Red Soil Organics expands with government grants

Red Soil Organics Inc. will continue its expansion as an organic farm with $575,000 from the federal and provincial governments.

The repayable loan of $500,000 from the federal government will help the farm purchase sorting and packaging equipment. A $75,000 grant from the Canada-PEI Growing Forward 2 Agreement will assist in buying an optical carrot sorter, a grader and help make improvements to waste water management.

The Dykerman family in Brookfield, P.E.I., began growing organic vegetables in 2009. Over the past seven years, they've grown to become the largest organic vegetable farm in Atlantic Canada, growing over 50 acres of mixed vegetables including carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale and rutabaga.

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The funding was announced at the farm Friday by Malpeque MP Wayne Easter and Alan McIsaac, P.E.I.'s Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.

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