By Ashley Thompson
Believe it or not, growing up on the farm is still a reality for some children in the Annapolis Valley.
Local farmer Kimm Kent intends to keep it that way.
Kent, a young farmer operating Wind Fire Farm and the Windsor Farmers Market, added coordinating the Incredible Picnic in Windsor to her stacked to-do list this summer to help raise awareness of the importance of buying local.
“The Incredible Picnic is a celebration of local food. We need to support our farmers or, eventually, we’ll have all of our food imported from somewhere else,” Kent explained.
“There’s about three days worth of food in a grocery store if there’s ever an emergency -so it’s good to know your farmer,” she continued.
Nineteen vendors gathered for the third Incredible Picnic at the Hants County Exhibition grounds Sunday, Aug. 1, to educate the general public on how their food is grown, and why Nova Scotia meats and produce are worth buying.
Kent says the value of purchasing fruits, veggies, and meats at a local farm, or market, is in knowing exactly where the food came from, and what is going into your body.
“I believe you are what you eat and if you’re eating a bunch of chemicals, you’re gonna get sick,” said Kent, with matter-of-fact certainty.
“We hand pick the potato bugs from our potatoes – we don’t spray them. We’re out there with a pot of vinegar pulling them off with our hands.”
Kent believes it is this distinction from large, monoculture farms that can save family-owned operations.
Catherine Manning of the Manning Family Farm in Falmouth says she couldn’t agree more.
“For us, it’s important that people see the faces behind the produce,” said Manning.
She works along side her husband, 12-year-old daughter; Caylene, 10-year-old son; Andrew, and seven hired employees to raise fresh, ready-for-market produce.
Manning says Nova Scotians can help local farmers by making conscious efforts to learn where their food is coming from and how it is grown. She says many locals underestimate their hometown’s soil.
“It’s important for them to know that we can grow stuff like this right in their backyards.”
There are seven Incredible Picnic dates remaining in various parts of Nova Scotia. For times and locations visit www.selectnovascotia.ca.
