The New Agrarians

07/09/2025

The Glace Bay Food Bank has a cozy new greenhouse! A three way collaboration between the Food Bank, Wolpin Enterprises, and The New Agrarians.

This 20'x24' structure is a custom build that features double lined plastic on top and the use of polycarbonate for both the end and side walls. Roll up sides and generous 8' x 7' doorways allow for a versatile energy efficient way to ventilate.

A big thank you too Woodland Home Building Center in Glace Bay and Home Depot for donations of both lumber and fasteners.

This location is moderately sheltered and will soak up the sunlight energy very well.

Thinking of a greenhouse? Contact The New Agrarians, we can help. Ever increasing funding for community groups to build greenhouses, please inquire.

Feel free to ask questions in the comments.

03/09/2025

Are you thinking about buying a greenhouse? Not sure where to start? The New Agrarians can help. Full consultation, design, and installation services available.

We already have 5 greenhouses confirmed to build so far this year in Cape Breton and we want more to build! Construction of the first greenhouse starts as soon as the snow clears.

Send a message or comment to inquire about consultations and pricing, we have an informative consultation process!

10/13/2024

Cape Breton folks! Greenhouses are an excellent place to have a party or gatherings and act as great sun rooms in the Winter. Greenhouses look very cool at night with lighting options.

There will be a greenhouse showcase at Quinn Farm on Saturday October 19th (11am-4pm) in Millville. 45 Macintosh Rd, Millville, NS B1Y 2C7. Exit 16 Hwy 105.

Thinking about building a greenhouse? Come see first hand a Maritime designed and manufactured greenhouse supplied by Wolpin Enterprises. There will be free snacks and tasty beverages!

Come meet New Agrarians founder Barton Cutten who built this greenhouse, he will be explaining the build process and benifits of this polycarbonate structure and can advise on any intetest to build your own. Barton has now built seven greenhouses in Cape Breton since 2020 and can help you build any size structure.

Wolpin Enterprises has a wide variety of items for sale for plant growers of any type, from farming to home gardening and is eager to help Cape Bretoners grow more food. The company will have owner Dave avalbile to talk greenhouse options and pricing during the showcase. Check out their website at https://wolpinenterprises.ca/

Quinn Farm has a market stand with lots of items for sale to help stock up for Halloween, they have been growing local produce for many years and resell lots of Nova Scotia fruits and vegetables. Bring some cash and support local!

Saturday October 19th, 11am-4pm. 45 Macintosh Rd, Millville, NS B1Y 2C7

DM for more details or questions.

10/10/2024

Cape Breton! There will be a greenhouse showcase at Quinn Farm on Saturday October 19th (11am-4pm) in Millville. 45 Macintosh Rd, Millville, NS B1Y 2C7. Exit 16 Hwy 105.

Thinking about having a greenhouse? Come see first hand a Maritime designed and manufactured greenhouse supplied by Wolpin Enterprises. There will be free snacks and tasty beverages!

Come meet New Agrarians founder Barton Cutten who built this greenhouse, he will be explaining the build process and benifits of this polycarbonate structure and can advise on any intetest to build your own. Barton has now built seven greenhouses in Cape Breton since 2020 and can help you build any size greenhouse.

Wolpin Enterprises has a wide variety of items for sale for plant growers of any type, from farming to home gardening and is eager to help Cape Bretoners grow more food. The company will have owner Dave avalbile to talk greenhouse options and pricing during the showcase. Check out their website at https://wolpinenterprises.ca/

Quinn Farm has a market stand with lots of items for sale to help stock up for Halloween, they have been growing local produce for many years and resell lots of Nova Scotia fruits and vegetables. Bring some cash and support local!

Saturday October 19th, 11am-4pm. 45 Macintosh Rd, Millville, NS B1Y 2C7

DM or call/text for more details. 902-890-8252

06/13/2024

Aspiring Farmers of Cape Breton. The Nova Scotia Farm Loan board is having two information sessions on the Island later in the month. One being on Wedensday June 19th in Inverness as per this event page and another Thursday June 20th in North Sydney.

If you are seriously considering farming these events are valuable to attend and become familiar with what is avaliable. There will also be information how to register a farm as well. These sessions are worth making the time for.

We understand what it takes to farm in Nova Scotia. Like generations of farmers before, you know this land. You know what it takes to make it profitable - to make the most of what it can offer. You see more than soil and buildings; you see potential.

06/13/2024

Aspiring Farmers of Cape Breton. The Nova Scotia Farm Loan board is having two information sessions on the Island later in the month. One being on June 20th in North Sydney as per this event page and another on June 19th in Inervness.

If you are seriously considering farming these events are valuable to attend and become familiar with what is avaliable. There will also be information how to register a farm as well. These sessions are worth making the time for.

We understand what it takes to farm in Nova Scotia. Like generations of farmers before, you know this land. You know what it takes to make it profitable - to make the most of what it can offer. You see more than soil and buildings; you see potential.

03/06/2024

Here is an updated list of community garden funding sources for 2024 courtesy of The New Agrarians. Please share with the community garden organizers you know. Tap or click on the URL Google Docs file.

This list includes First Nations Specific funding for community food production plus funding/program support for school related healthy food initiatives.

09/22/2023

***FROST ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT***
Heads up there is a very good chance of frost for some select areas in Cape Breton tonight.

If you live in a place that is a few degrees cooler some nights than what the local weather station is forecasting your frost sensitive plants could be at risk.

The wind today is coming from the North West and stripping most of the accumulated day heat from the sun. Wind is going to calm down to almost nothing tonight mainly inland and good chance of clear sky tonight. All the variables are in play for potential frost in higher elevations and low lying spots.

07/03/2023

There has been a lot of rain, too much, in many parts of the Maritime provinces lately. Some humour to lighten the day.

New meaning to the saying 'boatload of potatoes' 😄. Repost with permission from the OP.

06/09/2023

Mmm. Rabbit manure bedding and red wiggler worms to be added into a couple new garden beds.

Going in slightly hot, partially decomposed. Microbes in the soil, manure, and worm p**p will make short work of it.

Each bed had some red wiggler worms added in, they will not proliferate in the beds but will munch away. The real value to adding the worms is to help innoculate the new soil with all their micbrobes that are within their digestive tracts when they p**p and this help kickstart the soil ecology.

The mycorrhizal fungi are going to love this manure as well when they get established and help flush out the establishment of the soil ecology. These two beds are under a hoophouse and will have harvestable plants well into December and beyond.

05/10/2023

Insightful post about the advantages of using a sandy loamy soil as a foundation for vegetable raised garden beds.

I made this comment on a post last week as someone was complaining they got 'bad looking sandy soil' which was actually exceptional to build a good soil ecology into. My comment has Gotten 74 likes which is unusually high so many people found it helpful so I am sharing it around.

Sandy soil bases are the most productive to grow mixed vegetables and all the best growing regions of the world have some form of sandy soil.

The key is to properly manage a sand based soil by mixing in fertilizer inputs like some compost, manure, rock dust, water soluble fertilizers, etc. The thing I do not like about garden soil blends is they are 50 percent compost or more and the overall volume shrinks over 2-3 years and it is a constant expense and labour to keep adding more. A stable sandy soil in a high density plant production model can help keep enough organic matter in the soil. So with some practice you can have much better cost effective results long term.

This is a good article to read in the first comment on how to harness a sandy soil. Bottom line is more money is saved long term with a class one sandy soil. Hope this is helpful."

Proven Winners - The Dirt on Dirt - Sand in Soil

05/09/2023

Great catch of Marigolds, lots of seedlings.