August in New Brunswick is when the roadside stands really start to groan under the weight of the season: sweet corn stacked in bushels, tomatoes still warm from the field, and the first hints of the fall crops waiting in the wings. If you’ve been meaning to take a drive and stock up on something better than grocery-store produce, here are five spots around the province worth the trip this week.
1. Hunter Brothers Farm — Florenceville-Bristol
Tucked into the Saint John River Valley — New Brunswick’s potato country — Hunter Brothers is as much a destination as it is a market. Their hydro-cooled sweet corn comes online in the last week of July and runs through Canadian Thanksgiving, and by mid-August you’ll find it alongside a wide range of seasonal vegetables in their indoor market. There’s a corn maze and “Field of Fun” that opens September 1, plus a picnic area and farm animals if you’re bringing kids along for the ride.
- Where: 8534 Main Street, Florenceville-Bristol
- When: Farm market open July 1–October 31, Monday–Saturday 9 a.m.–8 p.m., Sunday noon–6 p.m.
2. La Ferme Michaud Farm — Bouctouche Bay
On the Acadian Coast near Bouctouche, La Ferme Michaud has already worked through its strawberry and raspberry U-pick windows, and right now their farm market is deep into fresh garden vegetables and sweet corn, with the stand staying open into October. It’s a nice stop to pair with a walk along the Bouctouche dune.
- Where: 739 Route 475, Bouctouche Bay
- When: Farm market open end of May through October 10
3. Poirier Strawberry Farm — St-Anne-de-Kent
A few minutes from La Ferme Michaud, this family farm shifts through the season from strawberries into blueberries, carrots, tomatoes, and other garden vegetables, with the stand running from mid-June into November. Cash only, so bring some with you if you’re stopping by.
- Where: 832 Parry Road, St-Anne-de-Kent
- When: Mid-June through November
4. Bates Landing Roadside Market — Kiersteadville
If you’re closer to Fredericton, Bates Landing is a good option — a roadside market attached to a U-pick strawberry operation, with a gift shop, picnic area, and refreshment stand on site. Strawberry picking wraps up earlier in the summer, but the roadside market itself stays open daily into September, and it’s worth a call ahead for what’s fresh that week.
- Where: 1222 Route 850, Kiersteadville
- When: Roadside market open late June–September, 9 a.m.–9 p.m. daily
5. Minihorse Farm Market Garden — St. Martins
Out on the Fundy coast, about 25 minutes from the Saint John airport, this small sustainably-grown market garden sells a wide range of seasonal vegetables plus homemade preserves, jams, and jellies, with farm animals on site too. They’re also at the St. Martins Farmers’ Market on Sundays. It’s a good excuse to combine a produce run with the sea caves and coastal scenery St. Martins is known for.
- Where: 280 West Quaco Road, St. Martins
- When: Open daily, but call ahead to confirm
A quick note before you go: farm stand hours shift with the weather and the crop, especially this late in the season, so it’s worth a quick call or a check of the farm’s Facebook page before you make the drive. And if you’re near Fredericton, the Boyce Farmers Market runs year-round on Saturdays and is worth a stop too, even though it’s a market rather than a farm stand proper.
