Pastoral PaSu Farm

Story by Debbie Olsen

Relaxing in a romantic candle-lit restaurant, enjoying fine wine and gourmet cuisine isn’t unusual until you realize you’re on a working sheep farm.

THE UNUSUAL LOCALE IS PRECISELY THE APPEAL OF PaSu Farm Restaurant and, as anyone who has visited the farm can tell you, there is nothing ordinary about it. PaSu Farm is a romantic oasis from the hectic pace of the city that offers spectacular country scenery, fine dining and an exceptional woollen boutique.

For Patrick and Sue de Rosemond, the decision to purchase the farm had a lot to do with its peaceful country setting. No pollution, no conflict, nobody else – just the sunshine, rolling pastures and sheep with lambs – like a scene from the pages of Harrowsmith magazine. The farm got its name, PaSu, by combining the two first names of its owners and thus a partnership and family business was formed. Located southwest of Carstairs, approximately 45 minutes from Calgary and 60 minutes from Red Deer, the working sheep farm provides fresh lamb for the restaurant and home-grown articles for the boutique.

Shear Determination

Patrick admits they hadn’t envisioned everythingthat the farm has become when they first purchased in 1980. “We had no previous farming experience, and I commuted to an off-farm job with a marketing company in Calgary for three years,” explains Patrick. By 1983, with 300 sheep, three children and a mortgage, PaSu Farm became a full-time business for the couple.

It didn’t take the de Rosemonds long to realize that farming has its ups and downs. Although Alberta is the second-largest producer of lamb in Canada,with more than 2,500 sheep producers in the province, factors like climate,weather conditions and market demand sometimes create unpredictability for farmers.“We didn’t like losingmoney, so we came up with new methods for making it.We started with a small farm boutique that offered basic items like slippers and wool socks and slowly expanded from there,” says Patrick.

Today the boutique offers a wide selection of high-quality upscale garments and footwear made from natural fibres like wool, mohair, cotton and sheepskin. The shop is filled with cozy knit items, lap-worthy blankets, lamb’s wool garments, sheepskin rugs and Western Canada’s largest and best selection of moccasins. In amongst the staples are teddy bears, European chocolates, crafts and homemade jams and jellies. Although many of the products are made in Canada, some are imported from abroad. “We search the world for high-quality unique merchandise, so there’s always something new to discover,” explains Sue.

Destination Dining

The restaurant grew as an extension of the boutique. “We realized that when people drive a distance out to the country to shop, they often get hungry,” said Sue. At first they just offered homemade soup and scones, but in 1991, Community Tourism Action Plan funds assisted the de Rosemonds to add a restaurant to the store.After a few years, Patrick took over the day-to-day operations of the restaurant, which has been so successful it has been named one of Calgary’s sixteen finest eating establishments.

The restaurant hosts small weddings and events and offers bistro dining on weekdays and fine dining on weekends, including a sumptuous Sunday brunch. Each menu is uniquely part French, part Canadian and part South African. “Every fine dining menu has a story behind it. PaSu is a destination restaurant and we create an atmosphere that is totally unique for people who visit. It highlights our South African background and French heritage. If people were looking for another fast-food restaurant, they wouldn’t drive out here – they’d stay in the city,” says Patrick.

Patrick is right; people don’t drive all the way out to the farm hoping to find another ordinary boutique and a chain restaurant. They come seeking a refuge of renewal and rejuvenation surrounded by peaceful countryside, a unique shopping venue and an outstanding restaurant. They want something out of the ordinary and that is exactly what they find. enjoying fine wine and gourmet cuisine isn’t unusual until you realize you’re on a working sheep farm.

“We search the world for highquality unique merchandise, so there’s always something new to discover,” explains Sue.

IF YOU GO…

PaSu Farm is situated 10 km southwest of Carstairs on Highway 580, approximately 45 minutes by car from Calgary or 60 minutes from Red Deer.

PaSu Farm Boutique is open Tuesday to Saturday, 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. and Sunday from noon to 5:00 P.M.

PaSu Farm Restaurant offers lunch and tea Tuesday through Saturday and fine dining on weekends. It will cost approximately $45 per person for a seven-course meal at PaSu Farm Restaurant (wine is additional). Reservations are essential.

It is recommended to call PaSu Farm at 1-800-679-7999 or 403-337-2800 for restaurant reservations or to confirm boutique hours prior to visiting.

To explore their Web site or on-line catalogue, visit www.pasu.com.