Casson Family Farms
“I’m making my living without taking anything from anyone, and I’m leaving a small footprint,” says Marcus Casson, of Casson Family Farms.
Marcus has been farming commercially for 10 years, four of which have been at his current location in Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia. His 60-acre property, which is located on top of “a mountain and a gravel pit”, includes three greenhouses and six acres of field gardens.
“I grow almost all vegetables, except potatoes,” says Marcus, “11 varieties of peppers, 9 kinds of tomatoes, 6 types of squash, watermelon, cantaloupe, spinach, and beet greens!” His products are sold at the farm and at the Truro Farmers Market, along with some independent grocery stores and restaurants.
Casson Family Farms has been certified by Maritime Certified Organic Growers for about three years.
In his earlier years of farming, Marcus had a small customer base who knew he farmed organically; therefore, he didn’t find it necessary to certify. When Marcus wanted to expand this base, he decided that it would be beneficial to obtain the organic certification. At the present time, he still sells a lot of his products as conventional, but he is hoping that in the future being organically certified will become more profitable, as people develop a greater awareness of the benefits of local organic produce.
Growing vegetables has always been a passion for Marcus, who started his first garden in high school. And when he decided to grow commercially, he knew it would be using organic standards. “There was never any doubt in his mind about farming organically,” states Marcus. He says he has seen too many instances of pesticide use gone wrong, and does not want to use chemicals on his products.
Marcus currently sees many challenges in the farming industry. Public support for farmers is weak, and it is difficult to get long-term, hired farm help (Marcus’ father, who is a graduate of the Agricultural College, some friends, and WWOOFers currently provide much the labour for Casson Family Farms). The weather has also proven to be a challenge this year, as it has been extremely rainy in the Nova Scotia, “and this means that our prices must increase”.
Yet, Marcus Casson remains optimistic. In the future, he’d like to produce “a larger volume of better products”, build sales, and create a farm that will continue for generations to come. In Marcus’ mind, organic agriculture is “a way for a little guy to get back into the market”.
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