Connecting Albert County - Connecting Albert County - Local Food

Riverside-Albert Farmers' Market isBack with More Services& Activities!

2/6/2026

Submitted by Juliane Pate

Starting June 21, The Riverside-Albert Artisan & Farmers Market is coming back for its 4th year!

We will continue to offer our friendly vibes, delicious foods, produce and artistic creations. In addition to the free lawn games we started last year, we will also have an arts & craft table for kids (FREE!).

Most exciting of all, this year we are introducing themes to our market!

June 21 & 28 - Seedling Sunday: Find ready-to-plant organic seedlings for your garden, try foods & ingredients that celebrate spring and start of summer.

July 5 & 12 - East Coast Beach: Celebration of a warm summer with water guns & beachy music. Look for sea shell and whale decorations.

July 19 & 26 - Christmas in July: Find unique ornaments, delicious Christmas foods, and get your Christmas shopping done early!

August 2 & 9 - Old Fashioned Country: Hay bales, butter churning workshop, and old fashioned foods to honour Fundy's past

August 16 & 23 - Harvest Fest: Try some apple cider, pumpkin spiced baked goods, boiled corn and celebrate this year's harvest with us

August 30 & September 6 - Spooky Sunday: All vendors will be in a Halloween costume, and patrons are welcome to also wear a costume. Kids can trick or treat for free at all the vendor booths!

Our market is located at 5895 King street in Riverside-Albert, and will be running from June 21 to September 6, from 10 am to 2 pm. We are an outdoor market, held rain or shine except in extreme weather.

Would you like to join our market as a vendor? We're looking for recurring vendors primarily, but pop-ups are also accepted. To request becoming a vendor, email [email protected]. In your message, please include: your name, vendor booth type & details of what you sell, attendance status (recurring or pop-up). It costs 10$ per vendor per day of attendance. Tents and tables are not included and vendors need to provide their own. Electricity is available for free, but you must provide your own extension cord.

Spring & Wild Living

2/6/2026

Submitted by Ursula Kovacs, Folk Herbalist & Owner of Saltblossom Botanicals Located at "The Wild Soul" on route 114 in Riverside-Albert

Spring arrives slowly along the Fundy coast: not all at once, and certainly not with any regard for our personal patience levels.

I've a strong sense a good many of us probably fall into this category.

This winter seemed especially long. One day there is still snow hiding stubbornly in the ditch, and the next someone is standing outside in sandals insisting, “It’s beautiful out!” while visibly shivering in the driveway. The crows get louder, the mud gets deeper, and suddenly every one of us becomes deeply invested in inspecting tiny green things emerging from the earth like amateur botanists with no formal training whatsoever. And honestly? It feels wonderful... it feeds the soul in ways words can't always convey.

After a long winter of snow drifts, nor' easters, icy winds, lugging firewood, comfort food, and seriously questioning why we continue living where the air hurts our face for half the year, spring begins waking something ancient in us again. We start wandering outdoors. We crouch awkwardly beside patches of emerging greens. We lean in with baited breath for the sound of peepers, at last! We come back into the house carrying spruce tips, muddy boots, and occasionally a mysterious leaf we are now emotionally attached to but still need to identify properly. (It woke up something primal in us, and it is a colour other than white or brown.)

For generations, people lived closely with the plants around them. They knew which herbs emerged first after winter, which roots nourished tired bodies, and which teas soothed coughs, nerves, or weary spirits after long cold months. The landscape was not simply scenery; it was a pantry, medicine cabinet, teacher, and companion. Somewhere along the way, much of that knowledge quieted beneath grocery store aisles and glowing screens. Yet every spring, the earth gently reminds us that the old ways are still here, patiently waiting beneath our feet, calling us out to explore.

Take dandelions, for example — perhaps the most unfairly judged plant in existence. Entire suburban wars have been declared against them, yet these cheerful little golden rebels have been treasured for generations in herbal traditions. Their young leaves are rich and bitter in the best possible way, helping awaken digestion after a winter diet largely supported by bread, meat, potatoes, soups, and “just one more comfort meal because it’s snowing again.” (Pasta - I'm looking at you!) The flowers of these sweet sunshine stars themselves can be infused into oils, teas, and syrups with incredible benefits all round.

