Megan Balodis of Marshdale Farms
NS Young Farmers had a chance to chat with Megan Balodis to find out more about her NS Agriculture. Here she shares her path and thoughts with us:
NS Young Farmers: Tell us a bit about yourself.
Megan: Well, I grew up mostly in Nova Scotia and studied plant science in Truro at the NSAC, now Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture. I’m introverted and don’t enjoy working in an office full-time, but I do love solving problems and tackling different tasks everyday! Years later it seems like I blinked and now I run a diversified flower farm while wrangling a couple of children.
NS Young Farmers: Tell us about your involvement in agriculture.
Megan: After university, I did a brief stint as a researcher for a vertical farming company, but commuting and coordinating with my husband’s work schedule was simply not family-friendly. I added cut flowers to the family farm as something I could scale and adjust to my career needs. I also do some of the business administration for our beef farm.
NS Young Farmers: What drew you to agriculture?
Megan: It was the plants and the people! I lived in PEI until I was about 6 and we had family friends who worked in agriculture. One would come back from field scouting with her little car full of soybeans and other samples, another was always testing recipes in her kitchen for marketing local agriculture and had a gorgeous garden. Their brother ran the family dairy farm. They were always up to something different, and it left a lasting impression.
NS Young FArmers: What do you love most about NS agriculture?
Megan: The diversity! Pictou County alone has about 200 registered farms, and they do so many different things. On days I sell flowers at the farmers market or go to an agricultural event I can find someone to talk with about virtually any farming subject.
NS Young Farmers: What are the goals for your farm?
Megan: Long-term I would like to scale it into a full-time job, so my eye is always on that. Right now, my goal is to keep it to a sustainable amount of work while raising young kids.
NS YoungFarmers: Do you have any advice for young farmers or young adults looking to get into the agriculture industry?
Megan: I would say that everyone has to find their own way – what worked for me isn’t going to be best for someone else. It’s important to be a bit flexible because the plan you have in your head is going to need adjusting once you get started!
Megan posted a great photo of herself and a beautiful armful of tulips during the month of May, tagged with HowNSAgs which was the judges’ pick for this year’s HowNSAgs top photo.
Megan won two passes to the Saturday events and concert at the 2024 NS Stampede in Bible Hill.
