Nestled just north of Brighton, Rob Nelson, with his wife, mom, and two little girls, have a mixed market garden at Arcadia Farms.
Farming planted deep roots in the family decades ago, when his grandfather purchased the farm in the late 40s/early 50s. At first, his grandfather was a logger, then a beekeeper, and then he started shipping milk and had some pigs, recalled Nelson.
His dad and uncle would go on to be dairy producers for 40 or so years.
Nelson marks the third generation on the farm and is part of our special NextGen Farmer series.
The mixed market garden has it all: Potatoes, beans, peas, tomatoes, pumpkins, and more.
And Nelson cherishes farming, especially during the fall crop season.
“We definitely really enjoy growing our fall crops. We grow numerous kinds of potatoes, pumpkins and squash, and that’s definitely our favourite time of year. We try to grow a pretty extensive variety of that stuff, just because we really enjoy it.”
The family shares their farm fresh produce through a few avenues – like some direct farm pickup and selling to some farm stores – but mostly through local markets, including the Codrington Farmers’ Market as their main market, explained Nelson.
Today, in many ways, technology has changed the landscape for farming.
“The technology is always changing, you know, in our equipment, or GPS, or now some (farmers) use drones … We don’t use any of that (drones) on our farm yet, but definitely, the GPS and the technology on crops is changing every year.”
In-depth soil sample capabilities are just one example of how technology has influenced agriculture, noted Nelson, who also later highlighted for some larger operations that there are tools like “laser weeders.”
“Just kind of the general advancement of the technology in crops has definitely helped to increase our yields and help our profit margins at times,” continued Nelson. “There’s so much changing technology all the time, and it’s very specific to, you know, dairy or poultry production, or crop or vegetable production.”
Looking ahead, we asked Nelson how technology may help future generations and whether he anticipates another generation in the family to follow in farming.
“I think there’s definitely a lot of labour-saving technology coming out all the time – and it’s only getting more advanced all the time – so it’s going to be more beneficial to the generations that come after us, for sure.”
As for his kids, it’s still early days since they’re in elementary school, so they’ve got some time to decide on their futures, said Nelson.
When wrapping his interview, Nelson ended with an emphasis on the importance of local food production and gave thanks to the community.
“We’re grateful for the community that comes out and supports us at our local markets – they’re a real hub for community activity, especially in Codrington, (and) it’s great to see the community out supporting so many local farmers and artisans.”
You can learn more about Arcadia Farms via its Facebook and Instagram pages or through a market visit.
Opening day for the season in Codrington is this Sunday, May 5.
Oldies’ NextGen Farmer feature is also sponsored by the Codrington Farmers’ Market.
To listen in on our interview with Nelson, click play below.
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)
