Girl About O-Town

On my way to visit Amanda and Chris DeVries, I confess to wondering what would motivate an urban, professional couple to move themselves and their family out of the city and onto a small farm.  From the minute I stepped out of my car however, their choice began to come clear.  

Their welcoming log home is perched on a grassy rise, encircled by tall deciduous trees, and looks both downward and eastward over their domain.  It is a place that is at once expansive and private, and other than the birds, bugs and wind in the leaves, it is quiet.  Once inside, the house is filled with sunshine, despite the strong, thick log walls, and is comfortably simple in its arrangement.  A functional kitchen opens to a large, rustic family table and deep, soft couches are situated in front of the stone hearth, perfect for flopping into after a long hard day.  It is here where they recounted their story… 

 1. garden rows, 2. the chair, 3. garden rows 2, 4. the neighbours place

Amanda DeVries is the very patient, collaborative, and creative freelance graphic designer who helped me to realize Girl About O Town.  Her husband Chris is now a small farmer.  This cool couple hooked up while studying Electrical Engineering at the University of Waterloo, and have been together long enough to have two kids, almost 5 and 3.  Both worked for several years in their chosen field, but have since left their offices behind to live true to their passions.   

To nurture her creative instinct, and to build on her tendency to produce graphic artwork as a community volunteer, Amanda enrolled in Graphic Design at Algonquin College while on maternity leave with her first child.  Still living in Westboro at the time, she attended school part-time while juggling the multitude of trials associated with a new family.  Uninspired by the thought of returning to engineering, Amanda launched her freelance graphic design company as a way to work from home.  Starting out slowly, Amanda supported other small business owners like herself, helping them to build their brands and establish a web presence.  Reflecting back, Amanda recalls it being hard at the beginning, but after 4 years is proud to be running full steam, and at ease knowing that clients will come to her.   Having experienced her capacity for genuine cooperation, and her obvious self-discipline, there seems no doubt that Amanda’s freelance work will continue to enable her lifestyle, to ensure her autonomy and to provide a productive channel for her creativity. 

Chris, who confesses to having a weakness for the future, is the family planner.  He is a rare combination of dreamer and doer, showing little evidence of anxiety or worry about what might lie ahead.  As an engineer, completing a Masters degree, founding a tech start up and even enduring the long road to a PhD, it seems Chris has always had a strong faith in his ability to survive, regardless of financial status.  But, despite his academic and professional success, and with farming in his family, his connection to the land was never far from mind.  As his hobby garden in Westboro became overextended, Chris began plotting a move to a more wide open space, with room for him to grow.  Along with the MLS obsession came a deepening interest in the notion of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), which is a partnership between a small-scale farmer and a community of customers, and establishes a direct link between the production and consumption of food.  These arrangements are mutually beneficial, and encourage more conscientious stewardship of the land.  

Finally relocating from city centre to rural farm last year, and reducing his hours in the office to part-time, Chris began budgeting and planning in earnest for this year’s growing season.  In March, he decided to make the leap to farming full-time, and quit his job to establish Common Ground Market Farm and CSA.  He is blogging about his experience here, mostly to share with others interested in sustainable agriculture, and he hopes to expand beyond this year’s pilot phase next season.

While the question remains as to whether Common Ground will be able to support their chosen lifestyle over the long term, their confidence is contagious, and it is evident that Amanda and Chris have already found success. These are two people who truly exude contentment and excitement.   Neither could imagine the rest of their lives in cubicles, and when confronted by this possible fate, both had the courage to find a way to avoid it. 

Amanda and Chris are equally convinced that income bears no relationship to satisfaction, and that happiness is not the result of financial security.  Neither feels that balance is required between living and working, as they see no abstract distinction, and understand that at least for them, both are intrinsically connected.  Their days are filled with physical, intellectual and creative challenges, which they each either share or accommodate – and they still have time for family, friends and the occasional night at the pub.  When asked how they feel about the risks they’ve taken, the response is an enlightening mix of profound optimism and calm pragmatism.   “It’s not like we’re going to go hungry” says Chris, with a wry smile and “besides, I can always get another job if I have to”. 

Here is a bit more about Amanda and Chris…

Amanda:

• What fascinates you?  Colour
• What do you crave?  It’s a tossup between coffee & chocolate…
• Do you collect anything?  Design related stuff
• Is there anything you really want to learn?  Photography
• Do you prefer fiction or non- fiction?  Fiction for sure!  For the escape.
• Do you have a place you go to retreat?  In front of the fire in the living room.
• What are your favourite things?  Kicking Horse Coffee. My iPod. My trusty kitchen knife. 
• Do you have a favourite season?  Fall.  Hands down.  The temperature is perfect, the light is amazing and there are no bugs.  Plus, Chris and I were married in September.
• What do you talk about most right now in your life?  My kids
• Favourite Ottawa restaurant?  These days we go to The Cheshire Cat Pub in Carp.  The food is great and its really family friendly.

Chris:

• What attracts you?  Complexity                
• Is there anywhere you would want to go?  The Himalayas
• What is your guilty pleasure?  Cookies, or beer.
• What has been your biggest challenge?  Being patient with my kids.
• What can you not live without?  Land.  I have to be somewhere where I can plant!
• Where do you go to retreat?  Outside to the garden.
• Favourite season?  Fall.  Its harvest.  And, we were married in the fall.
• Given the choice, would you pick a cupcake or a tart?  Tart
• Favourite Ottawa shop?  Preston Hardware.  There is so much good stuff there, and they really know their business.  

To check out Amanda’s portfolio, click here.

To learn more about Chris’s CSA, read here.