Ramsay Creek: New Kids on the Block

Ramsay Creek: New Kids on the Block - theHumm July 2020

By David Hinks

As someone who lives in Almonte and drives to Carleton Place frequently, I was fascinated to see a new, rather large greenhouse develop from the ground up last fall along Ramsay Concession 7A. As someone who prefers not to travel 110 km/hr on the highway, Concession 7A is a wonderful rural road with lots of opportunities to check out the latest bird arrivals (please don’t tell anyone about it!).

Not surprisingly, the business that was unfolding there is not part of a global multi-national empire. Ramsay Creek Greenhouse is a truly local enterprise with perhaps a bit of an unexpected “Mission Statement”. I have led many workshops on an introduction to organic vegetable gardening and have seen how complicated many novice gardeners find the world of gardening. The very refreshing mission of Ramsay Creek is to simplify gardening and make it enjoyable and gratifying for everyone. I am eager to see this vision become reality!

Business partners Elizabeth Salter and Carolyn Styles built Ramsay Creek around this dream of making gardening more accessible to everyone. They perceive that many people find gardening intimidating and they want to show that gardening is for everyone — that it can be accessible, maintainable and affordable. The nursery sells annuals, container gardens, perennials and shrubs, as well as veggies and herbs. In the future they plan to offer workshops, seminars and custom design services. They currently provide employment for five seasonal full-time staff and two part-time staff.

Carolyn was born and raised on a dairy farm in Kinburn. A veteran business owner for a quarter of a century, once she stepped into the greenhouse industry she fell in love with gardening and growing. She has never looked back. Elizabeth studied agriculture, horticulture and floristry. She has been working in the landscape and greenhouse industry since she was just fourteen years old. She has always dreamt of building a greenhouse of her own.

They transformed a field with a forgotten municipal drain into “Ramsay Creek”, an imposing structure approximately eight minutes from either downtown Almonte or Carleton Place. Construction started in August of 2019. The heat got turned on three days before Christmas, but actual planting did not start until the beginning of February. They opened for online shopping in April 2020, and opened for traffic in May as soon as they were allowed to, following COVID protocols.

Their connections with the local community run deep — between incredible family support and a web of support they found in Lanark County, many people gave them excellent guidance about opening up a business.

Further evidence of their commitment to the community was reflected in the construction phase. They were their own contractor and used local companies for everything they could — Carroll Cartage for excavation and grading, SMR for electrical, and Valley Plumbing. They consulted with Niagara greenhouse specialists for the structure, function, and some other aspects.

One small example of local collaboration was with Gilligallou Bird Inc. this spring to design a hanging basket that attracts hummingbirds. It was made up of plants loved by hummingbirds and a Gilligalou feeder that hung perfectly underneath.

Opening in a pandemic had many levels of crazy. Elizabeth observes that “it feels like we’ve lived three years in three months, so trying to remember details of the build/opening is such a haze at this point. I think because we were working so hard to get open in time, once COVID hit we just switched our focus and drove to the next issue. And COVID constantly threw curve balls which affected finishing the greenhouse, deliveries, scheduling, and most importantly selling. You had to make a lot of Plan Bs, then Cs, and Ds, etc. In a way it made things feel normal because our attitude never faulted from go-go-go, but now we’re coming off such a rush and we are all just tired. I think anyone in this industry would say they are tired at this point.”

Where do they plan to go from here? They aim to continue to grow great plants, and to help gardeners bring colour and life to their yards. The plan was to have lots of workshops on growing and designing, so once things loosen up they will figure out ways to host those within the greenhouse. They will have a fall crop, and lots of Christmas designs this year. Next year they will again have a focus on veggies, with more varieties and offerings. Interestingly, the most requested plants this season have been tomatoes and marigolds.

They swear that every day is rewarding as they are constantly learning and growing. And this is something that gardeners can identify with — one of their most rewarding moments was the first time they went to check on the growth of their first seedlings and pulled out a “glorious” pot of white roots — they were actually doing what they wanted to do, which was to grow plants.

I really admire their spirit as they were able to roll with the punches when absolutely nothing went as planned. The major frustration that stands out for them was not being able to hug their family in celebration once the business opened.

Check their website ramsaycreek.com or Facebook page for the latest information on hours of business and COVID protocols.

Take a Quick Survey for The Hub! - theHumm July 2020

Almonte Community Coordinators (also known as The Hub) is conducting a survey of local needs and experiences related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey is short (ten questions). Results will be shared with the public (once anything that could identify individuals has been removed) and will be used by community groups to help them know how to help.

Anyone over the age of 13 living in or around Mississippi Mills is welcome to complete this survey. We would like to hear from as many residents as possible so we know how you’re doing and where to focus our efforts to support the communit......

Ramsay Creek: New Kids on the Block - theHumm July 2020