Then come fiddleheads curling up along riverbanks like tiny woodland scrolls, arriving just in time to remind us all that spring foraging also includes mud, mosquitoes, wet socks, and the occasional moment of questioning our life choices while balancing on slippery rocks. (We've all been here, right!?)

Nettles emerge too — deeply nourishing and absolutely committed to enforcing personal boundaries. Anyone who has confidently grabbed nettles barehanded exactly once tends to become a very fast learner. Yet beneath their sting is one of spring’s greatest gifts: mineral-rich greens long treasured for replenishing the body after winter, and an FYI- they are viewed as the "new superfood" (word is getting out!).

Then one of my personal favourites, (after nettles) - spruce tips — those bright green little jewels appearing at the ends of evergreen branches just before summer arrives. Their scent alone feels like standing in the woods after rain, immersed deeply within the coniferous community. Steeped into tea, syrup, finishing salts or infused into honey, they carry the flavour of the forest itself: bright, wild, resinous, and impossible to mistake for anything but from the Wilds.

There is something deeply human about learning the names and stories of the plants growing around us. Not in a “live entirely off-grid and churn your own butter” sort of way — although honestly some days that sounds increasingly like a solid plan! — but in the sense that we begin remembering we are part of the natural world, not separate from it.

As we move toward the summer solstice and the season of gardens, herbs, salty air, and long twilight evenings, perhaps this is spring’s real invitation: to step outside with intention and gratitude. To notice what is growing nearby.

To gather a few leaves or flowers with care and curiosity. To ask questions. To open old books. To speak with gardeners, foragers, and elders who still carry pieces of this knowledge. Brew a simple tea. Learn the name of one wild plant you’ve passed a hundred times before. Start small. Wonder does not require expertise. Reconnecting with the earth does not ask us to become perfect herbalists overnight. It simply asks us to pay attention again. Take a breath, and be present. Steward the earth, and teach others. And perhaps, just perhaps - after all this time, we are finally ready to listen.

Get Growing at Seedy Saturday

1/4/2026

 Article & Images Submitted by Rielle Duncan

The Old Church Farmer’s Market in Hillsborough is excited to get going and get you growing with Seedy Saturday on April 18th from 9am -2pm! Donations for entry at the door.

Come out of hibernation, dig out your extra seed packets (you know the ones- all folded up and stuffed in the back of your junk drawer) and join us at 2807 Main St Hillsborough for a day of seed and gear swapping, soup sipping and mosaic marveling. Please clearly label your seeds!

Let's Get Growing!

1/4/2026

 Submitted by Alicia O'Hara Sanford, Social Worker, Albert County Community Health Centre

Starting your warm-season annual seeds in the spring is a great way to get a head start on your veggie garden. Many plants, like peppers and tomatoes, need a long growing season. If they are planted too late, they may not produce a strong harvest.

The best part is the cost savings. One packet of seeds can grow many plants for the same price as buying just one plant at a garden centre. Seed starting also gives you the chance to try different varieties offered by Canadian seed producers. Companies like Revival Seeds and Sow Local Seeds grow crops specifically for seed production in Nova Scotia. This is helpful for gardeners in Atlantic Canada because the seeds come from plants that are already adapted to our East Coast climate. You can also find seeds at local Seedy Saturday events, or check your local library to see if they have a seed bank you can use. The good news is that starting seeds requires very few supplies, and you probably already have most of them at home.

'Tis the Season to Clear Up Freezer Space!

27/2/2026

Submitted by Michael Land, Community Member

Wow! For one of those who isn't a winter and cold lover, the last couple days have been encouraging. Sitting feeling the warmth of the sun pouring in through the skylights and stepping outside seeing the snow melting along the edges of the driveway, starts me thinking about spring. It also reminds me that I have dozens of bottles of jams and jellies, pickles, bottled vegetables and bags of frozen fruit that need to be processed and used up in order to clear shelf and freezer space for upcoming goodies.

I came across a recipe for blueberry custard pie that looks amazing. If you are a custard lover, you could substitute whatever frozen fruit you have in the freezer and it would do the job nicely.
Blueberry Custard Pie Recipe- http://www.connectingalbertcounty.org/recipes/blueberry-custard-pie

Christmas Cookery: Community Favourites!

