NSYF Board

Afton, NS

Sara lives in Antigonish county with her husband, Devin, and their son, Dirks, on his family’s dairy farm. Sara’s family has been involved in the agriculture community in Antigonish for generations. She is passionate about including her family in the day to day operations of their farm business.

She was a 4-H member for 11 years and her passion for agriculture grew from there. She worked on a dairy farm in high school and college. Sara and her husband went to Australia and worked on a large grain farm for a year, while traveling the country in their spare time.

Sara has been a Registered Massage Therapist for 10 years and works at a Physiotherapy clinic in Antigonish. She also has her own health and wellness business, specializing in nutritional supplements and products.

Caledonia, NS

Nichole Van Dyk is a third generation member of the Van Dyk Blueberry family of businesses. Nichole lives in Caledonia, Queens County with her partner and their children. Van Dyk Blueberries of Caledonia, NS grows and processes wild blueberries, produces related value-added products and manages roughly 1000 honeybee hives.

Nichole is a 2018 Dalhousie University graduate with a BSc in Agricultural Business. Since having children Nichole has switched her focus from the beekeeping and the harvest side of their family operation to spending her time in the family’s production facilities where they produce 100% pure wild blueberry juice, dried wild blueberries and wild blueberry powder.

Tyler grew up on his family’s fourth generation farm in Gaspereau, Kings County. A small beef farm that operates on 250 acres of owned and rented land consisting of pasture, forage and woodland. Over the past decade Tyler and his family have diversified the operation to small-scale lumber production, grass fed beef, pasture raised poultry, free range layers and free range pork. Most of the products are directly marketed to consumers through farm gate sales, two farmers markets and a restaurant. A group of feeder cattle are sold as yearlings on an annual basis as well.

Tyler is currently president of the Kings County Federation of Agriculture. Tyler has many interests in all forms of farming, soil conservation, regenerative agriculture and habitat conservation. In addition to farming Tyler also works for a local directional drilling company that installs pipe infrastructure using trenchless technology.

Rachel Lives in Sheffield Mills, Kings County where she farms along side her oldest brother and two uncles on their family farm, Wilmar Acres. The farm produces broiler chickens and onions. Rachel graduated from Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science (Agriculture) majoring in agriculture business, and minoring in plant science. After graduation Rachel moved home to continue farming with her family and planting her own roots. Rachel was the 2023/24 Atlantic Canada representative for the Chicken Farmers of Canada young farmers program and a Chicken Farmers of Nova Scotia new entrant. Rachel has a passion for agriculture and is excited to be on the board.

Shamus lives in Antigonish county and works on his family dairy farm with his father, Jack. Shamus and his family have been involved in farming in the county for over 200 years.

He graduated from Dalhousie Agriculture Campus with a Diploma in Dairy Business Management.  Shamus also spent 13 years as an active 4H member taking part in a variety of projects, national travel opportunities, tug of war and Woodsman

Chloe grew up on a Balsam and Fraser fir Christmas tree farm in Woodstock, New Brunswick. She went to Dalhousie Agricultural Campus and graduated in 2022 with a major in Ag Business and a minor in Plant Science. She met her husband Luke at university and moved to Nova Scotia. She now works at the Truro Agromart doing logistics, administration and sales. Chloe also helps her husband on his family’s crop and beef farm. 

Brooke Edwards is the co-owner of Missing Barn Farm & Market in Upper Stewiacke and a first-generation farmer alongside her partner, Colin. She was exposed to agriculture academically during her studies and was inspired to put theory into practice. Since purchasing their farm property in 2020, Brooke and Colin have focused on implementing regenerative agricultural practices to build a resilient, and sustainable farm.

Together, they raise a growing flock of Katahdin hair sheep, cultivate shiitake and oyster mushrooms under the forest canopy, and care for a flock of free-range laying hens. Brooke balances farm life, a full-time job at Dalhousie, and a family—often tackling chores with a little one, or two, in tow.