A Little Bit About Us…

 Married August 30, 2014, Matthew & Melissa are a loving husband & wife team that operates The Old Red Barn.

Having graduated from Grant McEwan with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Management, Matt has been in business for several years. Most recently he has been working in infrastructure, however, Matt has over 25 years of experience within the restaurant & bar management industry. Matt loves local food, planning events & entertaining people.  

Melissa has been a Licensed Practical Nurse for the last 13 years.  Melissa is a 4th generation farmer that enjoys riding horses and educating people about agriculture.  Melissa & Matt are parents to two sons, Theodore and Koen. 

How The Old Red Barn Began..

Melissa & Matt started The Old Red Barn in 2017 with the goal for all consumers to trust and prefer Canadian made food products. They noticed that there was a large disconnect between consumers and producers and wanted to help bridge that gap. At the heart of Melissa and Matt’s mission is a simple idea: that food tastes better when you know the hands that grew it. Melissa’s parents, Rudy and Karen Gengler, own Glen Park Holsteins, the family dairy farm where the Old Red Barn is located. Melissa is very passionate about agriculture, while Matt is passionate about quality of local food and hospitality. With their unique gifts in mind, and an old 1950’s barn on the property that was not being used, it got the two inspired…

The two got connected with Brad Smoliak owner of “Kitchen by Brad” who helped bring Melissa & Matt’s vision to life by hosting the very first Farm to Table Dinner in 2017. Brad helped connect them to the incredibly supportive Edmonton Tourism team. Each year, they cultivate connections with new farmers, producers, and chefs—harvesting ingredients straight from the source to support the local economy. 

Melissa and Matt are redefining rural tourism—bridging the gap between farm and fork. Through immersive experiences, they’re helping consumers connect with local farmers and rebuild trust in the food system, one story-filled plate at a time. They are now on the hunt for their next farm, and are excited to expand their agritourism vision on new soil.