Newsletter, March 2008

Although compared to the rest of the country, we have gotten off very easily this winter, we are still getting battered by storm after storm.  We have no accumulation of snow and there is no ice on the bay but the weather is still too unsettled to be thinking of spring and starting the spring tasks.

I attended the Annual General Meeting of the Halifax Farmers Market Co-op on March 11, 2008 and am pleased to announce that we have been accepted as a Primary producer member with full rights and privileges at the market.  I feel quite honoured to be part of what appears to me to be quite an impressive group of farmer/entrepreneurs who are doing a great job in getting a wonderful variety of food to Halifax consumers.

At the meeting we received an update on progress towards the new Halifax Seaport Farmers Market, which will replace the present market, hopefully within the next year.  More information on the new market and how anyone can be part of its development can be found at www.halifaxfarmersmarket.com.

As you may have noted at the top of our website, the 2^nd Annual Indian Point/Mahone Bay Mussel festival is scheduled for May 17^th and 18^th.  Like last year, mussels, wine and music will be featured at all of Mahone Bay’s restaurants and markets.  At Indian Point, we will again do tours of our plant and information about mussel aquaculture.  This year we want to feature our new product, sea scallops, and how they are grown and how to prepare them etc. We are hoping that the weather will cooperate and that we will be able to do boat tours to our grow-out leases to see our mussel and scallop lines and also to get the unforgettable view of Indian Point from the water.

Again this year, story-telling will be an integral component of the festival, with a major event planned for the Saturday evening of May 17^th.  This is being planned by Dawn and Alden of the Biscuit Eater in Mahone Bay, and is sure to be a highlight of the festival.  So don’t forget to mark your calendars for the long weekend in May and put Mahone Bay and Indian Point on your must do list.  An updated list of activities, features and times can be found at the Mahone Bay website.  www.mahonebay.com.

Finally, a reminder that our retail outlet at our processing plant at Indian Point is open five days a week from 7:00AM until 4:00 PM (closed from noon to 1:00 PM).  We have fresh mussels and live scallops from our own farm and wonderful La St. Simon oysters from Mallet Oysters in Shipegan New Brunswick.  If you want the freshest possible shellfish, please visit us at our shop or on Saturdays at the Halifax Farmers Market.