03/03/2026
Do you ever dream about leaving your job to be a full-time farmer? Thatโs exactly what Ruth Blanchard did. Agriculture in the Classroom NL and NL Young Farmers are proud to feature Ruth in our Women in Agriculture video series. Weโre also thrilled to release this video during International Year of the Woman Farmer!
Based in the Town of Terra Nova, Ruth owns and operates Pinedale Farms Ltd. โ also known as Terra Nova Farms โ with her partner Walter Calloway. Walterโs father started the farm in the1940s. When he passed away in the early 1980s, Walterโs mother left her teaching career and faced numerous obstacles to ensure the farm survived and thrived. Following in those footsteps, Ruth eventually resigned from her full-time permanent position with the government to run the farm with Walter.
Despite the hard work and long days, Ruth has no regrets. She loves farming and the unique lifestyle it provides. Her days include a multitude of tasks, including operating the farmโs harvester and precision seeder, land preparation, fertilizing, marketing, and the piles of necessary paperwork that keep the farm in operation.
โAt the end of the day, you go to bed, you get up, and you do it all over again,โ Ruth said. โYou got to be able to just continue on. Tomorrow is a new day.โ
This video was filmed and edited in collaboration with Christian Davis from Davis Film Inc. A special thank you to the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership and NL Federation of Agriculture for supporting Agriculture in the Classroom NL and NL Young Farmers.