History

Over 50 years ago in September 1954 the Stirling Family started growing apples in New Brunswick at Gagetown. In 1954 it was hurricane season and Hurricane Edna hit my Grandfather’s (A.R. Stirling) Nova Scotia apple orchards with full force and knocked the while McIntosh crop to the ground.  At the time my Grandfather had an important export market in Great Britain and needed hand picked McIntosh.

He and some friends had visited the Cossar Farm in Gagetown earlier that year as it was on the market to be sold. The hurricane had missed the crop in Gagetown and upon hearing this, my Grandfather decided to purchase the farm to add to his existing farm in Nova Scotia and this farm could supply the hand picked McIntosh apples for his market.

AR Stirling
Blair’s grandfather AR Stirling

In 1976 I was offered the job of managing the farm and NB roadside markets for the family business, Stirling Fruit Farms LTD. As a young graduate from Nova Scotia Agricultural College, the challenge was too great to resist. I moved to Gagetown and started planting new varieties of apples and opening new roadside markets to supply New Brunswickers with farm fresh apples from our farms in NB and NS.

By the mid 1990’s, things changed with the family farm. My Grandfather passed away and the third generation of the family was involved in the business. For the good of all, it was decided to split into smaller business units. Through the split, Applemanfarms, Ltd. purchased the farm in Gagetown but it came without access to the roadside markets in NB. Therefore for the first time since the NB Stirling apple stands were built, New Brunswick grown apples would not be available.

In 2004 fifty years had gone by since Hurricane Edna sent A. R. Stirling to Gagetown to buy an apple orchard on the banks of the beautiful Saint John River.

To celebrate this event, I started the creation of my own direct marketing program, www.appleman.ca Internet Apple Market for Natural Nutritious Apples, apple juice/cider, apple wines/cider and apple sauce Shipped Direct from Our Farm To You. 

The benefit of this is direct, fast delivery. Your box of apple treats will be packaged and shipped the same day and in most areas of the Maritimes will be received the next day. All areas in the Maritimes will have equal access to crisp, juicy, farm-fresh apples and natural, nutritious apple snacks. Check out our web site for more information on our products and service.

Blair Stirling, President
Applemanfarms Ltd. — Gagetown Cider Company

Nutritious Cider
We hand select the apples for our
cider to ensure the best possible
product to-your-door.