New Apple Processing Equipment Supports Nova Scotia Growers
Justin Mackenzie, production manager at The Station Food Hub Company, loads the apple slicer. (Province of Nova Scotia)
New apple slicing and packaging equipment is increasing capacity and helping Nova Scotia growers reach institutional markets like schools, hospitals and care facilities.
With support from the Province, a new apple slicer and processing line is now operating at The Station Food Hub Company in Newport Station, Hants County.
“This new equipment helps open new market opportunities for Nova Scotia growers, particularly within public institutions,” said Greg Morrow, Minister of Agriculture. “It shows how government and industry working together can strengthen local businesses while making local food more accessible across our province.”
Minister Morrow visited the company today, April 16, with local apple growers, community partners and students from a nearby elementary school.
The Station Food Hub Company received $25,000 from the Department of Agriculture’s Institutional Supplier Investment Program and $72,045 from the Institutional Development Expansion and Advancement (IDEA) program to purchase slicing and packaging equipment. This has increased the volume of apples processed from 30 cases per day to as many as 300.
Each case provides about 180 servings, and more cases will enable fresh, local apple slices to be included in the Nova Scotia School Lunch Program and in other institutional settings.
During the event, students from Three Mile Plains District School learned how local foods like apples make their way from Nova Scotian orchards, participated in an agriculture learning session and sampled fresh, local apple slices.
Quotes:
“It is important to farmers in Nova Scotia that what they work so hard to grow is accessible to be enjoyed by people in their own communities. What better feeling when visiting a school or hospital than to know your snack has a good chance of being grown close to home, thanks to this investment, and the good folks at The Station Food Hub Company.”
— Emily Lutz, Executive Director, Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association
“Thanks to support from the Department of Agriculture, the apple line and local apple slices have become our third anchor product. Alongside frozen vegetables and preserves, we can now offer a fresh product that expands opportunities for local growers and brings more Nova Scotia products into public institutions.”
— Rebecca Tran, founder, The Station Food Hub Company
Quick Facts:
- the IDEA program is a partnership between the Department of Agriculture and the Nova Scotia Loyal team at the Department of Growth and Development, and is administered by Perennia
- the program supports farmers, processors and distribution hubs to scale up and sell into institutional markets such as schools, hospitals and universities
- launched in November, the IDEA program has an initial budget of $860,000, with an additional $1 million committed in the 2026-27 provincial budget to expand the program
- institutional procurement initiatives support the Province’s goal of having 20 per cent of food used in public institutions sourced locally
Additional Resources:
The IDEA program: https://www.perennia.ca/idea/
Nova Scotia School Lunch Program: https://nslunch.ca
Nova Scotia Loyal: https://nsloyal.ca
The Station Food Hub Company: https://www.thestationfoodhub.ca