Harvest Series: The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From the Van Meekeran Tree

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At Viveau, we care about where our food comes from and the farmers who work tirelessly to harvest our ingredients. And we think you do too. That’s why we’re going to let you into our world.

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Being real with each other is the best way to do a whole lot of good for people and our planet. But more importantly, being real tastes better. 

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So, where do we get apples? Right here in Nova Scotia at a little-known place called Van Meekeran Farms. 

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Let’s start from the beginning. Van Meekeran Farms was established in 1964 by Frank Van Meekeran. After immigrating from Holland, he worked on his own father’s farm in Manitoba before moving his family Eastward to Nova Scotia. 

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Arriving in Nova Scotia, farms were a bit of a mixed bag—cattle, hayfields, crops, apples, a bit of everything. This is where Frank really began to see the potential with apples. With new technologies being developed to help store and extend freshness, it allowed the Van Meekeran’s to provide delicious local apples for a much longer period of time. 

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Now, 57 years later, his two sons, Michael and Stephen, are running the show. With new sights set on growth and sustainability, they were the perfect partner for Viveau. 

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Since day one, the Van Meekerans have been our apple supplier. It’s one of the more important partnerships we’ve cultivated over the years since pressed apples are in every single flavour of Viveau. We need the highest quality apple, picked at peak ripeness, to achieve the perfect flavour every time. Van Meekeran Farms has this down to a science (literally). 

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We can’t thank the Van Meekeran’s enough for all they do to produce (in our humble opinion) the best apples in the world. 

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So, what drives the Van Meekerans? Aside from their passion for Pazazz (apples, of course), it’s their dedication to supporting healthy and happy families. This is evident in everything they do, from the way they nurture and support their employees to their constant drive to innovate and provide new (and delicious) varieties of apples to entice people to make healthier decisions. 

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Not many companies will tell you who they work with, especially within the food and beverage industry. Not us. We’re always going to be real with you. Taste what we mean in all our delicious Viveau flavours. 

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