Big Sky Ventures Inc

Tell us about your farm.

The farm is just over 160 acres with 6 acres of certified organic Sea Buckthorn - that’s about 6000 - 7000 plants. We’ve been trialing different varieties over the years and have found three varieties that do well in our New Brunswick conditions. The shrubs are cold hardy, resistant to disease and insect pests, and fix atmospheric nitrogen through their roots. Each varietal orchard is separated by wooded buffer zones and we invite folks to U-pick and explore the trails at harvest time. We have a licensed cottage winery on-site as well as a processing facility where we make juice, dehydrated berry powder, and skin care products.

Why did you become certified organic?

Traceability is important. Many people buy our product for the health benefits and those people want to know where the product comes from and that no chemicals were used in production or processing. We also sell raw juice and powder to other companies like breweries and nutritional supplement manufacturers; they also want certified organic products to pass on to their customers. There’s a lot of paperwork involved in organic certification but we’ve actually found that keeping detailed records has helped us manage our business better, especially with all the different market streams.

What's been your biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge has been getting people to understand what Sea Buckthorn is. The plant is common throughout Europe and Asia where it’s been used for centuries as food, medicine and skin care. But, it’s unique in Canada and the taste is difficult to describe - like a tart citrusy mix of pineapple, lemon, lime, and strawberry - well, you just have to try it! People add it to smoothies, salad dressings, baking or take it straight up. It has a really incredible nutritional profile with over 190 bioactive substances. Clay and I are getting older and maybe we’re not as marketing savvy as we should be in this technological age. We’re looking to retire soon. Hopefully we can mentor a younger farmer and they can take it to the next level.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Did I mention I’m getting older?! (Those over 60 will know what I’m talking about!)

Seriously though, there’s so much research from around the world showing Sea Buckthorn’s far reaching health benefits that we know we’re doing something that can help people live healthier lives. We’ve developed close  relationships with some of our regular customers who have experienced health benefits from our products. We've had requests for samples from labs doing cancer research and that's very exciting for us. It’s a good feeling to be doing something worthwhile.  

Where to buy:

You can buy berries, juice, jelly, powder and skin products through our online store at Big Sky Ventures. Our wines are available at retail ANBL outlets in Chipman, Minto and Crossroads on the Hanwell. Check out our website or send us an email (Sea-buckthorn@outlook.com) for more retail options.