each time they want to use it - so the jarred mince works perfectly for them. One 500mL jar has roughly one pound of garlic in it, so it carried plenty of flavour and punch. Previously Gully Ridge Farms has jarred their minced garlic in pure olive oil, but due to price inflation they have had to change to a blended oil, made of sunflower and olive oil to keep their prices affordable. “We are all about community and making things reasonable for people,” Julie said. Initially they started out with a couple of acres, but they now are up to 4 or 5 acres of garlic. They have to rotate their fields to manage pests, and they have to watch things like the water level in the soil and frost. Although Gully Ridge Farms is not certified organic, they follow best practices and don’t typically spray their garlic. Julie explained that buying local Ontario garlic like theirs often means if stored properly it will last you year round, and it will be more flavourful. Thanks to Greg’s mechanical knowledge, he was able to rig up a planter, but everything else is done by hand on the farm by Julie, Greg, and their two kids. Julie explained that although machinery is helpful, it can often be detrimental to the garlic; another reason why they opt to do more hands-on labour than other large garlic operations. “If you do it [by hand], there’s less damage [to the garlic] and it stores a lot better,” she said. Besides the planter, they have an old potato-type vegetable cleaner that gently shakes off the dirt, but everything else is done by hand, including scaping, harvesting, hanging, cleaning, and storing. “It’s very physical manual labour,” Julie explained while cracking bulbs of garlic. “[Learning about planting and farming] makes you realize that when you spend a little more on something it’s worth it.” Julie and Greg stand behind their products and their quality, knowing it holds more flavour and lasts longer than store bought powders and bulbs. “You might pay [more] for that product, but it’s pure quality garlic, where if you buy it at a grocery store or bulk foods store in a shaker, you have to use double the amount,” said Julie. Julie doesn’t know exactly when they started as vendors at the Horton Farmers’ Market, but she does know why they have continued to come back each season. “It’s such a family environment…everyone around is so good to deal with and support,” Julie said while cracking bulbs of garlic. “People that come become a part of your family, and sometimes they don’t buy and it’s just a social visit…it’s very community [oriented].” For Julie (and many other vendors), the market serves as a heartwarming place where friendships are made, social catch-ups are held, and vendors help one another out - like one big family.  The community support for their garlic and products has been amazing. Julie proudly smiled when telling us about how people come back time and time again to tell them how much they love their products. “[Greg] will say to me it’s pretty nice that we have a product that people will buy,” Julie smiled. “I’ll be honest, I haven’t given up because I like to see the smile on the customers face when they’re like wow this is so good. It’s a lot of work, and we’re [she and Greg] both pretty stubborn people and we’re both pretty determined.” All the hard work is worth it for Gully Ridge when they get to share their products with people, build relationships, and grow and provide a quality product, all done locally and by their family. We are so fortunate to have so many incredible farmers and vendors at the Horton Farmers’ Market like Gully Ridge Farms. Their care and work is evident in their products, and in their passion for the work they do. If you haven’t tried any Gully Ridge Farms garlic yet, make sure to stop by and chat with Julie and her family.
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