For centuries Acadian families have worked the rich soils of the Memramcook Valley. There are more than twenty varieties of apples, plus pears, plums, cherries and an assortment of fresh vegetables growing on the rolling fertile hills in Pré-d'en Haut. Robert Bourgeois, of Ferme Bourgeois Farms, located just outside of Moncton, carries on that tradition.
"My great uncle, Sebastien Belliveau, planted the orchards in 1932. The trees flourished under the watchful eye of Father Azarias Massé, a central figure within the community. Father Massé bought the orchards in 1955 and my father managed the business." The Bourgeois family purchased the orchards in 1967 and has since continued the regional farming tradition, bringing it into the 21st century.
"This is probably one of the best places in New Brunswick to grow apples. We're on hills between the Memramcook River and the easterly slopes of the Peticodiac River. And we are close to the Bay of Fundy, which has the highest tides in the world. It's always windy here. Where it's windy it doesn’t freeze. As the tides change, the air naturally flows over the orchards."
"Cool nights and warm days give apples their natural red color and their sweetness" says Bourgeois. "That’s why our newest apple, Honey Crisp, does so well here. The biggest advantage we have in New Brunswick is the short season. During winter, snow protects the roots of the 110 acres of fruit trees and the cold helps take care of pests naturally.”
He takes an innovative approach to the fruit business. "I am always experimenting. " I wanted to try making wine from our fruit." With the help of a bio-chemist, Bourgeois successfully stabilized his wine, then opened his winery in 1999. "It's hard to be good at everything, but I feel that I am accomplished in making fruit wine." Several unique varieties, including apple, pear, cherry and wild blueberry are available, as well, they make old-fashioned cider and sparkling apple juice. Apple Ice Wine is the most distinctive wine in the cellar. "Champagnette, our first apple wine, was the best mistake we ever made. A fermentation problem occurred during processing resulting in a surprisingly fresh and sparkling wine with 2.5 percent alcohol content."
Ferme Bourgeois Farms is an ECONOMUSEUM®. Year-round visitors can learn everything about the region's apple history. "We explain apples from A to Z." Discover the secrets of apple growing and find out what makes us so ecologically friendly. Take in the spectacular bloom-laden orchards during our June Apple Blossom Festival. We open our apple U-pick season September 24th. Melba, Cortland, McIntosh, Empire and Paula Red are some of the choices." Weekends during the season, why not jump on a hayride, pick apples, take pictures or have a picnic. Hop back on at your leisure, there's a wagon every ten minutes.”
The invitation is genuine. "We want your family to enjoy our family's apple orchard."
Belliveau Orchard (Ferme Bourgeois)
(506) 758-2325
www.fermebourgeoisfarms.ca