The Van Kleef Farm - Colourful Gardens
Angelle and Clen van Kleef came to Canada in 1999 from the Netherlands. Coming from a highly populated country we know how fast natural habitat can disappear.
In 1999 we bought the 48 acre farm we are currently living on. We started our 1 acre greenhouse operation for the production of indoor house plants, Hibiscus and Bromeliads.
The rest of the farm is 16 acres of woodlot and 30 acres of "workable" land which has been used in the past for Tobacco and Asparagus production. It is very sandy, dry and sensitive to frost. We decided to give the 30 acres back to nature after we read about ALUS through publications. In the spring of 2008 we got involved in the ALUS Pilot Project. After site preparation, a mix of prairie grasses was seeded and oak, cherry and pine trees were planted. In spring 2009 a prescribed burn was done to help the Tallgrass Prairie establish.
For us, ALUS was an ideal opportunity to get a purpose for the marginal land and to restore the endangered habitat of Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Savanna that had been there in the past. Remnants of Prairie are still visible along the rail track that goes through our property. Since implementing the ALUS project on our farm we notice a big change in the diversity and numbers of bird and butterfly species on our property.
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 08 February 2011 15:53 )