1. Living her dream
Goal of farming bloomed early
Living the dream. Grow ing up in Finland, Marjo Niemi alw ays dreamed of ow ning a farm. Staff photo/Susie Kockerscheidt
Marjo Niemi finishes our sentences
• My favourite treat to eat is ... old-fashioned apple pie with french vanilla ice cream.It’s so bad, but so good.
•If I could travel anywhere in the world, I would love to go to ... Yellowknife. I have always wantedto explore
northern Canada.
•My favourite flower is ... either a bleeding heart, because it is so unique or lily of the valley, because it is
beautiful.
•If given the choice, I would have lunch with ... (Prime Minister) Stephen Harper, just for fun and maybe to
discuss issues relatedto farming.
Marjo Niemi believes life is a beautiful thing.
With a personality as colourful as the blooms lining the greenhouses at the Niemi Family Farm in Sharon, she w elcomes
every day w ith an open heart.
Grow ing up in Finland, she fondly remembers her family’s farm w here she, her parents and 13 siblings w orked the land and
tended to the animals. It w as at that young age her dream of ow ning a farm began to grow .
“I remember my parents giving me a small plot, w here I planted my ow n vegetable garden and looked after it all summer,”
she said as she plucked a w ilted leaf from an Agnes Smith lilac. “I alw ays knew I w anted to have a farm of my ow n.”
She and her husband, Peter, married and moved to Bradford from Finland in 1988. Although she didn’t have her ow n farm,
she settled for a job at a local nursery, at w hich she learned about farming in this climate compared to her homeland.
But as she w orked, she never gave up on her dream of having land of her ow n.
In 2004, the family purchased a 25-acre property and house on Herald Road in Sharon. She now farms organic vegetables,
fruit, trees and flow ers w ith the help of her 10 children.
“Nature is so beautiful and being outside makes my day, every day,” she said, w hile propping up a potted tree toppled by the
w ind. “All I have to say is life is good.”
She gets satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment from producing a beautiful flow ering plant or tasty tomato from a seed.
She is able to feed her family and give her children an appreciation of w here food comes from and how much w orkgoes into
every dollar earned.
Many times, she has been asked w hy she goes through all of the labour.
“Life isn’t all about the money,” she smiled. “Yes, I’m out here sw eating w hile I w ork, but it feels good and there is so muc h
more to life than making money.”
Not only does she have a green thumb, she has a passion for people. She enjoys teaching others about gardening, helping
some select the perfect plant and encouraging others to grow their ow n vegetables, w hether in a back-yard garden or on a

2. condo balcony.
“You get so much more out of grow ing something from nothing than just the produce,” she explained. “It feels great to know
you nourished something and produced something w ith your ow n hands.”
Ms Niemi w as surprised to find East Gw illimbury didn’t have a farmers market, w hich are a cornerstones in the community in
Finland. She decided to take it upon herself to start one.
Not only is she dedicated to the farming community, but also the community at large, farmers market committee member
Carolyn Watt said, noting Ms Niemi w as the driving force that kept everyone inspired and motivated w hen creating the local
market.
“She’s a w onderfulw oman w ho is full of energy,” Ms Watt said. “You can’t help but smile w hen you are around her.”
The first w eekend the market opened, Ms Watt remembers being amazed that a w oman w ith 10 children w ho also runs a
farm and has taken on the market made the time to bake bread and cinnamon treats before the 8 a.m. start.
“She really is amazing,” she said. “She just sparkles and is a genuine and authentic w oman.”
The market is now in its second year and Ms Niemi finds herself excited about the 8 a.m. Saturday gatherings in the parking
lot of the Civic Centre on Leslie Street.
“It really is a place that brings people together,” she said.
“It gives farmers a chance to support each other and makes you feel like you’re not alone.”
There is something for everyone at the market, she said w ith pride.
From home-made goodies, produce, meat, crafts, jew elry and more, Ms Niemi predicts her creation w ill only continue to
grow because it is an important part of the farming community’s identity.
“I w ish people understood more about farming,” she said. “But more w ill as more continue to come to the market each
w eek.”
Although she gets little time to rest w ith her schedule packed w ith the market, her farm and caring for her large family, she
know s it has all been w orth it.
“When someone comes to the market or the farm and is just happy to see you there, it is a beautiful thing,” she said,
adjusting her apron proudly displaying a red maple leaf.