Hayrides, a corn maze and its famous strawberry u-pick… there’s fun for the whole family at Lester’s Farm Market. With a history of farming dating back over 170 years, the Lester family has grown from a small 20-acre farm of essentials to harvesting about a hundred varieties of fruits and vegetables.

Sowing seeds

While there are some family accounts of farming even earlier, the ‘official’ beginning of Lester’s dates back to 1852 when Sir James Pearl granted John Lester land on Brookfield Road in St. John’s, N.L. Originally producing vegetables and milk, the Lester family farm was passed down through generations.

As the Lester family grew over time, so did the farm. Parts of the family focused on dairy farming, while others found their niche in fruits and vegetables. However, family members have always been available to lend each other a helping hand.

Farming for the people

In the 1980s, John and Mary Lester returned to Newfoundland to focus on vegetable production. After years of growing produce and depending on wholesalers to purchase their crops, the Lester family got creative. Confident customers would appreciate the superior taste and shelf life of their locally-grown produce, in 1994 they set up a table on the side of the road to sell directly to them.

Soon they built a small building to house the operation. It was the beginning of Lester’s Farm Market as people know it today, a direct-to-consumer business for the local community.

Organically grown

Over time, the Lester family business organically grew based on demand. For example, about 25 years ago, the business began selling plants and flowers. In 2002, the strawberry u-pick was added, as well as many family-friendly activities including a petting zoo, an annual corn maze, pumpkin patches, and more.

An advocate for getting people on the farm and learning, Lester’s Farm Market also offers school tours, a Lil’ Lester’s program and adult classes about growing veggies, flower arranging, crafting, etc.

With such a short growing season on the island, Lester’s has expanded its crops to produce about 100 different varieties of fruits and vegetables on the farm.

Generations of farmers

Today, operations continue for Lester’s Farm Market on Brookfield Road in St. John’s, N.L. Having grown from a small 20-acre farm to about 140 acres, all is still in the family. While John and Mary Lester remain involved, their share of the family business is now owned by their three children Susan, Brad and Chris who represent the sixth generation.

When asked about the farm’s future, Susan Lester commented: “My parents are the hardest working and most humble people I’ve ever met and taught us to never stay stagnant. So, we aim to grow a sustainable business not only for us but for our children and team of 80 staff.”

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