Heliotrust

Heliotrust is EAC’s ‘farm arm’, started in 2004.  Currently there are three areas of emphasis: Open Farm Days (in the summer); Farmer-Mentor; and Farmland Conservation Easements.  Very soon, we will be adding a new project with a focus on Farm Efficiency.  Check out the Heliotrust blog for farm and project updates.

Open Farm Days

People are invited on specific days to visit the farm in Hants County (about an hour’s drive from HRM) to see a working farm in operation.  There is a tree and shrub nursery (Heliotrees), wholesale greens operation, two CSAs (Abundant Acres CSA and Avon River CSA), and a wholesale garlic operation.  Livestock include sheep and laying hens.  There are 4 km of groomed walking paths to observe a salt marsh restoration (started by the EAC), ecological wood harvesting, a beautiful tidal river with lots of bird-life, as well as the fields of organic produce being grown.

Farmer-Mentor

Beginning farmers rely heavily on seasoned farmers for advice and support when they start up.  We are recording their advice and celebrating their wisdom!  The first Farmer-Mentor book, Twilight Meetings, is available for sale, along with a 30-minute video.  More interviews are taking place to use in our second book.  Stay tuned as we will be posting more information about our wonderful farmer-mentors.

Farmland Conservation Easements

We are pleased that local food is becoming a priority in Nova Scotia!  In order to have a thriving farm community producing that food, farmers need access to good, affordable land, close to markets.  Since many farmers don’t make very much money farming, it is tempting to sell good farm land to the highest bidder (usually a developer) in order to finance a retirement plan.  This is a painful thing for a farmer to do, given their years of hard work to build up the land’s productivity.  It is also painful for new farmers, as they often want to start off with low expenses.  Farmland Conservation Easements, where a farmer is paid to sign a legal document preventing them from selling off good farm land for development, helps both the retiring farmer and the new farmer by removing any speculative value distortions on farm land. 

EAC is the registered Easement Holder for two Farm Conservation Easements in Hants County.  This means that approximately 300 acres of land will be protected for farming in perpetuity.  Stay tuned for more posts on this very exciting initiative!