French Acadians began settling in the Grand Pré area of Nova Scotia, a region plagued by salt-soaked tidal meadows, in the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, a complex system of sod barriers had enabled them to convert 3,000 acres of what had been tidal marshes into rich crop land. Four hundred years after the Acadian arrival in the Bay of Fundy region, the physical presence of their legacy is still intact.

Sherman Bleakney examines the unusual physical and biological features of this region of the Bay of Fundy, home to the only successful pioneer society in North America to farm below sea level. Using original photographs, diagrams, and graphs, Bleakney shows how and why the Acadians were successful. Sods, Soil, and Spades examines the unique and elegant engineering principles and practices used by the Acadians and looks at how their culture influenced their success in mastering this marshland region.