‘I want to do it sustainably’
Sydney native wants to turn her passion into an organic farm
After a decade in Toronto, Jessica Fogarty knew she wanted to return home to Cape Breton to work the land.
So, she moved back east and attended Dalhousie University’s Agricultural Campus in Truro, where she studied plant science technology, before working out of the same mainland community as an organic foods inspector.
While the 33-year-old, who grew up in Sydney, isn’t giving up her day job just yet, she is working diligently to plant the seeds of what she hopes will be a successful small business startup — an organic farm.
“I got to the point where I realized that I really just want to live sustainably on Cape Breton Island — I want to contribute to Cape Breton’s economy and I want to do it sustainably,” said Fogarty, who has already taken to referring to her yet-tobe realized dream as Fog Tree Farm.
“Cape Breton has had a have-not mentality for such a long time and I really want to help change that — I remember being in Toronto and being homesick and wondering what I could do to live back home and do so in a sustainable way.”
Fogarty’s love of the land began as a child when she spent many summers at a family cottage in Mull River, near Mabou in Inverness County, where she delighted in the joys of nature.
“I spent those summers at my grandparents house and it’s always been a part of my heart — I’ve always wanted to live there and I was always attracted to farming as a child,” she recalled.
Her passion simmered under the surface during her Toronto years, but after returning to Nova Scotia and studying a science she loves, Fogarty now feels ready to take the plunge into the world of small business.
But the budding entrepreneur knows it will take a lot of hard work to give her venture the best chance to succeed.
“Recently there has been a huge growth in organic farming, especially in Canada, and there has been a lot of research that shows that the methods used in organic farming are more sustainable and that they produce a healthier and heartier crop,” she said.
Fogarty’s plan involves growing herbs and flowers for both medicinal and culinary use with plants that grow naturally in Cape Breton.
She sees some of the crops being sold to crafts people, who might make things such as beauty care products, but she also plans to establish her own line of value-added products, such as jellies and balms.
But that’s in the future. For now, she has a real estate agent looking for some good, available farmland, preferably in Inverness or Victoria counties. She’s begun the task of raising the necessary money to fund her startup and is researching the programs, grants and assistance available to young entrepreneurs.
A GoFundMe campaign has also been set up and can be found at www.gofundme.com/ fog tree farm, while a Fog Tree Farm fundraiser is set for Saturday, April 1 from 8 p.m.-1 a.m. at the Sydney Curling Club and will feature music, dancing and an auction.