PACKENHAM — The Scotts have eight children, ranging in age from six to 22. Seven greet me when I enter their farmhouse, among the Pakenham hills. Andrew is out riding a cow. Apparently he had bridled it up. A few minutes later, he comes dashing in. As he enters the large open-concept kitchen and family room, he tells us the highlight. "I guess you didn’t see when the cow stopped quickly and threw me over its neck!" he announces, his face gleaming with pride as we "ooh" and "ahh."

Back in 1996, John Scott—then an ordained Presbyterian minister and a doctor specializing in palliative care—lived in Ottawa with his wife, Josie, and their then six children. "My job at the hospital and university kept me away from the family for very long hours and many weekends," he says. "The picture of the modern family with Mom, Dad and the kids all leaving home each morning and doing their own thing all week became increasingly unattractive. We began to have a heart for a more integrated life where a family lived, learned and worked together at home on a daily basis." They ended up buying a farm and endeavouring to raise grassfed beef, lamb and pork…together.

They now have eight kids. Naturally there are serious challenges fitting a ten-member family into a three bedroom house. "We couldn’t even divide up our rooms with tape," says Beth, who at 22 is the eldest daughter. "The bed is your personal space. And maybe you have your own drawer too."

"Yes, it’s a nightly pajama party," agrees Josie.

But don’t those kind of close quarters produce a lot of conflicts? The kids almost pop off their seats with eagerness to answer the question, each trying to get a word in edge-wise. "It’s when someone wants to read in the middle of the night and they turn the light on."

"Who gets to sit where in the van."

"When you’re at the dinner table and you want to tell a story, but someone else tells it first."

This family always has three meals a day together. And with ten opinions around the dinner table, debate can sometimes get pretty heated. "By 8:30 all the young kids have gone to bed, and we’re still banging away on at the table," says Beth. Her parents glow with pride, having aimed to raise just these kinds of lively minds. "This kind of life prepares you for anything," says Beth, who now works with developmentally disabled adults. For one thing, she and her siblings were always encouraged to start their own money-making endeavours. She recalls that at the age of 12 she raised and sold chickens, as well as baked bread and made candy apples, selling them door-to-door.

The kids are an essential part of the operation. "Children are so quick to learn," says John. "It wasn’t long before they were better than I at most farm tasks. They all know that without their participation we would be unable to tackle many of our enterprises. They all experiment with new projects – new species, adding value to products to sell at the market (e.g. feta cheese from goat’s milk). The energy and economy of the farm depends on all of us – and that is a great source of self-esteem."

It’s a niche market the Scotts have chosen…local, natural beef, lamb, and pork, non-certified organic. The model: "The rotational grazing of cattle, sheep and other livestock in order to direct market grassfed meats."

Ten years ago, after much reading, conferences, "pasture walks" and a lot of encouragement from their friend and dairy farmer Ron McCoy, it became clear that this model suited the Scotts intended way of life. "We wanted to choose a safe, family-friendly style of farming. Grassfarming was a great fit for us – small scale, low-tech, chemical-free, where all the children could be actively involved," says John.

One of the keys here, and perhaps not surprisingly for a family like the Scotts, is relationships. John describes their customers: "Many seek out our meat for health reasons, some for its ecological or animal welfare benefits. But all are part of the move back to local food and slow food. They want a direct connection with the farmer, to know the story behind their food. Some find us via the internet (www.heartlandfarms.ca), but most contacts come from customer word-of-mouth advertising and the farmers’ market." And though the initial leg-work involved in selling directly is intense—about half of their time is devoted to marketing—the stronger producer-consumer relationship is a payoff. John adds, "Our customers have also been a great source of encouragement, regularly thanking us in e-mails and calls."

Some might see it as an economic risk, but when you talk to the Scotts you realize that they are thinking in unique terms. "A couple hundred years ago, having eight kids used to be an economic advantage," says John. "We tried to create the old conditions as best we could. You have to be innovative to come up with solutions in various situations." For the Scotts, being together was the starting point…working together and learning together…the business is a means to that end.

"Our goal is that when we are old we will have given everything away to our children, says Josie. "So (they all know this), I expect a place on their porch for my rocking chair, so that I can sit there, rock, and nag them! We will be totally dependant. That’s the way it should be."