Overview:
The Taylor family runs a vertically integrated mixed farm in West Hants County, Nova Scotia, raising livestock, processing meat on-site at a provincially inspected abattoir, and selling directly to consumers through their own retail outlet in Halifax. Looking to increase value and diversify their offerings, they made the strategic decision to expand their facility to produce ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products, such as cured sausages and jerky.
About The Project:
Rural Roots was brought in to lead the engineering and planning of the facility expansion, ensuring the upgraded operation would meet strict food safety, water, and processing requirements for RTE classification, a significantly higher bar than standard meat processing.
Our Work Included:
• Facility Design for Compliance: Collaborated closely with food safety consultants to design spaces that supported ideal product and process flow, minimized cross-contamination risk, and met strict finish and hygiene standards for RTE foods.
• Water Treatment Engineering: Designed and implemented a custom fresh water treatment and storage system to overcome the site’s challenging groundwater conditions, ensuring a reliable and compliant water source for the expanded facility.
• Regulatory Alignment: Supported the family through compliance pathways to meet provincial and food safety authorities’ requirements, ensuring their expansion was future-ready and audit-resilient.
Result & Impact:
With the expansion complete, the Taylor family can now process and sell high-quality, ready-to-eat meat products under their own brand — extending their value chain while staying true to their farm-to-fork ethos. The new facility not only increases revenue potential but also positions their operation as a model of self-sufficient, vertically integrated food production in Nova Scotia.
This project highlights Rural Roots’ capabilities in food process engineering, rural water infrastructure, and navigating complex compliance landscapes for agricultural businesses aiming to scale.
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