LAKEVILLE, N.S. — They see it as a huge opportunity to share their family farming story while promoting agricultural practices and the scenic Annapolis Valley.
Philip and Katie Keddy of Lakeville are part of the second season of Real Farm Lives. The web documentary series offers a glimpse into the daily lives of real farm families. Produced by CropLife Canada, it was first launched in October 2018 with the aim of helping Canadians better understand the complexities of modern farming.
The Keddys grow strawberry plants and rootstocks destined for nurseries and are the largest sweet potato producers in eastern Canada. Philip said they are one of only two farm families across Canada selected for the second season of the series.
“It was above and beyond what we had ever done before as far as anything film-related,” Philip said. “We enjoyed being a part of it and seeing how much work goes into a project like this.”
Katie said they were initially approached about the project but had to go through an application and interview process before being chosen. They were “heavily researched” for the role.
“They really had to get to know the farm and our season and learn about what they’d actually see when they come,” she said. “We were pretty impressed with the whole process and the crew.”
She said they haven’t seen any of the footage yet but will probably get to see some snippets before it’s released to the public. She described the footage from the first season as “stunning” and she looks forward to seeing what the cameras captured. Drones were used to capture aerial views.
Real Farm Lives is essentially a reality show. The film crew recently visited the Keddy farm and a number of other Kings County locations to shoot two episodes. The schedule was tight with the shooting taking place for 12 hours a day for two days.
Philip and Katie’s sons, Charlie and Ben, and Philip’s parents, Charles and Doris - who started the farm from scratch more than 40 years ago - are also featured.
Katie said that when the crew first arrived, they wondered what they had gotten themselves into. However, the crew quickly put them at ease and made them feel like they’ve been “doing this forever.”
“They were just so highly organized and on the ball that they made it easy over those two days and they made us feel comfortable,” she said.
Katie recognizes that the production will document this period in the family’s history and, in the future, it will be great to be able to look back on it. This is very meaningful to her.
A TRUE DEPICTION
Katie said the series is a true depiction of what Canadian agriculture is and, based on what was shot, their episodes will be a true depiction of the family’s everyday lives. They are already deeply involved in sharing their story through social media, so the web series seemed like a natural extension of that.
Philip said they have hundreds of customers across Canada and the United States and the web series presents an opportunity for people who have never been to their farm to see it and what they do on a daily basis.
The experience made him realize that he often used agricultural jargon that might not be easily understood by the general public. On occasion during the shooting, he was asked to rephrase things because of this.
Philip said a lot of people don’t understand exactly what they do. One common misconception is that they grow strawberries, but they don’t. They grow and sell plants so that other farms can produce strawberries. They ship plants all over Canada, the United States and have even shipped plants abroad.
Katie said that many of the strawberries from Florida that appear on Nova Scotian store shelves in the winter are grown using plants that originated on the Keddy farm. In this regard, consumers here are still supporting a local producer by purchasing Florida strawberries. Philip said they ship half of the plants they produce to Florida.
PLANT SCIENCE EXPLORED
Real Farm Lives explores the role plant science technologies play in protecting the food we eat. Weather, insects, weeds and diseases all impact the crops – and livelihoods – of Canadian farmers. The show delves into these challenges and helps explain the innovations needed to feed a growing population.
“CropLife Canada gets a lot of questions about how food is being produced and what science and technology is being used to produce it on a large scale,” Philip said. “The series that they’re putting out is trying to address some of these questions coming forward from the Canadian public.”
Katie said consumers want to know who is growing their food and where it comes from. Their entire farm is based around plant science technology. It allows them to continue to be successful and competitive in the marketplace.
The second season of Real Farm Lives is expected to be released in October, right around the time their Radiance sweet potatoes will be available to consumers for the first time. Episodes will be available on YouTube and at www.realfarmlives.ca.
RADIANCE ‘VERY PROMISING’
The Keddys are among the first farmers in the country trying out a new, Canadian-developed variety of sweet potato called Radiance this year. Since Radiance matures two to three weeks earlier than traditional varieties such as Covington, the new variety should allow the Keddys to access the lucrative Thanksgiving market for the first time.
Philip said during an Aug. 8 interview that the Radiance sweet potatoes are “looking good” and they’re “very promising.” It’s been a hot summer and sweet potatoes love the heat.
“I’m thinking that the Radiance is going to be ready for harvest right in that Thanksgiving window, which is what the whole idea was and that’s why we were so excited about the variety,” he said.
RELATED:
