AN INTERVIEW with Simon DeBoer of Langside Farms in Ontario Canada. Simon started out as a certified organic grower back in 1998 and ever since is growing a variety of organic garlic, heart nuts and other tree nuts; he grows everything organically.

Q: Today, you don’t have the organic certification per se but you still do practice /stay truthful to organic practices.

A: You can come see my farm anytime.

Q: Great we will come but still I would like to ask you some questions; how have you become aware of organic, the clean methods of growing.

A: It is a health issue, it is a life issue, because I want to stay out as long as I can be healthy while I am here.

Q: So you were aware that there is an impact on your health

A: Absolutely!

Q: Did something happen that made you aware of organic and not conventional way of growing.

A: No, I always have been eating plants, been close to the land. I love it. I have been the other way too. I worked for a chemical company. I have been to the University and I raised 6 children and I wanted to raise them healthy, close to the land. Two of my children were born at home I delivered them myself.

Q: Eating healthy is becoming more mainstream. How do you see that?

A: I always have been interest in eating healthy. If I would not be a farmer I would have been a doctor, but a different kind of doctor. I do not trust these doctors, I do not go to doctors. My doctor lives in Peru.

Q: Peru? Are we talking about South American Peru?

A: Yes, I can email him with a question anytime with a diet I am doing and he responds to me.

Q: Oh, super interesting…

A: My doctor is Russian…

Q: Oh he is Russian, I am Polish, my grandmother was Ukrainian, so not too far away. I see you brought the garlic because it is a garlic festival but what do you grow besides garlic?

A: I have nut trees. My specialty is nut trees.

Q: What kind?

A: Heart nuts, if you never heard of it you have to come. I have some English walnuts, pecans, persimmons; I love trees…

Q: So that would be your niche!

A: Yes. So if I fall on something and cannot get garlic. I will  catch nuts.

Q: Which vegetable, herb or nut is your favorite to grow?

A: My favorite? That would be nuts!

Q: Which nut is your favorite?

A: Heart nuts. That has a heart shape when pieces fall out the pieces have heart shape. I export it from Japanese grower. I have 5 acres of nut trees.

Q: Which one is your favorite to eat?

A: I put nuts in my smoothie, raw, with coconut oil and bananas

Q: If you would end up on the deserted island and if you could take one seed with you, what would that be? Would that be a nut seed? Veggie?

A: Only one seed?

Q: Ok let’s make it 3

A: One of them would have to be a nut.

Q: Which nut tree?

A: Heart nut, off course, they are the best. The squirrels like them too.

Q: Someone told me watch what animals are doing and we will be closer to nature , would you agree with that?

A: Absolutely. Animals do not seam to get sick very often. I have one deer at my place it knows where the organics lives.

Q: What would be one advice or tip for an aspiring either organic growers or nut’s growers?

A: You need to be out there on your hand’s and knees with garlic and watch it grow and enjoy it . I do everything with it. You have to enjoy it. If it is just a job for money it is never going to satisfy you.

Q: That is a great advice. Very genuine!

A: Your work has to be pleasure . I enjoy it. You will see me with my hands and knees down the ground to get weeds out.