Ottawa Valley Food Co-operative

Fletchington Farms
Colin & Paula Fletcher

Cobden, ON

101 Poff Rd
Cobden, ON K0J 1K0
fletchingtonfarms@gmail.com
613-646-2285 (home)

Product Types: Frozen cuts of Pork, also Sweet Corn, Cucumbers, Heirloom Brandywine Tomatoes, Squash, and Pumpkins, in season. Some handmade items now available.

About Us
Welcome, we are Colin, Paula and Ella Fletcher. Colin is the fourth generation of a pork producing family. He's been producing high quality pork since 1997. Colin attended Centralia Agricultural College. He has been a member of the Renfrew County Pork Producers for 17 years and has been President for 8 of those years, as well as being involved in many other county agricultural committees. Recently, the Fletcher family was inducted into the Renfrew County Agricultural Wall of Fame. Fletchington Farms has been 40 years in this location. We strive to use sustainable farming methods and to reduce our environmental impact. Even our home is heated by homegrown corn, used in our grain stove. Someday, we would like to be completely "off the grid". We are a family farm and intend to make a living on the farm while passing on an even better environment to our daughter. Colin has completed the third edition of the Ontario Environmental Farm Plan.

It is important to us to remain as a family farm and to promote the continuity of family farms as a way of life (ie, job) and not as a chosen "lifestyle" or "hobby". In today's global marketplace, it's important to know where your food is coming from; most countries don't have the strict rules surrounding food production that Canada does. Colin works extremely hard to raise our pigs and we are very proud of our quality products.

Our pigs are uncertified purebred Yorkshire pigs. This is a very old English breed. They were first developed in 1761 from an old Leicestershire breed. The Yorkshire are a large, white breed. They are a nice, quiet, docile breed with strong maternal instincts. Our Yorks have been bred to produce lean, flavourful meat.

This is also the home of P&E Creations. This is the outlet for all of Paula's creative energy. We'll be adding new items as they become available.

If you miss the order deadline or just want some more farm fresh products, please come out to our farm stand. We're open daily at 19481 Hwy 17 west, just west of Cobden -watch for the sign. Colin's mom will be happy to help you select some pork and vegetables. The vegetables are available in season. Pork available every day.

Browse through our Products for Sale

Practices (our standards for raising or making our products)
We strive to grow high quality pork. All our pigs, except farrowing sows, are kept in loose-housing so they can run around and socialize. Sows and piglets are kept in the farrowing pen for 4 weeks after birth, in order to minimize piglets being crushed to death by the sow. Our pigs are fed homegrown, naturally dried corn, as a source of energy. They also get soybean meal as a protein source. Soybean meal must be purchased because pigs are unable to digest raw soybeans. We buy our soybean meal in bulk to eliminate packaging waste. Our vitamins and minerals are sourced from Europe (company on the leading-edge for natural products) because Chinese and American sources have too many impurities. These are also bought in bulk. Our pigs are HORMONE FREE. Also, we do not feed animal by-products. It is usually only sows who develop conditions that need antibiotic treatment, antibiotics are NEVER fed to a pig going to market. Our pigs that go to market are tested for drug residue EVERY week to be sure none are being used. We use natural products to keep our pigs healthy, whenever possible, eg. seaweed to dry newborns, peat moss for scours, and citric acid (vitamin C) to lower PH of water to help prevent digestive issues, etc. Our barns have all the new compact florescent bulbs. And we are now switching to high efficient heat pads for the farrowing pens, instead of the old heat lamps. Our meat is processed at a local, provincially inspected abattoir.
We grow corn, wheat and soybeans. The corn is naturally air dried (no propane) and used on the farm. The wheat and soybeans are sold to market, though I'm looking into keeping some of the wheat and grinding our own flour. We use animal and green manures to reduce our use of commercial fertilizers. We also choose seed varieties that reduce our need to spray for insects and disease. Our crops are regularly rotated to improve soil structure and reduce insect/disease/weeds. We also regularly take soil samples so we can balance the soil fertility to plant requirements. Animal manure is incorporated into the soil to eliminate smell and run-off and loss of nitrogen to the atmosphere. We have recently purchased a no-till grain drill. This will save us approximately 45 hours less tractor time and 1300L diesel fuel each year. No-till helps improve soil health and prevents erosion. We also use conservation tillage with a chisel plow which covers more land than a mouldboard plow in the same amount of time, therefore using less fuel and leaves more residual crop matter which reduces wind and rain erosion. We have 60 acres of untouched wetlands/river frontage which is home to all sorts of birds, animals, fishes, etc.
Our sweet corn is watered by Mother Nature. Our other vegetables are grown in a mulched garden which is watered by drip irrigation hoses. But since the garden is mulched, it requires little extra water. We grow Heirloom Brandywine tomatoes, which I must admit are the best tomatoes I have ever tasted. This year we also plan to grow cucumbers, squash, and pumpkins (Jack-o-Lanterns of all sizes and pie kinds). I'll be making pickles and relishes from the extras.

Please note, all canned products are made in our home kitchen. We are NOT a commercial kitchen. But I do take preserving food very seriously and follow all the modern canning instructions. This is the same food I feed my family and I'd be happy to feed your family too.

Additional Information
We are certified under the Canadian Quality Assurance (CQA) program. This is a nationwide program which regulates animal care, especially related to medication usage and withdrawal time. We try to use alternative methods to keep our pigs healthy. The CQA program also requires we keep the pigs inside. It is to prevent various diseases spread by migrating birds, i.e. bird flu, from entering the swine herd. This is to prevent the spread of disease to the human population.
Today's pork is healthy and safe. Trichinosis, the reason pork used to be so overcooked, is generally a soil borne worm. It is picked up by pigs that eat contaminated meat, like rats. Since mainstream pork producers keep their pigs indoors, it has been eradicated from domesticated pork for the last 40 years. This is not the case for wild boar, which has recently become popular, especially in the States.
Enjoy our pork with a hint of pink. Cook to 165-170F.

Don't forget, all our products are available at the farm gate (19481 Hwy 17, Cobden) Enjoy our affordable products with no commissions.

Highlights this Month
Attention: The current H1N1 flu outbreak is one of the reasons for keeping pigs in barns. It is also why we have strict rules against visitors inside our barns. These precautions help keep our pigs isolated from such diseases. This is a good reason to buy local food, not from countries with questionable rules. Also, H1N1 is NOT transmitted through meat. Also, proper cooking kills off any other germs present.

Canadian pigs are inspected before they leave the farm and inspected again (by a government official) when it reaches the butcher shop/packing plant. We only send Healthy, Live pigs.

So please don't be afraid. Our pork continues to be a healthy, safe meat choice.

The Canadian Pork Industry is under a severe financial crisis. If consumers don't want to have to eat pork from Mexico and China, they need to encourage friends and families to contact their MP/MPPs. If the government can bailout car companies, then you would think Canadian food producers would be at least as important. If nothing is done, or too little, there is a VERY strong chance that the ENTIRE Canadian pork industry will collapse. Not only will this put thousands of people out of work, it will be one more thing that Canada will not be able to feed itself! Personally, the thought of buying meat from unregulated countries scares the daylights out of me.

February is turning into a very busy month. Lots of meetings and seminars. Colin's vegetable seeds are arriving, making us wish for spring. He can't wait to get back into the greenhouse.

Our mobile grain/seed cleaner is here and ready to go. If you have a few tons of seed/grain that needs cleaned, call Colin for reasonable rates and wonderful service.

Fletchington Farms Products for Sale through the co-operative
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