“Come on sheep! Come on sheep!”
Arlie LaRoche, the subject of the first episode of Season Two of Eric Anderson’s YXE Underground podcast, stands in the middle of a field full of sheep and jokes that this is her big party trick - calling her herd of sheep to her side.
It’s an impressive trick, and shows the close relationship LaRoche has with her animals.
LaRoche owns and operates Farm One Forty, a holistically-managed farm about twenty minutes southwest of Saskatoon. As the farm’s website states, ‘Farm One Forty is the local, sustainable and natural choice for Saskatoon’s ethical eaters.’
“The reason I use the term holistically-managed is we just look at our farm as a whole. It’s not just a pig or chicken or grain farm, it’s everything rolled into one,” says LaRoche. “So when we make a decision on one thing, we have to consider how it will affect X, Y and Z.”
Where food comes from and how it’s prepared are subjects that LaRoche is extremely passionate about. She welcomes tourists and school groups to her 140-acre farm to show them how her animals are cared for, and why she chooses to farm in a holistic manner.
LaRoche and her husband took that education to another level this summer when they opened Odla, a farm-to-table restaurant in Saskatoon’s Broadway neighbourhood. The majority of the meat and produce Odla serves comes from Farm 140.
For LaRoche, knowing where that steak or chicken breast on your plate is from is something everyone should be aware of.
“I grew up on a farm and I always knew where my food was coming from. I don’t know when it dawned on me, but I realized that there are a lot of people who don’t have a single clue where their food comes from. To me that’s really sad. I think that’s such a basic human need, and to not understand where that need is coming from, I just think that’s heartbreaking.”
Arlie LaRoche is the feature interview in this month’s episode of YXE Underground. YXE Underground is a local, independent podcast hosted by Eric Anderson, featuring people who are making a difference in Saskatoon, but are flying under the radar. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast. Visit www.yxeunderground.comto learn more about the podcast.
