Province Announces Support for Annapolis Valley Community Shared Agriculture

Families eager to buy Annapolis Valley-produced food will soon have more opportunities to support community shared farms.

Kings North MLA Jim Morton, on behalf of Agriculture Minister John MacDonell, announced today, Aug. 24, that farms like the nearly one dozen community shared agriculture operations, or CSAs, in the Annapolis Valley, will benefit from $220,000 in provincial one-time funding in 2014-15. The support will help develop and increase the number of CSAs.

"This support will help grow local farms here in the Annapolis Valley and across the province," said Mr. Morton. "Families will have more opportunity to buy the local food they want while supporting our farming industry."

CSA members, or shareholders, pay in advance for shares of what is grown and produced on a local farm. Most of Nova Scotia's more than 20 CSAs provide fresh produce while some provide meat, bread, eggs, fish or a combination of both.

The funding will be used to help CSAs increase profitability and sales and do further research. The funding will also include the development of a farm share rebate program.

"This is a positive step toward a more secure and fair food system in Nova Scotia," said Josh Oulton, co-owner of Taproot Farms and president of the Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional Network. "I am pleased that our government is investing in small-scale agriculture and CSAs."