Preconference Field Tour to the Annapolis Valley
Cranberries, Highbush Blueberries and Other Berry Crops
Saturday, August 24th, 2024 (7:45 am–4:45 pm)
Stop #1: Aylesford, Nova Scotia (45 min on site) – Leaving the Lord Nelson Hotel, the tour travels to the center of the Annapolis Valley. This stop looks at cranberry production on the floor of the Annapolis Valley. This farm has highly productive bogs and they are exploring unique ways at value adding and marketing their fruit.
Stop #2: Lunch: Scott’s Bay, Nova Scotia (11:30 to 1:30 p.m.). The Long Table Social Club is a unique place designed to inspire social connection and enjoyment over food and drink! The long table represents a friendly and inclusive place where there is always room to pull up a chair. The first thing you'll notice about the venue is the breathtaking view of the Bay of Fundy!
Lunch will start with a charcuterie including an assortment of meats, cheeses, grapes, berries, pickles, crackers. A traditional, backyard BBQ-style main course will include a choice of scallop burger, haddock burger, lobster roll, beef burger or veggie burger, and this will be served with potato and garden salads. A dessert suitable for a Vaccinium Symposium will also be served.
Stop #3: Centreville, Nova Scotia (1 hr on site) – After driving east through the heart of the Annapolis Valley, this stop is the centre of highbush blueberry production in Nova Scotia. Production is focused on fresh harvest and late season export to the eastern seaboard of the United States.
Stop #4: Grand Pre, Nova Scotia (pending time availability: 30 minutes on site) – A quick stop at the Grand Pre view park, allows for a panoramic view of the Dykelands, Blomidon and the Minas Basin. We will give a quick over view of the history of the area and the scope of Agricultural production in the region. .
