By Elizabeth Spence
The first time I was in Germany in the 1960s I was introduced to sauerkraut. The word means “sour cabbage” in English. I hated it. It was disgusting and I swore I would never touch it again.
But then, not too long ago, I came across a brand called Nova Kraut at the local Farmers’ Market. There was a sauerkraut with ginger. I like ginger, so I gave it a go. Long story short: I quite like some sauerkraut now.
This all thanks to Amada Howse and the business that she and her husband, Christopher (and 3 kids) run: Waugh’s River Gardens. They grow an array of fruits, flowers and vegetables which they sell fresh, dehydrated, freeze-dried or fermented.
Amanda, originally from Stewiacke, Nova Scotia, wasn’t a born gardener. She remembers her grandfather’s mulberry tree, but that was about it.
It wasn’t until she got a 3-month job at a garden centre when she was 18 that her fascination with everything that grows was born. Her first attempt at gardening was a 6’ x 6’ bed. She learned a lot just in that small space!
After after graduating from community college, Amanda went to Agricultural School, and she came away with a diploma in plant science and a certificate in organic agriculture.
The big problem that was growing in her mind had to do with how little control we have over our fresh food.
If we buy in a big store, we might know where it comes from, but we seldom know what conditions it’s been grown under, what chemicals have been used on it, how long it’s been in transit, how it’s been stored, how it’s been treated to make it look fresh, and so on.
Amanda is on a mission for all of us around here to take food production into our own hands! Then we will definitely know what we’re getting!
Time passed. Married. She and Christopher moved to an old farm with 19-acres just outside Tatamagouche in 2010 with a view eventually to making a living off it. The three children come along.
By 2019 they were in a position to start their business in earnest. They were already growing a lot of vegetables and were building their first greenhouse. An independent and satisfying life working on their lovely farm was taking shape.
Just as they were getting going – the pandemic hit. What to do? Go with the flow!
Since everything was being shut down, there was only one thing possible: provide a delivery service! They personally took their produce to people’s front doors and even went to such far-flung places as Dartmouth and Halifax! You do what you have to do.
Now, five years later, Amanda and Christopher are running a thriving business, using as much of what their land provides as they possibly can.
Apart from the sauerkraut products there are:
- fresh greens;
- salves;
- herbal teas;
- tinctures;
- freeze-dried fruits;
- dehydrated fruits;
- granola and
- occasionally chocolate —
A major focus of their activities though is the fermenting. This is mainly Christopher’s baby. He is constantly experimenting, and this summer he has upped his kraut production to 400lbs of cabbage per day!
Amanda explained that fermentation is, of course, just one way of preserving food, and even after fermentation the food is still raw and it therefore retains all the nutrients.
There are ten different ferments and many flavour options. Not only cabbage, but carrot, beets, garlic, peppers, onions and ginger are also used. The results are definitely unique. Nova Kraut rules!
Amanda shared more information with me:
- they have a commercial kitchen;
- all their products are tested and approved for sale;
- they sell at 20 different outlets;
- they buy in 14,000 lbs. of cabbage from local organic farmers which is stored at the farms until they need it.
What is of particular interest to us gardeners is how Amanda prepares her garden beds. She explains:
I typically prepare my beds by layering a dusting of powdered lime, cardboard, compost (typically well composted manure), then hay or straw. This is directly on top of my heavy clay soil with a pH of approx 4.6.
I leave it for at least a month (ideally 2 months) to let the soil organisms do their work, then consider it ready to plant.
Tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and corn are ideal to plant the first year. They benefit greatly from the mulch and high nutrition of the compost.
I have had great success with this method. I did the same when starting my greenhouse bed. . . .
For mulch I use hay, straw, woodchips and chop and drop comfrey (for potatoes and fruit trees). I also do a bit of cover cropping.
Great information. Thanks Amanda!
You might think all this was enough to keep Amanda busy full time.
But no.
Until recently she has been on the Board of the Tatamagouche Farmers’ Market and is the current Chair of the Creamery Square Association.
Most impressive of all, though, is her founding, in 2023, of the The North Shore Community Connections Society.
This is a non-profit society that aims to expand local knowledge by sharing information. Sharing – that is the whole point. Volunteers are eager to help, and local businesses support the enterprise in many different ways.
Amanda has the knack of finding funding from all sorts of places, so the emphasis is on the activities rather than spending time raising money. She has successfully approached Community Links, Colchester United Way and the Province of Nova Scotia for financial support.
There are free workshops on such subjects as cooking, preserving methods, traditional skills, food production, canning and many aspects of gardening. There are seed giveaways, maker’s swaps, free senior lunches, free community apple picking sessions in orchards. You name it.
There was a workshop yesterday (July 30th):
This is the workshop schedule for the rest of the year:
August: Dehydrating Workshop
September: Four-Season Gardening Workshop
Maker’s Swap
Seasonal cooking class
October: High acid canning workshop (salsa)
Clothing Swap
Dairy Animal Husbandry Workshop
Seasonal Cooking Class
November: Nutrition Enhancement Workshop(sourdough, yogurt and kombucha)
Maker’s Swap
Seasonal Cooking Class
Keep an eye on the Facebook page for times and dates.
As I am writing this, news has reached me that Waugh’s River Gardens has been recognized by Taste of Nova Scotia as a quality member for their Nova Kraut sauerkraut. What an achievement!! Congratulations, guys!!
I asked Amanda if this is encouraging her and Christopher to think about expanding the business, taking on employees and marketing further afield.
The answer was a resounding “NO!”
They are fulfilling their dream. They don’t need more.
I am reminded of a passage at the end of the 1759 novel Candide by the French philosopher, Voltaire. In the face of all the awful, ghastly events that happen in life, the only thing we can do to live a contented life, he advises us, is to stay at home and “cultivate our own garden.”
This is exactly what Amanda and her family are doing. And while they are at it, they are providing food for themselves and the community, Most of all, they’re loving every minute of it!
July, 2024