For the past 15 years, Ferme Black Creek has been operating out of Hinchinbrooke. The farm produces English ciders and Bulldog, which is an aperitif that is sweetened with maple syrup and wild berries. On the farm, they produce apples, maple syrup, and berries. Recently it was announced that owner Denis Rousseau and his wife will be taking their retirement, and the cider house will be shutting down this spring.
Originally, Rousseau bought the land they’re on “because we wanted a place for our dogs to be free.” Once they had the land, they realized they had a sugar bush on the property and decided to lean in and partake in some agriculture. They knew that there weren’t really any English cider producers in the region, and they decided that would be the route for them to take.
For most of their time, Rousseau and his wife were working full time and maintaining the farm on a part-time basis. But in the past few years, they have been more full-time producers. This was a big learning experience for Rousseau, who says, “I’m a scientist. I’m an introvert. I’m not an extrovert. So, I hate going out and selling stuff and going out to do this and that. And I realized, the last couple of years, in order to get the product moving you have to spend time on the road.” This was part of what led to the decision to close the farm and move on to the next phase of life.
Rousseau has big plans for his retirement, which include moving to Prince Edward Island. He’s moving to a 15-acre property on the water that is quiet and has no neighbors, but plenty of space for the dogs. “We’re sure gonna miss our place here, but I think a new adventure is going to be fun.” Rousseau used to love playing golf but has barely had the chance to over the past 15 years. He’s looking forward to picking it back up again. He also plans to explore all of Eastern Canada and is excited to see Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Though he is looking forward to his retirement, Rousseau will miss pieces of his time on the farm. The thing he thinks about most is his morning walks through the orchard with his dogs. The orchard is 100 years old and makes for a peaceful morning stroll. “We make a path through the trees, the berry bushes and so on… The property here is a nice walk no matter what season,” he says. At least in PEI, he’ll have morning beach walks to look forward to.
To celebrate its closing, the farm is having a huge sale to get rid of the rest of their inventory. The boutique was open on March 22 for the last time, offering 70 per cent off cases of 12 bottles. They will also be present at the Atwater market on the 28th, in Ormstown with the market on the 29th and the Jean Talon Market on April 11. Rousseau says he is grateful for all the people he has met during his time here and will miss the friends he made in the past 15 years.