Money may not grow on trees but pears do, and in Woodville, N.S. they also grow inside bottles.
At first glance, Boates Farm appears to be an average Maritime farm on the fertile farmlands of the Annapolis Valley, and initial appearances suggest farmer Brian Boates is an average grower, tending to his 25 acres of land dotted with fruit trees.
"We take a great deal of pride in what we do,” says Boates. “We market what we do in Nova Scotia."
Boates specializes in growing pears. Some of the fruit grows on trees in typical fashion, while others are planted in bottles which are then placed in the trees to grow. The bottled pears are used to make pear liquor.
“What they are making is an Eau de Vie, which is a pear liquor and it is quite nice," says Boates.
Boates says he must take extreme care when preparing the pears to be bottled.
"We start right after June when the pear is about the size of your baby finger and we slide the pear in the bottle,” says Boates. “There's quite a bit of pruning. Then we tie the bottle upside down on the tree so it doesn't accumulate any moisture and wait for the pear to grow.”
While it may sound complicated, Boates says the procedure is simple.
"My job is to grow pears in the bottle then I'm through with it," says Boates.
He then hands off the precious pears to the Ironworks Distillery in Lunenburg where they are made into wine. The finished product has a retail price ranging from $30 to $100.
“This year, we put pit 340 bottles and we should yield 200 saleable bottles out of that,” says Boates.
Boates hopes to expand his bottled pear crops further in the coming years. He says it is good for business and the bottom line is crucial for any famer.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Paul Hollingsworth
