When Vanessa Falle first moved to Whitehorse, she learned that there was a very active rumour mill.

"A little bit of change seems to trigger a whole lot of chit-chat," she said in an interview last Wednesday.

Along with her husband, Ray, she has taken over management of Sourdough Sodbusters, a sod farm on the North Klondike Highway. However, locals seem to be making up their own stories.

"I was hearing rumours that we're out of business, that we'd run out of sod, that our prices had tripled ...none of that is true," she said.

In fact, Sourdough Sodbusters is gearing up for their first season under new management. They will be open for business in mid-June.

"I spent too much time away from my family while working in the forestry industry on Vancouver Island," said Ray.

"I knew exactly what kind of life we could offer our children if we raised them on the same farm where I grew up, so when Mom and Dad said they were ready to retire, we jumped at the chance," said Ray.

Al and Irma Falle, Ray's parents, have been running Sourdough Sodbusters since 1985.

"Sourdough" is a slang term for a Yukoner, meaning they've seen the Yukon River freeze and then thaw again.

Originally an undeveloped piece of land just outside the Whitehorse city limits, the land was nothing but peat bog and trees when Al, a former Conservative party MLA, purchased it.

Now it has enormous stretches of high-quality sod grown specifically to thrive in the extreme temperatures of the North.

"I'm doing the paperwork, and Ray plays in the dirt. He's really living every little boy's dream," said Vanessa, motioning to their enormous playground of lush green fields.

Firing around in a small buggy, Ray was zooming along under the rolling sprinklers with his son Seth, four, and Vanessa's father, Shawn Ager.

"You don't get much more family than this," said Vanessa, with a smile.

Al and Irma are continuing to help with the management transition, and live on the farm, but are making sure to make lots of time for their grandchildren.

"They're enjoying the best parts of Yukon living," she said. "They've earned it."

The Falles' dog, Rascal, is a hefty boxer that "takes care of gophers and other sod control issues," said Vanessa, petting Rascal affectionately.

"This farm has taken a tremendous amount of dedication and passion to make it what it is today. Ray and I intend to devote the same of ourselves to the farm that Al and Irma have so that we can share this legacy with our children," said Vanessa.

Sourdough Sodbusters mostly supplies sod to Whitehorse, but they also do business in surrounding areas like Carmacks and Skagway.

"What we got here is instant lawn," said Ray. "You got dirt in the morning, a lawn and barbecue in the evening."

Regular business hours at the farm are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday to Friday.

Sod is sold in 1.5x3 slabs for 45 cents per square foot and is available for pickup with confirmed orders.

Once cut, sod is stacked on 3x3' pallets and must be installed as soon as possible after cutting because of the perishable nature of the product.

For more information, call Sourdough Sodbusters at 867-633-5218 or e-mail mail@sourdoughsodbusters.com.