Golden Shore Farms

Dennis Pratchler and Michelle Cruise-Pratchler
Golden Shore Farms
Nokomis-Govan, SK

“Busy as bees!” That’s one way to describe the husband and wife farm team of Dennis Pratchler and Michelle Cruise-Pratchler. In 2000, the young farm couple, with family connections to the Nokomis-Govan and Stalwart areas, decided to make farming a full-time way of life. Today, Dennis and Michelle along with their two young children, operate a highly diversified farm operation that includes—organic grain, natural beef, and natural honey production. On top of that, Michelle is also a self-employed charted accountant with an office in the Town of Nokomis.

The pull of the land and the farm lifestyle attracted Dennis and Michelle back to the farm, and like so many other young farmers they were met with their own share of adversity. As Michelle puts it, “Dennis decided that he was going to be a farmer. At the end of that first year, in 2000, we had no crop, no sales, and we were in debt.” With that kind of success, Dennis and Michelle were looking for more profitable ways to make their farm pay. Switching to organic production was one decision that the couple made to increase their farm returns. In 2001, they broke 30 acres of prairie and grew their first organic crop. Today, the family farms 1500 acres of land according to organic production standards.

The decision to produce honey was far more accidental. In fact, the decision was made for them. The story goes something like this. Back in 2005, friends of Michelle’s who had bees decided that they wanted to spend their winters in Mexico. Soon after, their wintering in Mexico became living in Mexico and Dennis and Michelle “inherited” their friends’ five bee hives.

Since that time the couple has got into bee-keeping in a big way. Beginning with those five hives, the couple moved up to 12 hives and has since bought another 50 hives. Their goal is have 100 bee hives in production! And, with each hive producing up to 250 pounds of honey in a good year, the couple has plenty of honey to go around.

Handling those large volumes of honey got a little easier for the Dennis and Michelle about two years ago when they decided to upgrade from the four frame extractor that they started with to a large 30 frame extractor. Yet, with that much honey production, they have also had to find some big buyers; and, although most of their honey goes to a broker in Saskatoon, Dennis and Michelle hold back about 700 pounds of honey to sell “off the hive” (that’s bee talk for “at the farm gate”) or at events in the area.

Products
Dennis and Michelle sell their honey in either a one or two pound jar. They charge $3 per pound plus one dollar for the jar. They also sell organic flax.

Where and when to find them
Dennis and Michelle sell their honey and flax at the farm gate and at Michelle’s office in Nokomis. They can also be found flea markets in Nokomis, Semans, and Stalwart, and at trade shows and other events in the area.

To purchase some honey or flax or to get directions to their farm call 306-484-4644.