Ottawa-area farmers try to stay positive after devastating storm

Kalen Stevens-Heap gets emotional when she talks about how the community has supportedher farm this past week.

"It's completely affirming, to tell us that we should be doing this work," she said Saturday at the Lansdowne Farmers Market.

Stevens-Heap co-owns HeartCity Farm in rural east Ottawa, which was hit hardduring the storm that ripped through thearea on May 21.

They lost two greenhouse tunnels they'd just built, along with various pieces of farm equipment. Crops were destroyed, and the lights were still offas of Sunday.

"We're out$25,000," Stevens-Heap said.

"It was a tough blow, but I mean, I keep saying it's just so representative of everything that farming is. There's always things that just happen that are completely out of your control, and it's our job to just pivot and respond. And we're really only able to do that as we've done it this week because of all the love that we're receiving."

By Sunday afternoon, an online fundraiser for the farm had raised more than $15,000.

Stevens-Heap saidany extra earned from that will go to other farmers in need.

'Gave us a kick to work more'

That positive attitude is shared by Linda Bergeron, who owns Linda Garden near Navan.

She was out at a market when the storm hit and came home to a downed greenhouse and damage to her plants. She estimates the storm caused several thousand dollars in damage.

"We're happy [that] all the family was secure, everything is replaceable. And I don't know, it gave us a kick to work more we love what we were doing, anyway," she said.

"Around us there's some people a lot worse, so I guess you say, 'Well, it's not that bad after all.' We try to be positive."

With climate change bringing moreinclement weather, Stevens-Heap said Heart City Farm is making plans to mitigate futuredamage,including by hooking the farm up to solar power.

"[Our] thoughts now are, can we do that even faster than we were planning?" she said.