Lazy Brook Farm
“You
are what you eat," claims Darlene Hill, a natural health practitioner
and co-owner and operator of Lazy Brook Farm – specializing in
certified organic high-bush blueberries.
Darlene
and Gerry were excited to live in accord with the land. In
2000 they began searching for a property that would satisfy their
desires to live in the country and came across the place they currently
own: Lazy Brook Farm. Situated by a lazy brook, just outside
Waterville, they purchased the deserted "rotten wreck of a place" and
soon after purchasing the land started to re-establish
the acres of neglected high-bush blueberry crops.
"We
pruned & chopped heavily when we first moved into this place," says
Darlene, surrounded by her three friendly dogs. In order to nurse
the orchard back into a healthy state of production, Darlene and Gerry
had to be very creative. Noticing that their soil was nitrogen
deficient, they began searching for a way of adding naturally to the
soil. The solution: pine needles – high acid and full of
nitrogen, pine needles are the perfect fit for blueberries. They
began collecting from nearby campgrounds to source the needles and
as they began to use them, they saw a huge increase in the blueberry
production. The pine needles create acid soil, act as a mulch,
increase moisture levels and act as a natural fertilizer – adding
nitrogen and regulating the pH balance in the soil to make it
appropriately high acid for blueberries. All of that work has led to a
successful blueberry operation with 2100 bushes of blueberries on
a full four acres of land they are producing approximately nine tonnes
of blueberries in a season!
While busy in the fields
they have also managed to renovate the house, build an additional
blueberry storage and processing facility as well as an entire facility
where Darlene runs part of her business: Lazy Brook Healing
Centre. Specializing in personal wellness, and practicing healing
techniques including Reiki, Colonics, Jin Shin Jyutsu
(accupressure) and Raindrop massage, Darlene is well aware of the
healing properties of organic blueberries! Blueberries are high
in antioxidants, therefore they decrease your risk of cancer, reduce
bad cholesterol, guard against neurological diseases, combat
aging, and are also known for memory and vision
improvement.
Darlene and Gerry value-added their
delicious product by making organic, fresh pressed blueberry juice
concentrate – thereby increasing the bio-availability of the many
health benefits of organic blueberries. But Darlene and Gerry are
not only concerned about the health of their human friends – they also
make and market dog treats from their organic blueberries!
Their dedication to quality and creativity make Darlene and Gerry
unique blueberry producers in Nova Scotia. Their fresh
blueberries are available from the 3rd week of July until the 2nd
week of September, and they have frozen berries available until stock
sells out. Their blueberry juice is available year round. |
