Warren family farm has become a major supplier of lettuce for northern Ontario
Ferme Ojalammi in Warren, Ont., is a huge producer when it comes to fresh vegetables, especially lettuce.
Farmer Matt Ojalammi is constantly tending to the roughly 3,000 heads of lettuce growing in his greenhouse. The farm is owned by Ojalammi and his young family. The lettuce is shipped to Smith’s Markets in Greater Sudbury, as well as a local restaurant.
"It's been a real adventure and it's been a lot of fun,” said Ojalammi. “Who knows where it will take us? But that's the main goal -- what can we carve out for ourselves in our later years?"
Ojalammi and his young family moved from the bright city lights of Sudbury to a quiet rustic Warren countryside just four years ago. Starting with chickens and a garden, they added two large greenhouses focusing on hydroponic growing of tomatoes and lettuce.
"This just seemed like such a viable operation,” said Renee Germain, Matt’s wife and partner on the farm. "We knew it would work in northern Ontario. We obviously had to learn a whole lot -- and we're still learning a whole lot."
Learning from a North Bay-area farm that also produces hydroponic vegetables, the family picked it up quickly and now harvests lettuce for Kate’s Kountry Kitchen, a restaurant in Warren.
"They're a great couple to work with. It's great to say to customers ‘Hey this is grown down the road’,” said owner Kate Kuepfer. “How often does that happen that we have local lettuce in the winter in northern Ontario?"
Ferme Ojalammi in Warren, Ont., is a huge producer when it comes to fresh vegetables, especially lettuce. (Eric Taschner/CTV News)
Besides farming, both Germain and Ojalammi work full time. Still relatively new to the farming game, they still find ways to balance work life, farming and taking care of their three young children.
"We're up early and work pretty late," said Ojalammi. "We work Monday-Friday in our day jobs and we do things we can or we need to do in the morning like check on the greenhouses."
This summer, the family was able to bring on two summer students through the Canada Summer Jobs application program for a crucial helping hand around the farm. The family has one tip for anyone interested in farming.
"Do it as a partnership -- don't do it alone. Have good balance,” said Germain. “The lessons can be very hard, so you'll want someone to help you balance it out."
The family is looking at expanding their greenhouses in hopes of quadrupling the amount of product they can produce.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.