Ontario Travel : A Country Outing to Lake Ridge Farm, Koi Nu

Fall is a great time for country getaways in Ontario. As the nice weather is still holding up, I decided to head into the countryside on September 18, 2009. A couple of months ago I had received an invitation to drop by a special place north of Port Perry, just about an hour northeast of Toronto, to get a private tour of Lake Ridge Farm, Koi Nursery and Water Gardens.

Owner Laura Engelsman welcomed me to her and her husband Kevins farm, a place that is frequently visited by school groups, community groups, charity organizations and regular country travelers. The Engelsmanns even provide free tours during the local maple syrup festival as a special attraction.

I had no idea what a Koi nursery is, but Laura explained that Koi are Japanese ornamental fish that are part of the carp family. Due to their striking bold colours, they are very popular in outdoor ponds and water gardens, and Laura has been raising them on her farm for the last three years. From tiny babies to fully grown fish that in some cases can grow up to 3 feet long, Koi Nurseries and Water Gardens breeds and sells these stunningly beautiful fish. Their colours range from red/white/black-speckled, to silver-white, dark grey, orange/silver and bright golden-yellow.

The big star of the fish tanks is Mama Yamy, a very large female golden-yellow Koi that has been imported directly from Japan. Her striking colour and shiny scales make her a beautiful fish whose spawn is highly prized among Koi connoisseurs. Laura also educated me about the life-span, eating habits, predators and physical features of these fish, some of whom are very sociable. Kevin was feeding the fish with floating food pellets, and they eagerly came to the surface. Laura put her finger in the water and demonstrated that the brightly coloured fish do not bite and actually gently nibble on her hand.

Laura also showed me several water gardens on her property for which she sells equipment in addition to providing seminars on how to build water gardens. From the Koi nursery we then went to see the warm-blooded furry creatures that inhabit Lake Ridge Farm. Laura raises horses, cattle, sheep, goats, chickens and bunnies all in miniature form. I was enchanted by the beautiful white and grey miniature pygmy goats and the Shetland sheep who were covered by a large woolen coat that is sheered only once a year.

In the back of the farm Laura showed me her six miniature Zebu which are South Asian humped cattle. Venus is Lauras Dexter cattle, a dark brown coloured miniature cow with a very keen sense of curiosity. Further along I admired some of Lauras 36 miniature horses, some of whom have been rescued from places that were not able to care for them. Laura also raises miniature donkeys, miniature chickens and dwarf rabbits. All the animals have names and unique personalities, and with all these happy animals, a sense of rural tranquility prevails at Lake Ridge Farm that is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

I spent a couple of hours with Laura Engelsman who kindly showed me around her whole property and I enjoyed her knowledgeable introduction to Koi breeding and alternative livestock raising. You can check www.koinursery.com for more information or if you would like to participate in a tour.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Ontario
• Canada
• Toronto
• Lake
• Ridge
• Farm
• Koi
• Nursery
• Water
• Gardens
• Port
• Perry