On the Radar

ON THE SOUTHWESTERN SHORE of Nova Scotia lies an agricultural region known as the banana belt of Atlantic Canada. Its mild winters and cool summers are ideal for growing plants that would typically not survive at this latitude. To be clear, no bananas are actually grown here — but what does grow is saffron, a spice that’s derived from the crocus flower and is prized for its flavour, colour and aroma.

That is, saffron is grown here now that Matthew Roy and Cynthia Bazinet have set up their 11-acre Coastal Grove Farm. The couple moved to Upper Port La Tour from Massachusetts in March 2020, crossing the border the day before it was closed due to COVID-19. They had purchased the property in 2015, and as a retired agricultural scientist and retired teacher, they were looking to relocate to a place where they could, Roy says, “grow exactly what we want to grow.”

According to Roy, climate change is creating new opportunities for agriculture in marginal zones, and the couple have found success with plants that have never thrived in the region before. Bonus: they’re growing them organically, some in greenhouses and some in open fields. Last year’s saffron crop sold out, most of it going to high-end restaurants such as Mystic and Drift in Halifax, and Newfoundland’s Fogo Island Inn.

Roy and Bazniet have also planted seven varieties of tea and are waiting patiently as the plants mature — it takes five seasons before they can be harvested for use. “Tea is just like grapes for wine. It takes up the soil, the terroir,” says Roy. They aim to create a blend unique to Nova Scotia, once Roy figures out which varieties do best. “Knowing that climate is changing, we have a head start. Five or 10 years down the road, if anybody else decides to look into this, we’ll be able to say, ‘Ah, we’ve already got it all in place.’” Perhaps it’s time to rename that region the saffron and tea belt?