Farm fresh fun returns to the Valley
With its ideal soil and climate, Kings County is the breadbasket of Nova Scotia. “Kings County produces close to 40 per cent of the food produced in the province,” says Marilyn Cameron from her farm in Grafton.
“It’s one of a few places in Canada that can support a range of fruit trees like apple, pear, peach, nectarine, plum and cherry.”
But producing the food is only part of the equation, Cameron points out, as the produce must also be marketed, transported and sold to consumers.
“We used to have big agricultural exhibitions every year and they would attract up to 10,000 people,” she recalls.
Those large exhibitions were gradually phased out for many reasons, including cost and insurance.
“I knew we needed to have more agricultural events to connect consumers to the people who grow their food, especially the small growers,” Cameron adds.
Some years earlier Cameron had volunteered at an event called 100 Mile Picnic in Port Williams and this sparked an idea for a similar event.
The first 100 Mile Food & Fibre Festival was a huge success in 2019, but the following two years were lost to the pandemic, so this is the second festival.
The 100 Mile Food & Fibre Festival will be held at the Northville Farm Heritage Centre on Saturday, Sept. 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In the event of significant rainfall, the event will be held the following day. The event serves as a fundraiser and highlights the importance of agriculture to the local economy.
Most of the participating vendors come from within a 100-mile radius of the event, with the majority coming from Annapolis, Kings and Hants counties. The Northville Farm Heritage Centre is located on 1158 Steadman Rd., just north of Centreville on the corner of Steadman and Thorpe roads in a thriving rural, agricultural area.
Visitors can fill their bags and baskets with fresh, seasonal farm products including vegetables, fruits, meats, eggs, dairy, honey, maple syrup, luffa, fibre and flax products. Vendors will also bring a vast assortment of food and drink products sourced from local ingredients like ciders, wine, ales, spirits, cheeses, pastas, baked goods and tasty lunch offerings or barbecue.
Fibre is an increasingly important crop the region, Cameron points out, with producers raising sheep, llamas and alpacas, and fibre artisans creating a range of products.
“There will be weavers, rug hookers, spinners, needle felters and knitters interacting with visitors,” Cameron says. “All of the products will contain some local fibre.”
Plans for the day include live music, sheep dog herding and sheep shearing demonstrations and free hayrides. A variety of old-fashioned kids and adult competitions with prizes are planned.
There will be ice cream cones, and Northville Farm Heritage Centre will open the antique farm equipment museum and blacksmith shop. Visitors can lay out on a blanket or wander among the stalls, purchasing food to take home or to make their own picnic feast.
Set on 15 grassy acres, the centre is a perfect, tranquil place to host a country fair.
“It’s a lovely place for a picnic and they have a number of buildings that are filled with antiques related to agriculture,” Cameron points out. “There will be plenty of entertainment, so it’s a great way for a family to spend a day.”