Danielle Newman standing next to her windbreak at Alluvia Farm in Bristol, Quebec. Photo: Jan Amell Photography
Danielle Newman and Philippe Smith are going back to their roots with Alluvia Farm, an organic farm in Philippe’s hometown of Bristol, Quebec.
Alluvia Farm, co-owned and operated by Danielle Newman and her husband Phillipe Smith, is an 89-acre organic farm located in the municipality of Bristol, in the Outaouais region.
Danielle is enthusiastic to share her experience of working with ALUS to create a windbreak made up of some 15 species of trees and shrubs. It is about two kilometers long and protects the farm’s organic apple trees during all seasons. It’s especially effective during the colder months. “Apple trees suffer a lot during winter when they’re completely exposed to cold winds,” explains Danielle.
As well as acting as a buffer from the wind, the windbreak also attracts pollinators. “[It’s] still very small, so we can’t see any big changes yet, but we are starting to see a lot of interest from small animals and birds. We’ve seen a change in biodiversity already, and I think that’s just going to continue,” says Danielle.
A helping hand from ALUS and MAPAQ
For the installation of their windbreak, Danielle and Philippe obtained funding from MAPAQ’s Prime-Vert program as well as the ALUS Outaouais program. While the Prime-Vert program subsidized the bulk of the project, ALUS Outaouais covered the remaining costs, in addition to providing support at every stage.
“For us, it was really worth it,” notes Danielle. “It’s a big, expensive project, so even paying 10% out of pocket was still a lot of money. The fact that MAPAQ and ALUS were able to support us made the project possible.”
Another ALUS project is underway for Alluvia: a delayed mowing project to protect the Eastern meadowlark, a species at risk whose preferred habitat is hayfields.
“I found it so easy and beneficial to work with ALUS, so if there were any other opportunities, we’d definitely jump on them,” adds Danielle.
Danielle Newman with ALUS Outaouais coordinator Maria Jose Maezo. Photo: Jan Amell Photography
Apple of My Eye
Alluvia is still starting up, notes Danielle. “It takes several years for the apples to produce a yield, so we’re finally starting to get some apples, but next year, we expect to have a more commercial yield.”
Alluvia’s specialty lies in its out-of-the-ordinary apple varieties, such as Golden Russet, Belle de Boskop and Douce de Charlevoix.
Philippe grew up on a farm in Bristol, and Danielle spent her youth in the countryside. While she didn’t grow up on a farm, her mother did. “I spent my childhood hearing stories of what it was like, living on a farm, so I had a bit of an image of the lifestyle I wanted,” Danielle explains.
“It’s true that it’s super difficult and time is limited with our full-time jobs, but it’s something we love to do, so we keep moving forward even if it’s not moving as quickly as we’d like.”
In 2025, Danielle and Philippe plan to rent two mini-home shelters on their property. “We want to give people the opportunity to spend a holiday on a farm, in nature, a little away from the city. We have a river that runs through the property, it’s wooded… It’s beautiful, so it’s a chance to be in nature but also to be here, in an agricultural environment,” says Danielle.
In addition, Danielle and Philippe plan to develop six kilometers of recreational trails for sports activities such as hiking and snowshoeing, thanks in part to financial assistance from the Ministry of Tourism of the Government of Quebec.
Danielle Newman presents her project and answers questions during the October 2024 ALUS tour in Outaouais, Quebec. Photo: Jan Amell Photography
In the fall of 2024, Danielle hosted a tour of ALUS participants, staff, and PAC members. She was enthusiastic to share the work she and Philippe had done with the whole network, to share ideas and learn from each other.
“You could see that in the group, there were people new to farming, who had all sorts of questions, and there were people who were very experienced and who had advice to give me,” Danielle says. “I really enjoyed it; I found it a real sharing of knowledge and experience. I’d definitely do it again.”
