Curbside Crepes has always been about farm fresh goodness. Local suppliers. Fresh food in season.
Now, the Hamilton food truck that sells hefty, filling crepes with wonderful local ingredients is getting back to nature in a huge way. By opening their own farmers market, and taking their food truck business off the streets and moving it down on the farm.
Turns out, truck owners Rogie Legault and Nicki Pollock own a farm in Carlisle, north east of Burlington. (The third Curbside business partner, Nell Spicer, has her own farm nearby in Copetown). They realized that the Carlisle farm’s location on a busy local road, a pastoral setting and terrific soil added up to a great place to grow veggies, park their truck in an idyllic country setting and invite customers out to soak it all up.
The farm, known as Second Chance Ranch, is at 480 Carlisle Road, off HWY 6. The 50 acre property was a horse ranch, with cash crops – but it turns out to have top-notch soil. Sure, the name might need some retooling. Legault says the moniker was chosen on the fly when registering the property and was a tip of the hat to the rescue donkeys and goats that are sheltered there. (Expect a contest sometime down the road to help pick something more upbeat.) But the location, he figures, is about perfect.
“The road is really popular in the summer,” says Legault. “It’s a 50 km speed limit, so it’s got lots of bicycles and tourists. There’s only one restaurant in Carlisle called Cascata and they’re great, but they can never handle the volume. And the Carlisle Golf and Country Club is right across the street.”
Things are still in wiring/planning/permit phase at the moment, though Legault says he does hope to open roadside service at the ranch soon. Farmstart, a University of Guelph program supporting new farmers, is helping Legault select the perfect vegetables for the soil and climate though the veggies, obviously, will have to wait until next year.
Why such a big change after only one year on the streets of Hamilton? Legault says a year on the road offered great experiences, a wonderful community and clientele. But it had its drawbacks. Event fees made it tough to break even at big food truck events. And there was a desire to spend less time on the road and cutback on the truck’s carbon footprint.
“The farmhouse has geothermal and solar power,” says Legault. “So, the truck’s generator doesn’t have to run because I’ve run a chord into the power supply we have here. We’re wiring it up so that two trucks can park out there, so we can invite other trucks to come. And the great thing about this is we can sell our vegetables, too.”
Does that mean no more Curbside Crepes on the streets of Hamilton? Legault says they do plan to come out and play now and then, especially at popular events.
“It’s a great setting, but are we going to stay here seven days a week? No, we’re still a food truck and still a mobile vendor. We’ll still get out and about.”
