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Alumni Spotlight
Mélicious Chocolat- Mélanie Leclerc (MSc(Ag)’04)
By Emma Geldart One could say Mélanie Leclerc has a bit of a sweet tooth, one that led her down the path of entrepreneurship. It was Leclerc’s taste for high quality chocolate and her desire to do something different that led her to develop Mélicious Chocolat, a business venture she otherwise may not have pursued. […]
From dream to reality: Jessica Fogarty (DTech’15)
Recent Agriculture alum Jessica Fogarty (DTech’15) has taken her love of nature into a whole new direction with her wild crafting and herbal business based in Cape Breton.
Adventures in farming: Michael Blois (BSc (Agriculture)’05)
No obstacle is too great for Michael Blois (BSc (Agriculture)’05), who is re-inventing his family’s farm as an adventure destination for mountain bikers, runners and racers.
Determined distiller: Riley Giffen (DEng’14)
Dal Agriculture alumnus Riley Giffen (DEng’14) combined his entrepreneurial spirit, studies in chemistry, and family history in distilling to create Coldstream Clear Distillery.
A dual approach to growing Truro’s local food scene
John Stiles (Tech’97) and his wife Mari Ann own and run a unique kind of business in Truro, NS: they farm wild blueberries and operate a taco food truck featuring locally-sourced ingredients.
Expansion minded: keeping the family farm ahead of the curve
John Schenkels (BSc (Agriculture)’91) took over his family’s farm after graduating with a degree in plant science. Since then, he has continually taken advantage of opportunities to expand the farm’s operations.
Kindness, generosity, and delicious blueberry juice: van Dyk’s
From wild blueberries, a construction company, mink, Christmas tree land, and more in the works, the van Dyk family farm is nothing short of incredible.
Milfern’s Holsteins: the Hamiltons
The Hamilton family – Fred, Anne (Class of ’88), Fabian (Class of ’13) and Andrea (Class of ’17) own and operate Milferns Holsteins. Although primarily known for its dairy cows, Milferns Holsteins of Onslow, NS has expanded way past dairy cows. They have a little bit of everything.
Keeping it real: Matthew Reeves
When families question whether to buy a real Christmas tree or an artificial one, Matthew Reeves (BSc’03) has the answer.
Burns Poultry Farm: Nathan & Wendy Burns
The spotlight is on Nathan and Wendy Burns, of Burns Poultry Farm, Freetown, P.E.I. Their seventh-generation family farm is anything but old-fashioned.