by Janet Carney

Every Saturday, Paul and Ruth Colville make the two-hour drive from Coldspring Farm near Middle-ton in the Annapolis Valley to Halifax, in time for the opening of the Farmers' Market at 7 a.m. They set up their organic produce booth in the historic old Brewery building and spend the day serving and chatting with their customers.

In the early 70s, the Colvilles decided to kiss life in the fast lane good bye. After moving to Nova Scotia with their family, they answered an ad in the paper which led them to the land they now farm, Coldspring Farm. They have lived there ever since.

Coldspring Farm is a small, traditional mixed farm of the type commonly seen in the 1920s and 30s and is set in the middle of the Annapolis Valley, which extends through Nova Scotia for some 160 kilometers. The 180-year old farmhouse sits on 200 acres of land on the North Mountain which forms a ridge or spine running along the Valley.

Paul and Ruth have a small OCIA certified beef herd, a flock of free-range hens and grow a variety of fresh and storage vegetables. They've built a modest greenhouse which is attached to the farmhouse; a larger, freestanding greenhouse – about 100' x 20' – is now under construction. A storage building houses root vegetables and provides space for freezing and organizing a wider range of produce, particularly in the winter months.

They grow about 15 acres of grain, together with another 35 acres of organic hay and pasture land. Composted manure and green manure forms an important part of the crop rotation (as suggested by Eliot Coleman) to ensure that the demands of the different crops are met and that the soil is not depleted of necessary nutrients.

The growing season at Coldspring Farm begins with the planting of the first seeds in February in the greenhouse; it doesn’t end until the last hard frost in November. The selling season lasts year-round with storage vegetables, dried flowers and frozen meat their mainstay over the winter months.

The Colvilles have experienced no serious pest infestations. Paul states firmly, however, that he'd rather risk losing a crop than risk harming one of his customers. He adds that they seem able to control pests the old-fashioned, input-free, manual way and there's never been a serious problem or crop loss.

Having a farm that is small and mixed ensures a balance that allows the Colvilles to be sources of a wider range of produce for their customers. Ruth insists on variety, says Paul. As a result, customers can buy eggs, root crops, fresh greens, and organic beef at the same booth.

After three years at the Brewery Market, the Colvilles are enthusiastic about the loyalty of their customers. They value the personal contact and enjoy learning what their customers' needs are and what products are most useful. It's an educational process for the buyers, too, as Paul and Ruth explain the range of produce available and the uses of different kinds of products.

OCIA certified for five years, the Colvilles have always farmed organically. Even in the early days, they had no use for chemical pesticides. During the 70s and 80s, the Colvilles farmed unconventionally on their pre-World War II-style farm. However, it was not an economically successful operation then: they marketed their produce very conventionally, selling to wholesalers rather than directly to consumers. And although their produce was organic, they were not selling it as such.

Now, Paul and Ruth do virtually all their own selling at the Halifax Farmers' Market. Direct marketing of organic produce works well here. But it's more than just a matter of financial reward. "We’re half-driven to prove it can be done," Paul admits. A high level of drive and energy is essential, as other organic farmers can attest.

Two hired workers assist with the operation. "We've made a conscious decision to stay small and stay mixed," Paul explains. "In order to balance all of those kinds of efforts, that is – the fresh market, the storage crops, the beef – you can only do so much. If you wanted to raise a lot of beef, then you'd begin to specialize. From a marketing point of view, we're able to satisfy more of the food requirements of our customers."

Paul is the first generation of his family born in North America, and he’s conscious of his Irish roots deep in the land. It's natural for him to use potatoes as an example of a food which is more varied and rich in possibilities than people realize. At any one time, says Paul, his stand offers at least three different types of potato. Try Netted Gems for baking, and Chieftains for mashing, he suggests to his Halifax customers who were brought up knowing all about the different kinds of apples but are largely unaware of the differences among potatoes.

Beets are another example. The Coldspring Farm stand sells golden beets, which don't "bleed" and which aren't commonly seen in Nova Scotia. They sell bunching beets as well. Ruth would like to make customers familiar with different varieties, so that they can buy the produce that best suits their needs.

The Colvilles are part of a small but growing organic movement at the Halifax Market. Their stall at this oldest community market in Atlantic Canada is becoming increasingly popular with sufferers of environmental illness (see boxed inset). Their produce is identified as chemical-free and pesticide-free. They are anxious to ensure that the growing number of people who suffer from environmental illness have access to produce free from harmful chemicals and pesticides.

Within the next ten years, the Colvilles expect to see a resurgence of the small, old-fashioned mixed farm. "The mixed farm can work," declares Paul. He believes that consumers will more and more insist on food produced locally by growers they know and trust. Otherwise, they have no way of ensuring that what they and their families eat is healthy and pesticide-free. He points out that the demand for local produce has grown over the last four years at the Halifax Market.

Is it all worthwhile? "Absolutely!" says Paul. "It's the most satisfying thing we've ever been able to do."

He offers a rule of thumb to operators of small or average-sized organic farms: think in terms of supplying about 20 per cent of the average food budget of forty or fifty families.