Shai Jefferson moved from Halifax in 2017 with with her partner and children, intent on making their dream of owning a farm a reality.
That dream became Heart and Soil Farm. Located in Branch LaHave it was once an overgrown 32-acre property. With lots of hard work the family cleared it themselves-by hand-until they had a workable 3 acres to devote to their garden space and 50×30 greenhouse.
Jefferson says because they were brand new to farming she wanted a farming model that was as low risk as possible.
“I chose community-supported agriculture because it’s a guaranteed income for myself and a secured food source for the consumer. They pay for their share upfront and I deliver them vegetable boxes every week for the season,” she said
40 families have bought shares this year including 5 local restaurants, and there are plans to produce 60-70 next year. Over 50 different vegetables and herbs are grown including 8 varieties of peppers, various heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, 10 kinds of greens, zucchini, herbs, carrots, potatoes and more. The goodies all make their way into veggie boxes which are then distributed weekly.
Jefferson says working the farm is as rewarding as it is challenging.
“Mother nature performs when she wants to and I am completely at her disposal. When Dorian hit last year the neighborhood was littered with cucumbers from our fields, it was a huge hit to us and luckily we only lost some vegetables and not something major like our greenhouse. Wind is most definitely an issue here and plastic buildings can be fragile at best,” she said.
There has been an increase in people looking for a secure food source and buying into CSA shares when the pandemic hit. In fact her CSA shares sold out in three days.
“People like to know where their food comes from-I know I do.”
Business is growing for Heart and Soil Farm. They will be teaming up with La Casetta, a new Bridgewater eatery on King Street, to provide a locally sourced Italian market.
You can find out more about Heart and Soil Farm here.
