Lester’s Farm Chalet

Where farm and community happily meet!

It’s a wonderful, self-contained world and for so many reasons! Michelle and Jim Lester Farm’s Chalet on Pearltown Road, St. John’s, is a 120-acre site where you can experience farm life up close; see horses, geese, goats, cows and even a llama; pick strawberries at the peak of goodness; enjoy a sleigh-ride in winter even plan your special event for the chalet itself !

In short, it’s an agri-tourism site where the Michelle and Jim Lester family and their team are ready to welcome you – and for any number of great reasons.

Lester explains that the farm also has the province’s first aquaponic operation. They raise tilapia – the second-most consumed fish in the world - “agriculture and aquaponic are integrated here on our farm to produce yearround organically healthy food.” In brief, the fish are raised in huge tanks. The nutrient-rich water from the tanks is filtered and flows on to an adjoining greenhouse where produce is grown aquaponically.

Michelle Lester says the relationship between farm and consumer is strengthened with their community-supported agriculture programs “the community is actually invested in our farm” she explains. “Anyone in the community, groups, families, individuals, can become members and their membership fee is, in fact, the farm’s working capital. At harvest time, members then share in fresh, locally-grown produce.”

It’s a win-win 20-week program as the farm works for its members and they in turn obtain the very best locally-produced organic and traditional vegetables. There are members all over the Avalon region.

And that’s not all!

Any number of events can be accommodated at Lester’s Farm Chalet. Here they offer farm-totable gourmet meals, too! Here are just some typical events: birthday parties, special camps, reunions, receptions, showers, weddings, conferences - why not a “harvest corporate day” for your business? It’s a unique locale for charitable events, too. Young people’s summer-time farm camps are organized yearly.

It’s a farm for all seasons! How about a sleigh ride at Christmas-time?

Colourful and healthy annuals, grown at the farm and now garden-ready! Also perennials and cut flowers for the trade.

The family behind the farm. Michelle, Jim, Samantha. John, Caleb seated.

The chalet. The agri-tourism and event-catering site is accessed at No. 92 Pearltown Road, St. John’s west.

Jim and some of the horses enjoy each other’s company.

While Jim holds a tray of aquaponically-grown vegetables, John shows some of the tilapia, raised onsite and distributed to several restaurants in this region.