Naesgaard's Farm & Market - Spotlight on Alberni

Hello I'm Chris Fenton and this week on Spotlight on Alberni I'm on River Road to talk to Helgie and Mary Ann about their business Naesgaard Farm Market.

So Helgie and Mary Ann thank you so much for welcoming us to your market.

Tell us a little bit about yourselves personally

Well my family arrived here in 1953 and we started farming McCoy Lake about 1960. Of course went to school here and worked at McLean Mill, logging a bit and then I went off to University. 

Do you want to share anything about yourself?

I came here with him, well I came in 78, we were married then, and then we actually moved away to Fredericton, New Brunswick and then we came back. When we came back we drove across Canada and I felt I was really sick, and then when I got here I went to doctors and I was pregnant. So we figured, we may as well stay here. Helgie searched for the land for the Market and then we found this. And because his parents always wanted a market so we figured, well we have to stay here, we want to stay here so we may as well. 

So please share with us the origin story of Naesgaard's Farm Market

Around 1980 I guess it was my parents had been farming out there for 20 years, they had a fairly successful U-pick strawberry operation, grew sweet corn, and so on. We spotted this land and I went in to see if it was for sale and it was actually.

So I've been coming to Naesgaard's my entire life, tell me about what you have now, it's changed over the years. Tell me what you sell throughout the year here now

Our own homegrown produce, that's the main stay of the market, that's what makes it all tick. In the fall we get into pumpkins, we have a charity event where we donate half the proceeds from the pumpkin sales to Children's Hospital and from there it's into Christmas.

Mary Ann what's you're favourite season here?

Of course Christmas! We have a gift shop and we also have a fashion boutique, Mary Ann likes that too. I like that, see my clothes haha. So anyways she drives that part of it. 

I only have one more question for you. It's where are you located and what are your hours?

5681 Rover Road, that's also Highway #4, 10 am to 5:30 pm everyday, that's a little bit flexible of course.

Thank you for joining us on this week's Spotlight on Alberni. We'll see you next time.