12 February 2025 A LITE LOOK AT NOVA SCOTIA ARTICLE BY JULIE HARLOW FARMING NOVA SCOTIA Dairy is the top revenue-generating sector, followed by fur (mink) and chicken. Other important contributors to Nova Scotia’s farm gate are eggs, cattle, blueberries, vegetables, floriculture, Christmas trees and apples. LUNENBURG COUNTY IS CONSIDERED THE “BALSAM FIR CHRISTMAS TREE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD” The cool, humid winter climate is ideal for growing balsam firs, the Christmas tree of choice in large parts of North America because of their lush foliage, fragrant Christmasy aroma and low needle loss. Each year, Nova Scotia’s Christmas tree growers sell and ship over 350,000 balsam fir trees throughout Canada and the U.S. BOXING ROCK BREWERY There are over 40 craft breweries in Nova Scotia. SFC made a stop at one, Boxing Rock in Shelburne. We loved the beer and their sense of humour – personal favourite on tap was Shuck Off!! The brew comes with a great story too. Sea captains who sailed into Shelburne had a special use for a big harbour rock. If they had crew members that couldn’t get along, they might set them out on Boxing Rock. The captain’s instructions: “Shake hands and share a beer, or box until one of you drops. We’ll be back before high tide to pick up one or both of you.” ATV CULTURE In September 2022, the Nova Scotia government made the ATV Road Access Pilot Project permanent through the Road Access Act. This means that certain roads across the province are now legally open for ATV use, allowing riders to connect to trail systems and access services more easily. DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY, EXTENDED LEARNING An in-person meeting with Dalhousie Extended Learning on their Truro campus, was a real treat. Dalhousie Extended Learning offer a range of courses and options for learning. They have a suite of established courses like the Master Gardener Training Program but flex depending on need. Course development is often initiated by industry like training in meat processing or managing lameness in dairy cattle. Or could also be based on a social enterprise like Bridge Into Agriculture – connecting African Nova Scotians to potential foodways past and present. There is a lot to learn in N.S. ag. WILD BLUEBERRIES Are a long-term perennial crop that has developed for millennia in the lowlands, sandy plains and mountain tops of Nova Scotia. Wild blueberries are incredibly diverse, sometimes with a hundred or more varieties within a single field. There is no need for cultivating new varieties with this diversity plus they wouldn’t be wild if we did! The variety within fields also makes for a depth of MAGR80 - ADOBE STOCK | FARZAN - ADOBE STOCK | FARZANEH - ADOBE STOCK | DGILLUSTRATION12U - ADOBE STOCK | SLOWBUZZSTUDIO - ADOBE STOCK | MIKA_48 - ADOBE STOCK | JULIE HARLOW | MD MOJAMMEL - ADOBE STOCK | BOXING ROCK BREWERY NS BALSAM FIRS BOXING ROCK BREWERY ANNAPOLIS FINE CHEESE
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