30/11/2025

This month we are featuring the following recipes.
Be sure to check out our recipe page for more delicious creations!!

Lemon Sugar Cookies from Marilyn Wells
Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle from Cheryl Neil
Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts from Erica Dunn

Growing Something Great at Caledonia

29/11/2025

Image of is a slightly larger model of the greenhouse to be installed at Caledonia!

 Submitted by Megan Mace, Coordinator, Foods of the Fundy Valley
 foodsofthefundyvalley.ca
www.facebook.com/FoodsOfTheFundyValley

Exciting News for Fundy Albert!

Foods of the Fundy Valley is thrilled to share that the Fundy Albert Community Greenhouse Project is underway!

Located on the grounds of Caledonia Regional High School, the geothermal, year-round greenhouse will become a cornerstone of food security, education, and community resilience in our region.

Built through a partnership between Foods of the Fundy Valley, Caledonia Regional High School, and the Albert County Community Health Centre, the greenhouse will:

Grow fresh, healthy produce for school meal programs, food banks, and community organizations.
Serve as a hands-on learning hub for students—from seed starting to harvest, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture.
Provide space for workshops, intergenerational learning, and community events.
Support Indigenous land-based education, including traditional foodways and growing practices.
Strengthen local food systems and reduce barriers for rural families.

Winter is Coming (But Dinner's Handled)

26/11/2025

 Submitted by M.A. Ferguson, Author & a Community of Partner of Connecting Albert County

There’s a quiet magic that happens right before winter settles in—when the mornings feel a little crisper, the sweaters a little softer, and the kitchen somehow becomes the heart of everything again. Lately, I’ve been leaning into that feeling, letting the slower rhythm of the season guide me.

So for the next two weeks, I’m leaning into everything that feels warm, easy, and effortless. Think simmering soups on slow afternoons, roasted veggies that caramelize into pure magic, and cozy breakfasts that make getting out of bed a little less dramatic.

This two-week meal plan is all about grounding yourself before the cold really settles in—seasonal, modern, unfussy, and just a little indulgent. The kind of food that makes the house smell amazing and your shoulders drop an inch.

Sustaining Our Future: Farmer Brown's Greenhouse Adapts to Climate Change

31/10/2025

Written by David Jonah, Pleasant Vale, Local Writer & Agriculture Enthusiast Submitted by Megan Mace, Coordinator, Foods of the Fundy Valley

Images from www.facebook.com/FarmerBrownsGreenhouse/photos

When Lisa and Fred Brown first established their greenhouse operation on Osborne Corner Road in Dawson over 25 years ago, they were pursuing a shared dream to develop a small farm where they could grow the food for their family.

What began as a single greenhouse, built when their youngest child of three children started school, has evolved into a thriving agricultural enterprise with two multi-site locations, a renowned farm-to-fork operation, and a profound commitment to local food security.

But over the past decade, Lisa has noticed something undeniable: the climate is changing, and farming in Albert County demands new strategies and constant adaptation.

Sweet Memories & Tradition Run Through Pleasant Vale

30/9/2025

 Written by David Jonah, Pleasant Vale, Local Writer & Agriculture Enthusiast
Submitted by Megan Mace, Coordinator, Foods of the Fundy Valley
foodsofthefundyvalley.ca & www.facebook.com/FoodsOfTheFundyValley

Every year on the third Sunday of August, at the annual historic Pleasant Vale United Church commemorative memorial service, now in its 154th year, organizer Dennis Shaffer rewards the minister and choir for their participation with a special gift bag of local Maple Sugar products.

The annual gift bag includes his Shaffer Maple products, plus those of the remaining hobbyist Maple Sugar producers in Pleasant Vale, David and Maureen Stevenson, and Bruce Steeves.

The story of how this 23-year-retired former manager of Respiratory Therapy Services at Horizon-Moncton Hospital crafts raw sap into sweet products is an inspiring tale of the Shaffer family's generational legacy and Albert County's agricultural traditions.

For Dennis, his retirement focus on maple production is an all-encompassing hobby that not only anchors his children and grandchildren to their family's history, but also emotionally connects his family to his father and grandfather.