Diversification

Many investors and small business owners have found that one of the keys to success is to diversify and farmers are no exception.

Farmers everywhere seem to just pretty much scrape by economically. At the mercy of weather, pests and consumer ups and downs, and competing against multinationals, farmers are always looking for ways to increase revenue or to fortify themselves against a bad crop and one of the ways is to diversify. 

Tom Trueman, a New Brunswick blueberry and raspberry farmer, and the 8th generation of his family to farm their land, runs a pick-your-own operation as well as a roadside stand. This year he came up with the idea of planting and maintaining a sunflower maze and inviting the public to meander through it. It is conveniently located just off the main highway that runs through New Brunswick on the way to Nova Scotia and PEI.

The CBC interviewed Mr. Trueman and put a video on their website which you can find here. When I went to YouTube to see if the interview would be there so that I could include it here (sadly, it wasn't) I found lots of other sunflower maze videos and it seems that sunflower mazes are popular across the US. Trueman believes his is the only one in NB. 

Trueman's farm also has honeybees, so the sunflowers provide a plentiful supply of pollen for them, but it begs the question about whether he keeps a bee sting kit or two handy throughout the season.