The Founder moved to Nova Scotia from Holland in 1953. The Founder started his own farm in 1954 by purchasing a 191.6 acre dairy farm. Strawberries were grown shortly after, starting with one acre and peaking at about 50 acres in the 1980’s. Strawberry processing began in 1980, eventually becoming the main focus of the business. Due to declining volumes of locally grown strawberries in recent years and the increased Consumer demand the Farm supplements its production with imported berries which guarantees a steady, year-round supply of only the best quality strawberries.
Rhubarb production began in the mid 1990’s and the company can now produce up to 30 acres of rhubarb. The company also purchases rhubarb for processing from several other growers throughout the Maritime Provinces. Fresh rhubarb is harvested in June and processed and frozen at the farm processing facility for shipment to customers year round.
The processing facility became a fully certified HACCP organization in the year 2000. HACCP is the world-wide industry standard for food safety and represents a pro-active approach to providing the consumer with safe food.
The Founder sold the business in 2007. The new owner maintained the company\'s brand and created new products for sale to its three major group of customers – retail, food service, and food processing companies. The company processes and packages most varieties of fruits, berries, and vegetables in a wide range of containers and bags.
The company production and warehousing facility was completely rebuilt in 2015 and includes many modern updates and amenities. The attached 80,000 cu. ft. freezer can store over one million pounds of frozen product.
The company purchases IQF Grade “A” frozen strawberries through a broker out of Montreal, QC. The strawberries are supplied from China, Mexico, or Poland, depending on price and supply. The strawberries are purchased by the container load and brought into the Halifax port. The company also purchases miscellaneous fruits and vegetables from operators in Nova Scotia and Quebec. The products are processed and/or repacked into different case packs and labeled with the company\'s name for resale.
The company has the capacity to ship to many locations within Canada, United States and Worldwide. Over the last three years the Company has built a relationship with a Juice Manufacturer in the U.S. the company has shipped between 60,000 – 80,000 pounds of frozen rhubarb to this Juice Manufacturer annually. A new owner could develop a Juice Production Facility on the land and sell its own fruit juices to end users.