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Welcome to Harvesting Happy
Harvesting Happy grew from our roots at Happy Acres U-Pick, our family's 21-acre homestead and 8-acre market garden just outside Edmonton, Alberta.
Happy Acres was born from our mom's greatest passions: gardening, cooking, and animals. Gardening came first. No matter where we lived, Mom always grew a large garden. What began out of necessity soon blossomed into a lifelong passion—one that quite literally grew bigger every year.
For years, we welcomed visitors to wander the gardens, pick their own vegetables, meet the farm animals, and enjoy homemade treats made with ingredients grown on our land and sourced from local favourites. Happy Acres became more than a farm—it was a place where laughter echoed through the garden rows, children discovered where food comes from, and families created memories together.
Growing up, each of us played our own part in making the farm what it was. I, Tennille, loved organizing events and welcoming visitors. My sister, Tarryn, cared for the animals and helped mom with running some of the equipment and planting. Our brother, Shaun, lived first on the farm helping, then moved away but was always helping on weekends when he could lend a hand. It truly was a family effort. Everyone who visited Happy Acres quickly realized that Mom was the heart of it all. The countless hours of hard work, love, and dedication she poured into the farm are what made it such a special place.
Today, our story is entering a new season. As Mom transitions to a smaller farm, and my siblings have farms of their own, it's our turn to carry forward the recipes, traditions, and garden wisdom she has spent a lifetime sharing. Around here, she's always been known as Farmer Deb—the heart, soul, and hardworking hands behind Happy Acres from the very beginning.
Harvesting Happy is our way of honouring everything she's built and taking things forward remembering the amazing legacy. It's a place to preserve those treasured family recipes, celebrate the joy of growing and sharing food, and create new traditions for generations to come.
Here you'll find the flavours of our home: garden-to-table meals, cherished family recipes both old and new, and a few well-kept baking secrets. We'll also share gardening tips, preserving inspiration, seasonal cooking, and stories from life on the farm, while highlighting local businesses, makers, and "happy places" that inspire us along the way.
We hope Harvesting Happy feels a little like pulling up a chair at our family table—where good food, hard work, and happy memories are always meant to be shared.
