The name Castlegarth has a long history.  In Medieval times it meant castle garden or the yards around a castle where food was produced.  When my husband and I bought this two hundred acre farm near White Lake village in 1972, we chose Castlegarth, the name of his grandparents’ house in Castleford, Yorkshire.  It was rather ironic as the farm was far from a castle; however, the land had the potential for vast productive gardens.  We later bought another hundred acres and connected the two farms by renting the two hundred acres between them, giving us ample space for growing food and crops, raising chickens and beef, and encouraging wildlife.  

We got permission to plant our first garden before we took possession in June of 1972.  It was a simple vegetable garden, more than adequate for ourselves.  We also planted fruit trees and bushes.  We were right about the fertility of the clay soil around the house and barns, but it took a few years of experimenting to learn what grows best.  Every year we have tried new varieties of vegetables in our gardens and often planted new fruit trees or bushes.  Nature has helped us by killing off less than hardy stock, but at the same time has provided us with wild fruits, greens and mushrooms.  We got a few cattle and chickens, fed them our own hay and grain, and used their composted manure to enrich the soil.  From the beginning we decided against herbicides and pesticides, preferring to pull weeds and hand pick the bugs, or in some cases surrender to them.  Our son, Matthew, chef and co-owner of Castlegarth Restaurant,  grew up in this setting of utilizing, co-operating with and enhancing our environment through responsible agriculture.  This pattern has continued for thirty eight years.