Tulip Festival blooms successful weekend at Trueman Blueberry Farms in Aulac, N.B.

Rows of vibrant reds, pinks and purples have taken over the fields at Trueman Blueberry Farms in Aulac, N.B.

With 10-to-15,000 bulbs planted, the full bloom helped mark the success of this year’s second annual Tulip Festival.

“This past Saturday was probably our biggest attendance day on history for any of our events, so it’s a good event for us and our guests really seem to appreciate the event as well,” said owner Tom Trueman.

He says that a little over 1,000 people came through the farm on Saturday taking advantage of a spring photo backdrop, the chance to pick your own tulip bouquet and all the other activities the farm has to offer.

“Last year, we were quite busy, very pleased with the results we had, but this year is probably four to five times more people coming through,” he said.

Back in 2017, Trueman Blueberry Farms started to diversify the way they did things by inviting the community to the farm.

Hoping to make direct connections between the farm and consumers, Trueman says the Tulip Festival helps draw out a whole new crowd.

“Fifty years ago, everybody grew up on a farm or they knew somebody who grew up on a farm. Today, they grow up in cities and they don’t have access to the farm background, so this is an opportunity for people to get out and enjoy the outdoors and really see agriculture at its start,” he said.

Part of the tulip field and one of the trains make for a unique photo opportunity for visitors. (Alana Pickrell/CTV Atlantic)

The weather on Monday helped draw people outside for different reasons.

“Our family is on their way back to Halifax so they were going to stop here so we decided we’d come out and pick some pretty flowers and take them home with us,” said Debbie Raymond.

Her almost three-year-old granddaughter also took advantage of the jumping blob and other activities.

“Of course we came for the ice cream as well and we just decided that supporting local is really good and we wanted to come out here and support the owners of Trueman’s and enjoy a nice day together out here,” said Raymond.

It wasn’t just families enjoying the farm. Several dogs were also in attendance, including Brittney Barry and Melissa Godbout’s three pups who helped their owners pick out the best flowers.

“We can bring our dogs, which we love when we can come and support local areas with our pups and it was a beautiful day so we thought we would come and support,” said Godbout.

A dog stops to smell the tulips at Trueman Blueberry Farms on May 22, 2023. (Alana Pickrell/CTV Atlantic)

“I think it shows the work and the effort that the farm has put into so you know that they are grown with love and it is nice to come out and see the work that they have done and appreciate it by picking it and bringing them home,” added Barry.

While the Tulip Festival was the big draw this long weekend, it is just one of many events that Trueman Blueberry Farms has planned for the upcoming season.

A brand new project is currently under construction, which is expected to give guests a chance to see more of the agriculture when they visit.

“Last summer, we had the opportunity to buy The Evangeline, which was the park train from the Upper Clements Park in Upper Clements, N.S., which we basically put on display for last summer and we started this spring with construction project to put down a two-thirds of a mile train loop,” said Trueman.

“We’re building a train station to go with it that will also be an event centre, so we hope to do weddings and other events in there and you’ll be able to get on the train and come by train into your wedding venue when you’re all set.”

He says if all goes to plan, the train loop will be ready by mid-summer, with the train station complete by the fall.

While activities are already in full swing at Trueman Blueberry Farm, there are some concerns for the upcoming growing season.

“We wouldn’t expect to be this dry in the growing season until early July so if we don’t see some regular rain come in, that’s going to have an impact on our berry crops and certainly the hay crop that’s starting out. Right now is less than what it should be for the time of year,” said Trueman.

However, he is feeling optimistic that conditions will improve.

“The weather is, as they say in the Maritimes, ‘If you don’t like it today just wait a minute, it will change.’ So it’s hard to say where it will be in a week or two.”

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