2026 Farm Season Recap

Another growing season has come to a close at The North Grove's Community Farm.

From first-time crops and record harvests to community volunteers and plenty of fresh food shared through the Harvest Wagon, this season was full of highlights worth celebrating.

More than 1,300 pounds harvested

This year, The North Grove community harvested 1,331 pounds of fresh produce from the Community Farm.

From left to right: The new Harvest Wagon launched this summer; weekly Farm Volunteers processing radish harvest; Youth Volunteers harvesting from the Community Farm.

The harvest included everything from tomatoes, beans, peas, and hot peppers to culturally important vegetables such as bitter melon, long beans, water spinach, and lal shak. In total, the farm grew more than 100 varieties of edible and non-edible plants, reflecting the diversity, interests, and traditions of the community.

The harvest was shared in a variety of ways throughout the season. Through 25 Harvest Wagon events, farm produce, flowers, and eggs were distributed during 1,150 visits from community members.

New crops and successful experiments

One of the joys of the Community Farm is making room for experimentation, and this year brought several exciting successes.

From left to right: Community Farm & Market Coordinator Katherine Carey showing the harvest of Glass Gem corn; Community Farm & Youth Facilitator Rose Anne Marin holding some long beans; youth participants in Farm to Table holding corn.

After wondering whether it could thrive in Nova Scotia's climate, the farm harvested 20 pounds of Japanese sweet potatoes, making the crop a clear success. Another standout was Glass Gem corn, a heritage popcorn variety known for its beautiful multi-coloured kernels. Early in the season, the crop looked uncertain, but by the end of the fall the farm harvested more than 100 ears of corn.

The team also continued growing crops that are difficult to find locally, often responding to requests from community members. Alongside returning favourites, the farm grew long beans, bottle gourds, luffa, taro, rice, ginger, turmeric, cucamelons, and many other unique crops.

A vacuum cleaner saves the cucumbers

After several years of disappointing cucumber harvests, the Community Farm finally had a breakthrough.

From left to right: The first sneak peek at the harvest of cucumbers; weekly farm volunteer wheeling dirt, three-year-old Serenity tasting a fresh cucumber from the Community Farm

The culprit had long been cucumber beetles, which can quickly damage cucumber and zucchini plants. This year, the farm team tried an unconventional solution: a hand-held vacuum used to remove beetles from the plants.

The strategy worked.

For the first time in years, the farm enjoyed an excellent cucumber harvest, including one memorable cucumber that weighed nearly four pounds on its own.

Fruit trees come into their own

Seven years ago, volunteers planted fruit trees throughout the Community Farm. This season, that patience paid off.

From left to right: Summer Youth Volunteers reaching high to pick fruits; the cup of cherries shared on the Harvest Wagon, Kath picking some of the frist ever North Grove cherries.

The orchard produced sweet cherries, sour cherries, plums, and pears, adding a new dimension to the farm's harvest. Seeing these trees mature and begin producing fruit has been a reminder that some of the most meaningful parts of community gardening happen over many years.

Meanwhile, the farm harvested 180 pounds of rhubarb, much of which was used to make strawberry rhubarb jam for Primrose Preserve.

Volunteers make it all possible

Growing food at this scale would not be possible without the support of volunteers.

From left to right: Grade nine students from John Martin Junior High harvesting daikon radishes; a group photo with the weekly Farm Volunteers; Japnoor with bouquets of flowers ready for the Harvest Wagon.

This year, 170 volunteers contributed nearly 350 hours to planting, weeding, watering, harvesting, and caring for the Community Farm. Youth groups, school classes, corporate volunteers, and community members all helped create a welcoming green space while growing food to share with neighbours.

Volunteers worked together to prune tomatoes, harvest everything from beans to bok choi, planted seeds and seedlings, and as did some unusual tasks like installing decoy hawks to scare away birds, handpicking pests, and fixing picnic tables.

They also made more than 250 flower bouquets, which brought so much joy to many households throughout the season. Community members picking up the bouquets from the Harvest Wagon told us they were giving them to family members, like mothers, grandmothers, and partners as birthday presents. Others were taking flowers as offerings for their religious altars at home, some were just looking for a bit of beauty for their homes.

More than vegetables

The Community Farm continued to be a place for learning, creativity, and connection.

From left to right: Some of the hens at The North Grove; a Monarch butterflied released over the Community Farm; Farm Volunteer holds freshly harvested flowers.

Volunteers grew flax for fibre for the third consecutive year, with some of the harvest being spun into yarn. The farm also hosted butterfly learning activities, raised monarch caterpillars from eggs found on milkweed, and harvested flowers, dye plants, Japanese indigo, and willow grown for basket-making.

And of course, the chickens remained community favourites. Their expanded run gave them more room to explore, scratch, and lay colourful eggs that were shared through the Harvest Wagon throughout the season.

Looking ahead

Although the main harvest season is over, work on the Community Farm continues.

23 corporate groups volunteered on the Community Farm this season. Pictured here are Chapman Family Law and McInnes Cooper. We are so grateful for each group who volunteered to support this community!

Earlier this fall, volunteers and community members planted 720 garlic cloves that will become next year's garlic crop. Planning is already underway for another season of growing food, testing new crops, and sharing harvests with the community.

Thank you to everyone who volunteered, visited the Harvest Wagon, attended a farm program, or simply stopped by to enjoy the space this year. Together, you helped make the Community Farm a place where food, learning, and community can grow side by side.