From Orchard to Table: How 17,400 Pounds of Nova Scotia Apples Found a Second Life

In the Annapolis Valley, on a stretch of land that sat abandoned for over a century, Naeem Khan turned his hobby into what’s now known as Eco Ponds Organics, a 50-acre farm where he grows a variety of apples, grapes and berries. It’s also the starting point of a journey that would carry 17,400 pounds of apples from Nova Scotia’s agricultural hub to the tables of families across the province.

Last summer, Nova Scotia experienced an extended period of severe drought that left between 40 to 50 per cent of the province’s crops unmarketable because of their smaller size, according to Emily Lutz, executive director of the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers Association. For Naeem and other farmers already stretched thin by unpredictable weather, that meant watching the fruit of their hard work wither in the field with no commercial buyers.  

That’s where Second Harvest’s From the Farm program came in. Designed to meet farmers where they are, the program helps recover more fresh produce while taking the logistical burden off growers. As Mel Jacques, Second Harvest's foodraising manager for Atlantic Canada, put it, the goal is to be farmers' “one call, one stop, actionable way” to make an impact in their community.

Through the partnership with the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers Association, our team got in touch with Naeem right away last October to arrange the pick-up, transportation and distribution of his surplus apples to local non-profit partners.  

To Naeem, who’s also a physician at IWK Health Centre, finding a home for the apples felt especially personal. These fruits are “powerful additions” to a balanced diet, he said, and he has witnessed firsthand the meaningful difference access to healthy food can make in people’s lives.  

“Basic nutrition … is the right of every human being. I believe we should do our best, as much as we can to support that,” he said.  

From Eco Ponds Organics, about 9,400 pounds of apples were distributed to community food programs in the Annapolis Valley last fall. The remaining apples travelled to the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), where they were distributed to Second Harvest’s local non-profit network via a community distribution event in partnership with the JustFOOD Community Food Truck, a refrigerated vehicle owned by the municipal government and dedicated to moving emergency food throughout the city. This partnership reduces the transportation and storage barriers faces by some of our smaller non-profit partners.  

In total, 20 non-profit organizations across the province received 17,400 pounds of apples, including community food banks, seniors centres, youth organizations, faith-based organizations, Indigenous communities, and refugee clinics.

For Naeem, the journey of these apples shows what is possible when surplus food is given a path forward.

“I can only do so much on my scale, but if every farmer does a similar thing on their scale, this would make a huge impact on the communities,” he said.