Experimental farm in Nova Scotia seemingly closing its doors

An experimental farm in Nappan, N.S., is closing.

Jordan Eyamie, president of Horticulture Nova Scotia, is concerned about the recent closure of the experimental farm in Nappan.

“As far as I understand, they are one of the only, if not the only, beef research station in the Atlantic area, Eyamie says.

About a dozen people work there providing research on things like beef cattle and improving foraging grass for animals.

“Farmers just don’t have time to do all of the research on their own and so we need to rely on research farms for research so that we can implement that in our farms,” Eyamie says.

Eyamie says the closure is even more puzzling given the push to buy Canadian as well as an agreement to reopen the Chinese market to Canadian beef.

“We need those research stations to do good work that you can’t necessarily do on a farm to be able to strengthen that industry,” says Eyamie.

“One of the biggest competitive advantages that Canada has in agri-food is that we see this mix between private sector research and public sector research and the combination of both really allowed farmers to succeed,” says Sylvain Charlebois, director of Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Lab.

While no official announcement has been made, Cumberland North independent MLA Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin says the farm’s closure is a done deal.

“Yesterday’s news was a gut punch for every employee and their families and also all those that work in the agriculture world,” Smith-McCrossin said in a statement.

Smith-McCrossin says the Nappan farm is one of five being closed across the country by the federal government. More than 650 people are allegedly losing their jobs nation-wide.

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