OUR STORY
Rhyant Rock Farms is located a half hour west of Edmonton in west-central Alberta.
I am Carla Rhyant and I farm with the assistance of my son Rhys, and my parents when they come out to visit! I grew up on a mixed farm in the interior of British Columbia and lived in northwest BC for a number of years before relocating to Alberta in 2006. I developed a passion for raising sustainable food and expanding the genetics of rare heritage breeds that are suited to our lifestyle, our climate, and the landscape of our farm.
In 2007 I decided to get back into sheep. I did my research and decided on two breeds: American Soay and Katahdins. I spent three months sourcing my Soay starter flock, which was all imported from the United States. I brought eight ewes and a ram into Alberta and have since imported another three rams in 2010 and 6 rams in 2014.
My Katahdin flock started with some great foundation ewes and a fantastic ram. All have wonderful temperments to match strong conformation and good mothering instinct. I have increased my numbers to meet the growing demand for breeding stock and meat sales.
In 2014 I expanded the farm to include Icelandic chickens. So far, they have been a perfect fit! I have genetics from all of the original imports from Iceland to North America and offer a good variety of colors and combs. I sell hatching eggs, chicks, a limited numbers of older birds, and eggs for consumption.
I do what Joel Salatin terms ‘Nook and Cranny Farming’–utilizing small spaces to grow great food!
“This magical, marvelous food on our plate, this sustenance we absorb, has a story to tell. It has a journey. It leaves a footprint. It leaves a legacy. To eat with reckless abandon, without conscience, without knowledge; folks, this ain't normal.”
― Joel Salatin
I offer farm gate sales to my customers and ship breeding stock all across Canada. I love to share the history of the rare breeds, so if you are interested, by all means join me in a conversation about the connection between agriculture and food!