Northern Food Forest Nursery specializes in growing cold hardy trees, berries, vines, and perennials to zone 4 and colder that produce great tasting food for our Canadian climate. We are located in Calvin Ontario, about 30 mins east of North Bay. We ship bareroot trees and plants to all of Canada excluding British Columbia in early spring (mid April to mid May). We take pre orders from December 1st until May 1st, and from there our website will close down during the summer while the trees are growing. We do offer pick up options for local customers as well. We are a relatively small scale nursery so to avoid disappointment, get your orders in as soon as possible.
What is bare root? It means the trees are not grown in pots, but are grown directly in soil and then dug up while they’re dormant. When you receive your order, the trees will be dormant meaning that they won’t have any leaves. They will look very humble, like twigs with roots and perhaps not at all what you’re used to seeing when you purchase potted trees. However, there are many benefits to growing trees like this! They have extensive root systems, experience very little transplant shock, and are grown naturally. Check out our article about this to learn about the many benefits. In addition to that, we also offer potted trees and plants locally during the growing season. Get in touch with us by email to arrange a visit at sales@northernfoodforest.ca or send us a message on Facebook or Instagram!
We are located on a 16 acre homestead and food forest research farm in Calvin, Ontario. All of our trees and plants have been grown, grafted and propagated by us and are grown with a deep reverence for nature. We can attest to the cold hardiness and productivity of our trees/plants because we grow all of them on our site. We are extremely passionate about creating food security in our extreme climate and are excited to open individuals’ minds to all of the delicious things you can grow in areas that are traditionally thought to be lacking in food production. We are proud of the healthy, loved, naturally grown trees that we care for and truly believe in all they offer the world. We are proud to say that all of our trees are grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, or coddling. This is actually very rare in the nursery industry, and you can rejoice in knowing that your trees were grown in natural ways. These trees experience nature in all of it’s natural glory; for better or for worse. This prepares them for the real world.
The nursery owner and head grower Hailey Van Nood is passionate about growing fresh food, eating fresh food, and what is possible to successfully grow in extremely cold climates. She received her Horticulture Technician diploma from Niagara College and has built her entire career around plants. She’s obsessed! With experience and knowledge in organic farming, landscape design, wild foraging, permaculture, agroforestry, and nursery production, Hailey built the nursery from the ground up with her partner Shauna McClemens and is so excited to get healthy plant material out to as many Canadians as possible.
Incredible amounts of healthy delicious foods are on the horizon…Plant our trees for food, for wildlife, for sustainability, and for generations to come.
We also utilize air pruning growing systems that encourage tap rooted trees to grow elaborate root systems that enable them to adapt to their new surroundings after planting with ease. Growing trees this way allows them to tap into nutrients in the soil more effectively and reduces transplant shock.
Don’t hesitate to reach out and ask questions! We appreciate your interest and will be happy to share our insights. Email us at sales@northernfoodforest.ca
