R. MacWhirter is a 4th generation farmer who was born and raised in eastern Quebec, Canada in a small town called Hope situated in the Gaspesie overlooking the Chaleur bay of the Atlantic Ocean. At 17 yrs old he left Hope to pursue his education in Montreal and post-graduation began working in public works where he remained for several years.While there he used every opportunity to visit his family and friends back home which was 900 kms away. Eventually the pull of farm life, missing his family and friends and the salt water smell of the ocean drew him back to Hope where he still farms to this day.