If you thought your summer road trip involved a motley crew, you haven’t seen this crowd – an old school bus, a car, a horse trailer, four people and 35 assorted barnyard animals.
Gemma Pearce and Jeremy Duplessis are moving their farm from Dawson, Yukon to their new home in Cornhill, New Brunswick, just outside Sussex.
CBC News spoke with the farmers as they stopped for the night in Leask, Sask. It’s been quite a journey so far.
“We get a lot of attention,” Pierce said.
“Every time we go into a gas station or a grocery store … it’s noises and people are coming,” Duplessis said
Gemma Pearce and Jeremy Duplessis are moving to New Brunswick, and they’re not coming alone. (Gemma Pearce)
Duplessis, a Fredericton native, and Pierce, a native of England, met in Dawson about eight years ago. They started their farm.
The couple started out raising Nigerian dwarf goats before moving on to geese, ducks and chickens, but plans for their flock have been called into question following the city’s new goat farming regulations.
An old school bus and a horse trailer are part of the convoy. (Submitted by Gemma Pearce)
“They changed the regulations about raising goats and sheep in the Yukon, so we decided to move,” Pierce said.
Then the family decided to start looking east. They bought 17 hectares of land without setting foot on the property.
While moving 35 animals across the country sounds like a mammoth task at the best of times, it turns out these creatures are pretty laid back.
“Goats tend to stick close to vehicles,” Pierce said. “We were very lucky in the campsites.
“We just take the birds out, feed them every morning and hope no one complains about the roosters scratching at 4 in the morning.”
“Goats tend to stick close to vehicles,” Pierce said. “We’ve been very lucky at the campsites.” (Submitted by Gemma Pearce)
While things may be a little tight on the move, they’ll have plenty of room to stretch out when they arrive at their new home.
The couple already has some things in mind. They are considering a “glamping experience” farm for people who want to visit and stay with goats.
A bonus of moving to New Brunswick will be the relative ease of living, which will include cheaper food and transportation.
“It’s a lot closer to England so I can get home easier to see mum and dad, which is nice,” Pearce said.
Geese are included in the traveling group. (Submitted by Gemma Pearce)
But there are some things the couple will miss. They made many friends in the north.
But, surprisingly, one of the things Duplessis will miss is winter.
“I love the cold and I love this kind of deep isolation,” Duplessis said.
Duplessis expects the crew to arrive in New Brunswick in 10 days.
“I’m pretty excited about it. This is the first time I’ve left the Yukon in eight years.”
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