Our Mission is to represent and promote Nova Scotia’s Certified Organic producers and processors.
We promote those producers and processors, their practices, and their products to further grow and develop awareness of and markets for the Certified Organic sector.
We facilitate networking and communication among participants in the organic sector within Nova Scotia but also create and build strategic partnerships at a provincial, regional and national level.
Our main goals include:
- Positioning organic producers as leaders in climate change mitigation/adaptation
- Developing an authentic organic brand awareness among the public
- Advocating on behalf of organic businesses
- At various levels of NS Federation of Agriculture
- Via Ministers of Agriculture, Fisheries, Environment and Health
- Achieving consistent enforcement of organic labeling in NS
- Becoming an ambassador of all things local and organic within the public realm
Organic farms are bound by the Canadian Organic Standards and undergo third party certification which guarantee the integrity of the production system.
The term ‘organic’ is regulated by Nova Scotia legislation that determines that anyone using the term ‘organic’ is required to be certified. Organic producers have been building healthy soil and ecosystems on Nova Scotian farms since the beginning of the organic movement. These agricultural practices increase soil organic matter, increase biodiversity in our ecosystems, and deliver nutritious and delicious food products to our communities. Nova Scotia’s organic sector is committed to upholding the integrity of organic principles of Health, Ecology, Fairness and Care and welcomes everyone to join this work.
Nova Scotian organic producers and processors have been represented by a provincial organization in the past but in recent years, the province has not had a dedicated organization speaking to the work and needs of Certified Organic businesses within Nova Scotia. Over those years, operations became isolated, while provincial and federal agricultural policies were developed without coordinated feedback from the sector in Nova Scotia.
In March of 2019, members of Bruce Family Farm, Cochrane Family Farm, Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-op, North of Nuttby Farm, Taproot Farms, and Waldegrave Farms coordinated a meeting of about 25 certified organic and sustainably-minded producers and processors at Horton Ridge Malt and Grain Company in Hortonville, Nova Scotia and it was decided it was time to get organized. Our intent is to rebuild relationships between Certified Organic businesses and the wider agriculture sector, the province, regional initiatives, and national level organic trade and advocacy groups to ensure Nova Scotia’s Certified Organic producers and processors are included in new agricultural, climate change, and agro-ecological policy development and initiatives.
By February 2020, a survey of organic growers in the province was completed and the organization was established more formally as a Nova Scotia Society. Since then, our volunteer board of six or seven members has developed relationships directly with the Department of Agriculture, Federation of Agriculture, Atlantic Canada Regional Organic Network (ACORN), Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada, Farmers for Climate Solutions, the Organic Federation of Canada, Canadian Organic Growers, and the Canadian Organic Trade Association.