Tell us a bit about yourself and your role in the agriculture industry in Nova Scotia.
I am a first-generation farmer that was born and raised in Springhill. I formerly moved to Truro in the early 80’s to attend the Nova Scotia Agriculture College. I graduated in 1985 with a degree in agriculture. While attending the college, I met my husband, Curtis. After getting married, I moved to the Great Village area where we built a home, farmed the land, and had four boys. Three of which are full-time famers in several sectors of the agriculture industry.
On our farm we grow fresh strawberries for the local markets, as well as wild blueberries. Our blueberries are fresh packed in consumer packs, as well as Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) in bulk quantities for local and outside markets.
When my husband and I first began farming, we started with just 20 acres of strawberries. Today we are producing 170 acres that consist of various varieties of matted row and day-neutral strawberries. As well as 600 acres of low-bush wild blueberries.
Over the years, I have sat on committees in the agriculture industry, such as the Ag Sector and HR committee.
What is one message you would like to share about women in agriculture for International Women’s Day?
Farming is and always will be hard work. But at the end of the day, the reward is much greater than the workload. When you see the outcome of your harvest first-hand and know what it takes to produce fresh, local food, you look at things differently and have a deeper appreciation for the industry.