Growing Experiential Tourism
Residents in the Annapolis Valley come together to create tourism experiences that benefit both community & visitor
By Izabela Jaroszynski
Most visitors arrive in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley via Highway 101 from Halifax. As you enter the region, there's a particular point in the road when you crest over a hill and have a sweeping view of the verdant valley and the magnetic Bay of Fundy in the distance.
"That's the view that tells me I'm home," says Leann Grosvold, Project Manager of the new Food Art Nature experiences program centred in the Valley.
Set against the ebb and flow of the world's highest tides, the Annapolis Valley has the richest agricultural lands in Atlantic Canada and is characterized by farmlands, wineries, salt marshes and rocky shorelines.
At the heart of the region is the Wolfville Farmers' Market, where every Saturday the community gathers to listen to music, buy local products and connect with each other.
It was here at the Wolfville Farmers' Market that the first ideas for a community-led tourism program were planted.
"They are an incubator of ideas," Leann says of the Wolfville Farmers' Market, adding that the team is always looking for new ways to help local producers thrive.
Bringing that initial idea to fruition took the passion and expertise of three local organizations: the Wolfville Farmers' Market; Earth Rhythms, an experiential tourism company; and the Blomidon Naturalists Society, a non-profit organization committed to fostering an appreciation of nature.
"They were doing something that hadn't happened here before," Leann says. "They were helping to fill a gap and fill it with regenerative, sustainable, low-waste, thoughtful, slow travel experiences."
Each Food Art Nature experience promises visitors authenticity because it reflects the hosts' genuine sense of purpose and place, provides an exchange of knowledge and is rooted in storytelling.
It is regenerative tourism at its core: coming from the community, benefiting the community and helping visitors have a deeper experience by grounding them in a sense of place through — as its name states — food, art and nature.
For the providers who have signed on and undertaken the hard work of creating meaningful experiences, the program provides a chance to showcase what they love most about their region.
Read below as some of the Food Art Nature providers share a glimpse into their immersive experiences.
Herbalist Angie Oriana Jenkins of Sister Lotus created an experience called 'Evangeline, Expulsions, Enchantment & Elixirs' where participants connect with medicinal plants and food remedies of the Acadians and Mi'kmaq and bottle up a take-home Evangeline Elixir.
The experience, she says, "captures the very heart of the Annapolis Valley through its exploration of the history and landscape of the peoples who set the stage for our current habitation here."
"The Annapolis Valley has such a rich agricultural community and this experience allows people to connect directly with the farmers who are growing local food on their land, to see, smell and taste what local really means," says Jenn Manuel, who faciliates the Good Food Adventures experience at the Wolfville Farmers' Market.
Rachael Robertson, of Robertson's Farm & Apothecary, offers a Soil to Soul Workshop where visitors learn about small-scale farming in the Annapolis Valley and can craft their very own winter tonic and botanical oil.
"Our unique terroir that our cattle roam and our herbs bloom, is a gift and a challenge all beautifully entwined," she says. "With more hours of sunshine than our city and incessant winds flowing from the Bay of Fundy, we have our own weather system here that we navigate with grace and a few swear words every now and then."
Will Brunner of Soft Pine Wellness is another one of the Food Art Nature experience providers. A trained forest therapy guide, Will provides two experiences through the program: an Nature Immersion in the Acadian Forest and Annapolis Valley Forest Bathing.
"Stumbling upon a secluded ravine of old-growth eastern hemlock, gazing up towards soaring bald eagles, and sitting near a babbling freshwater brook are special moments to discover in the Annapolis Valley," Will says. "Forest bathing and immersing in local wild spaces is a beautiful way to connect to ourselves and this powerful landscape."
"Our Botanical Casting Experience captures the essence of the Valley by correlating this area's rich agriculture background in a modern and artistic way with the Bay of Fundy as our backdrop," says Sarah Macalpine, of Two Birds One Stone Farm.
During the guided experience, visitors explore the gardens and working farm, harvest botanicals to make a plaster cast and enjoy a seasonal lunch.
"The Annapolis Valley is a mixture of urban and rural, new and old, modern and vintage," says Michelle Wolf of Herbal Hill Farm. Michelle offers A Sacred Ecology of Plants and Place workshop through Food Art Nature.
Photo of Herbal Hill Farm
Photo of Herbal Hill Farm
"Herbal Hill Farm allows guests to experience this same wide range of experiences, the sacred ecology of our bioregion, the interplay of built and natural environments, and a tea ceremony that is both traditional and contemporary."
"Our goat hiking and farm tour experiences focus on showcasing the natural beauty of our diverse landscape while highlighting the sustainable farming practices that are so important to this region," says Sue Earle, of Tipsy Toad Grove Farm.
Sue offers two experiences through Food Art Nature: The Great Goat Escape and South Mountain Goat Walks.
"The Annapolis Valley is known for its hospitality, and at our farm we keep group sizes small to allow our visitors to make real connections with us and our very personable goats."
Chris O'Neill leads an evening workshop called Forest Shadows and Light: A North Mountain Experience out of the Ross Creek Centre for the Arts. Participants go on a guided night hike or snowshoe through an old-growth forest along a trail lit with torches. They learn about light and shadows, lessons that are then applied to a charcoal drawing activity.
"Ross Creek shows off the beauty and mystery of the Wabanaki forest in the cool evening shadows and inspires creativity," Chris says. "From the fire-lit welcome to the guided walk to the shared meal and creative connection."
Kim Barlow of Music in Communities Co-op, created the Fundy Forest Songs experience to give people a chance to find their own voice while listening to the old-growth Acadian forests of the region, connecting everyone together in song and celebration.
"The Annapolis Valley is rich in culture and wild beauty."
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