236its capitalist bent, including
some American draft dodgers
and some city kids, found a safe
haven on a remote island, living
in harmony with the land.
Like Harrowsmith, these young
people introduced new ideas
to the community, which, Ian
recalls, raised the eyebrows of
the locals. Appropriately named,
Topsy Farms and their side
business, Turv y Construction,
were doing everything upside
down in the eyes of the old-timers
who were constantly wondering
what they were up to now.
Topsy used only organic
methods at first, but added the
non-organic grains, antibiotics
and anti-parasite medicines for
the best health of their animals.
No growth hormones are fed to
the flock. Compost and manure
are used instead of chemical
fertilizer, with no harmful agents
or nitrogen to leach into the
lake. They were the first to bring
round hay bales and electric
fencing to the island.
This end of the island is not
a farmer’s dream. It’s truly a
hardscrabble existence on 3- to
4-inches of topsoil. So growing
crops for market was never an
economically feasible option. Then
Christopher Kennedy showed
up from England. Cambridge
educated, he wanted to be a
shepherd. He stayed because the
food was good, and he became a
partner in the farm business.
“That’s how we ended up with
sheep” says Jake, Sally and Ian’sson. He chuckles as he says he’s
living the dream. Already before
noon he’s played the role of vet,
carpenter, mechanic, accountant
and social media marketer
for the family farm. Working
80 hours for minimum wage
wasn’t really his dream when he
got his political science degree,
but in pursuing his original
university dream he found that
he wasn’t wired for life in the
city. So when it came time for
Jake to raise his first son in 2005,
the decision was made to give
him the country upbringing like
he had on the farm.
Jake’s mother, Sally, is the face
of welcome and compassion.
She stands out by the dirt road
to flag down visitors who might
not know their way, greeting all
with unpretentious enthusiasm,
and chatting up the calves and
sheep that wait for her affection.
Sally shares the vision of
transformation for the future.
She posts furiously on Facebook,
Instagram and their Shopify
website, telling about upcoming
events and stories of life on
the island.
“With our lambing and
shearing events, people are
coming to the farm, some for
the first time,” says Jake. “They
see it in person and can touch
and hold, and it’s not on TV. It’s
especially good for people who
are going through tough times.
In a half-hour holding a lamb, a
therapeutic exchange happens.
The lamb needs love becauseTRAVEL & CULTURE: TOPSY FARMS