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Our Farmers
We take great pride in being associated with a number of other farmers in Nova Scotia working to bring you the finest in fresh produce and locally produced food. For 22 years we have been buying from other farmers and “buying local” long before it was the thing to do. Our relationship with these producers is just as important to us as our relationship with you. We can only offer you the finest if we have good relationships with all these folks. We are proud to present the Farmers of Wile’s Lake Farm Market and Bakery….
Oak Lake Farm – Wileville
Peter Wile and Elspeth McLean-Wile and other members of the Wile family have been farming in Wileville for three generations. Bernie still lives at the farm but it is Peter that carries on with the tradition of working the land. Peter and Elspeth are dairy farmers as well as farm marketers! The milk from their cows goes to Farmers Dairy, a cooperative they are also shareholders in, processed into packaged milk, cheese and ice cream. Eventually the finished products find their way back to the Market and the circle is complete when we scoop a big cone of delicious ice cream and serve it up to a happy customer!
The Wiles also grow a number of other products that show up at the Market and we will tell you more about that as the season progresses.
Balamore Farm in Great Village, Colchester County
The Cooper family grow strawberry plants and in more recent years have started raising perennials for the wholesale grower market. We buy perennial roots from the Coopers and then grow them on throughout the spring months. This is a great success story, prior to buying from Balamore Farms we imported roots from Holland!
Maplewood Maple Syrup & Christmas Tree Farm in Maplewood, Lunenburg County
Rex Veinot is one of our very own Lunenburg County Farmers. The Veinot Family have a camp located road side at their Fourth Generation Family Farm in Maplewood. Every spring they journey into their sugar bush camp to tend 2300 taps on a pipeline system where they collect maple sap. Rex and his wife Bonnie are often joined by their son Ryan and daughter Vanessa to help with the boiling down and bottling of this sweet gift of Mother Nature. They offer wagon rides and tours at any time of year and are happy to share their sweet story with you. We are delighted we can offer this Lunenburg County product on our market shelves.
Bunchberry Nurseries in Clementsport
Jill Covill and Jamie Ellison are carving out quite a reputation for themselves as perennial growers and specialists in Nova Scotia native plants. Among other perennials, our heathers, heaths and grasses are grown by these two experts. Jamie teaches in the horticulture department at Kings Tech in Kentville and writes for a number of gardening magazines. Jill manages the operation on a day to day basis.
RiverView Herbs in Maitland
If you ever get a chance to drive along the Noel Shore of Hants County and find yourself in Maitland it will be hard to miss this specialty herb farm. Jim Bruce, lists “farmer” on his business card and he is the only farmer I know to do that! Good on him, I say! RiverView are well known at the Halifax Farmers Market and supply many greenhouses throughout western Nova Scotia. Good growers, great selection and timely deliveries allow us to get fresh herbs every week from this operation.
Noggins Corner Farm at Greenwich
When you leave the 101 Highway at Greenwich just along by the Old Orchard Inn and turn down to the busy intersection by Blomidon Nursery you can’t miss the Bishops farm on the left. The Bishops are hard working, innovative farmers who have preserved many of the traditional apple varieties at the same time as offering the newest and most exciting recent apple introductions. Andrew farms with his wife Beth and a number of other members of his family. Melissa is our regular contact and we are fortunate to have an excellent relationship with her; she is always willing to accommodate our requests and find us what we need. At this time of year Noggins Corner is our sole supplier of apples.
Hector Bolivar from Conquerall Mills
Hector has been growing peas for us since…well it’s so long I forget! On March 31, 2007 he appeared at the Market to tell us that this year’s first crop of peas are in the ground, planted on March 25, 2007! He is an early bird with some very dry early land that he is able to work when no one else can get near their fields. We look forward to the first taste of summer with fresh peas. Likely around the end of June if all goes well over the next couple of months
Stay tuned for more….
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