A typical day for Carol Ring begins at 6am. She has breakfast with her husband Keith, feeds her dog, Suzy, and takes a leisurely walk to nearby Savory Provincial Park. She then begins preparing her market for noon opening.  On Mondays and Thursdays she travels to the Annapolis Valley to pick up produce to stock her shelves.

Having grown up in the Annapolis Valley, a region that is conducive to growing vegetable and fruit crops, Carol missed tasting the fresh produce from her hometown after settling down in Barton with her husband Keith. She would make weekly trips to the Valley, to pick up her produce, which eventually led to making pick-ups for her friends and neighbors. She would also grow and sell strawberries from a roadside stand as a hobby.

After working 10 years in the retail industry, she was left to seek other employment after her employer at the time retired and closed the store. At that point, she explored the idea of turning her passion for working with the general public, gardening and buying local into a career for herself. 

Carol participated in a local age advantage program which was aimed at starting a business. This is where she heard about the services the Digby-Clare CBDC offered. After consulting with a development officer, she began the process of applying for the Self-Employment Benefit Program as well as applying for a small SEED loan to establish her farm market. The initial plan was to open a seasonal farm market on her residential property with the intent of only selling Digby County and Annapolis Valley, locally grown produce sourced directly from the farmers who grow it. Within the first 2 years, she was open year-round due to a high volume of customer requests.

Now in business since 2010, Carol hasn’t looked back. Her history in the retail industry provided her the essential skills to operate her business; however she still openly received support, guidance and valuable advice from a previous employer. Carol also credits her husband, Keith, who has shown patience and was nothing but encouraging and supportive throughout the various phases of her business venture.

As with any business, Carol surely faced a number of challenges. Firstly, she had difficulties finding farmers and suppliers who sold produce in small quantities. Many of her suppliers are farmers who are old family friends and former schoolmates. “The farmers are fantastic to work with. If they’ve run out of a certain product that I want, they are not afraid to recommend other farmers who carry that same product. Some farmers also provide me with crop reports. They are a network that supports each other while still remaining competitive. It’s nice to see. Also, people have lost touch with the seasons. Everything is available at the local grocery stores, so when someone comes to me and asks for a specific product that is no longer in season, they are disappointed that I don’t have it, however I see that as an opportunity to educate.”

Another challenge Carol faced was determining how much to buy. She tries to buy a week’s worth of produce to limit the amount of organic waste. “I’d rather tell a customer that I’ve run out of a certain product than have to sell them a product that is not as fresh.”

Carol is most proud that she is able to fulfill a goal and need in the community. “I would have to say that my proudest moment is when my customers asked me to remain open year round. It showed me that I’m fulfilling a goal and need in the community. I have a place here.”

When asked what advice Carol has for anyone starting out in business, she states that you have to be patient. “You need to give it time to see growth and you have to have a support system and resources. Don’t be afraid to reach out.”

“Without the CBDC the business would not have happened. I wouldn’t have started or wouldn’t have succeeded. From my first appointment, Wanda was helpful, encouraging and supportive. I wasn’t going to go through the Self-Employment Benefit Program, but Wanda was crucial in providing me information on the program and convinced me to participate. I always felt that I could go to the CBDC for anything and was never made to feel that I was a bother.”

When asking Carol where she sees her business in the next few years, she’s hopeful that it will keep growing. “We hope to grow more of our own produce when we have more time.  As long as I’m physically able to do it, I will continue.”