Earl Kidston
Nova Scotia
Nominated by Southview Farms Ltd.
Earl Kidston built a career by looking past conventional boundaries and turning ambitious ideas into thriving agricultural enterprises across the Annapolis Valley. Raised on a family farm in Port Williams, Earl developed an early connection to agriculture through 4-H and raised hogs to earn enough money to buy his first car. After earning an Agricultural Business Diploma with High Honours from the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in 1969, he returned home to commit himself fully to the family farm. Alongside his parents, and brothers, Bobby and Neil, Earl helped build Dykeview Farms before establishing Nova Agri as a marketing arm for their growing agricultural operations.
Growth, of course, did not come without hardship. Devastating fires forced the farm to rebuild more than once, yet each setback was met with determination and a willingness to embrace new technology. Earl continually pursued opportunities beyond his existing experience, including revitalizing Blueberry Acres. After fulfilling the required two years of blueberry production, Earl and his team continued to invest in the operation, growing it to nearly 175 acres and developing one of North America's latest producing highbush blueberry regions. The operation also expanded into agritourism and international markets, including exports to the United Kingdom and Iceland.
Earl's vision extended to strawberry production, where his team progressed from traditional fields to matted rows and eventually state-of-the-art tunnel and tabletop growing systems. In 2020, a former hog facility was transformed into a leading-edge strawberry operation, Vital Berry Farms, which attracted the attention of Driscoll鈥檚 and now grows Driscoll strawberry varieties, marketed across Atlantic Canada. Through work with Agriculture Canada, Earl also helped advance controlled atmosphere storage and pre-cooling practices for blueberries and potatoes, strengthening quality and marketability.
His influence reached well beyond his own farms. Earl was instrumental in establishing Planters Equipment, which, together with three other John Deere dealerships in Atlantic Canada, formed Green Diamond Equipment, now, with fifteen dealerships. Earl served as Chairmain of the board of Green Diamond for many years. He also served in leadership roles with organizations including the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture, the National Agriculture Advisory Board, the Right to Farm Legislation Task Force, and the Canadian Horticultural Value Chain Round Table. His agricultural relationships extended internationally through work with growers in Cuba, Argentina, Costa Rica, and Texas.
Earl's contributions have been recognized throughout his career, including the 1985 Motherwell Award as Outstanding Young Farmer of Canada, the 1995 Outstanding Nova Scotia Farmer Award, the 2002 Innovator of the Year Award from the Royal Bank of Canada, and a 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chamber of Commerce. Through his support for the communities where he farms, including the Valley Regional Hospital, local charities, and food banks, Earl has demonstrated that his vision extends beyond the success of his own operations.
Earl Kidston鈥檚 legacy is found both in the farms and businesses he helped pioneer and in the people, partnerships, and agricultural opportunities he created along the way.