Bio-intensive micro farm • Pollinator-friendly • Seed-saving
About Wild Rose Farm
Gilbert’s Cove, Digby County, Nova Scotia
Rooted in the Land, Built for Abundance
Wild Rose Farm is a small, bio-intensive “micro farm” that grows a lot in a little space—by keeping the soil healthy, working carefully by hand, and planning for continuous harvest.
Our 68 acres are mostly woodland, with pasture for livestock and a market garden where we grow vegetables, beans, herbs, flowers, and seeds.
Who we are
Gilberte Doelle and Farm Team.
Members of ACORN and Seeds of Diversity.
What we’re known for
- Monarch Waystation site through Monarch Watch
- Butterfly-friendly planting and pollinator support
- Seed saving and heritage varieties
Call the farm with questions or CSA inquiries:
How We Farm
We use bio-intensive and permaculture practices—often growing two or more crops in the same plot—so the garden is rarely bare. Rows are worked by hand and hoe, and we haven’t tilled in many years.
- Soil fertility built with compost teas, worm castings, compost, and natural amendments as needed (including seaweed/fish emulsion, lime or shells).
- Winter cover crops (green manures) and aged manure to keep soil active and nourished.
- Mulched pathways to hold moisture and warmth and keep weeds down.
- Double-wide “brims” (double walkways) to help retain moisture in drought and move water away in wet conditions.
- Interplanting with flowers and herbs to support beneficial insects and help with pest pressure.
- Two compost systems—long and short—to match what we’re composting and how it will be used.
CSA & Local Markets
We’re proud to run one of the province’s longest-running CSAs (Community Shared Agriculture), alongside farm stand and market sales.
Farm stand + markets
- Vegetable stand open until Christmas and reopens the first week of April
- Annapolis Royal Farmers’ Market (year-round)
- Flash market at Université Sainte-Anne (Church Point)
- Night markets in Bear River and Digby (Fridays)
CSA options
- Seasonal CSA weekly program
- Choose-your-own CSA
- Delivery to Annapolis Royal, Digby, and Sainte-Anne
Call the farm to ask what’s available for the season.
Seeds, Flowers & Pollinators
Seed saving
Seed saving is part of our farm culture. We’ve grown seeds for on-farm use for 20+ years, and we also grow for Hope Seeds. We propagate heritage varieties and carefully separate similar plants (or grow them at different times) to avoid cross-pollination.
We’re also working on revitalizing varieties for Seeds of Diversity—and we sell seed packets yearly.
Flowers and herbs
Flowers and culinary herbs do more than look beautiful: they help attract pollinators and beneficial insects, and can also be used in pest-control compost teas. Our butterfly garden includes food-source plants for monarch caterpillars.
Greenhouses & Livestock
Greenhouses
- Large greenhouse (built 2004; repaired from wind damage and renovated in 2024)
- Hand-worked soil with worm compost; unheated production for season extension
- Produces crops like lettuces, spinach, greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, eggplant, okra, peppers, lemongrass, and rosemary
“Horton” greenhouse
- First built in 2013; rebuilt in 2014 after a storm (with crowdfunding support)
- Custom in-house design using tamarack wood, concrete pads, and polycarbonate exterior
- “Lasagna” layering method (weeds, seaweed, manure, compost) for long-lasting nutrients
- Upgraded bracing in 2024
Livestock
- Cattle: meat, manure source, and “weed digesters” (Canadian Cross, Shorthorn & Jersey crosses)
- Chickens: eggs; kept until end of life; certified-organic feed (Barnyard Organics)
- Guinea hens: bug and tick control
Livestock helps keep the farm cycle strong—fertility, balance, and real on-farm resilience.
Stewardship & Recognition
We care deeply about stewardship—soil health, biodiversity, and practical farm planning that keeps the land productive year after year.
902-837-4181