You
wouldn’t know it to look at them, but organic cranberries are a
precious treat! Organic cranberry production is extraordinarily
difficult as farmers work with decreased yields and increased pests and
disease. But to Larry Nason and his family, it’s well worth the
struggle. "I wasn’t interested in continuing to spray chemicals
by the calender on food that I’m selling to my customers," says Larry,
owner of Springbrook Cranberry Inc. Rebekah, Larry’s daughter,
had decided while studying agriculture at university that she was not
interested in chemical agriculture, "I like the earth and I think
organics is the best way we can enhance the natural environment while
still growing food for our communities".
Despite
the challenges involved in organic cranberry production versus
conventional production, both Larry and Rebekah are pleased with what
they have seen over the course of their three-year transition to become
certified organic. "We’ve seen the return of many native
pollinators as well as an increased population of beneficial insects"
(bugs that eat the pests that harm the crop) "and although our yield
decreased during transition, we know our berries are healthier".
Springbrook
Cranberry is a traditional family operation with everybody pitching in;
Rebekah and Larry tend to daily operations, while Kathy (Larry’s wife)
and Elizabeth (daughter) fill in where and when needed. During
early October through Christmas, evenings at the Nason's have been
spent preparing cases of cranberries for various local markets.
Prior to cranberry production, Larry was a beef farmer, before that he
kept sheep and he has also toyed with large-scale greenhouse
production. Growing up on an "old time family farm" he
seems to have farming in his blood and he aspires to keep that
tradition alive by making a family career of farming.
Their
farm and home is situated within the village limits of Tracy, NB,
approximately 30 kilometres South of Fredericton and 60 km North of
Saint John. Their aspiration is to be able to supply the local
market with all of their cranberry needs. They have begun looking
into further processing materials for juicing, sweet and dried
cranberries and other value-added products. Larry is also curious
about using organic cranberry seed for oil production.
Springbrook Cranberry Inc wants to diversify their production as well
and they are exploring blueberries and strawberries as additional crops.
An
organic family-run cranberry farm, Springbrook Cranberry Inc., is just
as precious as the berries they produce. It’s a rare occurrence
that an entire family decides to delve into farming for a livelihood,
let alone one that decides to grow something as challenging and
wonderful as certified organic cranberries.
