Richmond has a bounty of fresh foods gathered and grown locally, from berry farms and wineries to free-range chickens and eggs.
By Kristi Alexandra There’s a homey vibe when you step into Nourish Market on Vancouver’s North Shore. With crates of fresh produce greeting you at the door, a quiet dining enclave in the corner, and a few rows of neatly arranged grains and bottles, the small mom-and-pop grocery shop is no big box store. Tucked into the pristine Lynn Valley Village, it’s not even the wholesome facade of high-end, organic grocers. Unpretentious, healthful, and local, a trip to Nourish Market evokes friendly feelings of visiting a neighbour to break bread. “A lot of folks, like us, are tired of the impersonal big box and chain stores. They are looking for a deeper connection to their food and their community. We offer a curated collection of the best of what local producers and artisans have to offer,” says founder Jeff Proseilo. Proseilo and his family opened up shop in 2011, and…
by Winnie Tam We were all asked this once: what do you want to be when you grow up? In addition to the usual answers of astronaut, doctor and marine biologist, young people in the Lower Mainland are increasingly considering an alternative profession – farmer. The trend can be attributed to a variety of factors. Some are tired of the nine-to-five grind and want to look for a job that puts them more in touch with nature. Others are motivated by their heightened food literacy and concerns about the global food system. Then there are those who want to shed themselves of technological clutter and return to simpler vocations. Whatever the reason, the demand for knowledge is definitely there, as Kwantlen Polytechnic University runs a popular 10-month program – the Richmond Farm School – that teaches students the skills to engage in small-scale agriculture. Some of the students have gone…
By Kathy Mak The historic fishing village of Steveston is one of Richmond’s well-known attractions, drawing a significant number of day-trippers to explore its charming shops, cafes, restaurants, bakeries, Fisherman’s Wharf, and two National Historic Sites. And on certain Sundays between May to October, visitors who are enamored with outdoor markets can also enjoy the quaint Steveston Farmers & Artisan Market. Now in its ninth year, the Steveston Farmers & Artisans Market is a thriving local marketplace with a diverse sampling of artisans, growers and producers from all over the Lower Mainland. Relative to other farmers markets in Metro Vancouver, it’s not the farm fresh produce that is the biggest draw here; but instead, visitors will step into an array of kiosks to find a good balance of handmade edible treats, handcrafted beverages, homespun pottery, and everything in between. Perhaps of interest to intrepid market goers, there are several vegetable…
By Kathy Mak At the entrance of Lepp Farm Market, you’re greeted with heaps of fresh produce. Initially, you may get the impression that this is a convenient food shop, located at the crossroads of Clayburn Road and the Abbotsford Mission Highway. However, Lepp Farm Market is unexpectedly much more than just a grocery store. The family-owned and operated market is the natural union of Rob Lepp’s farming expertise and Charlotte Lepp’s foodie flare. Together, their focus is on sharing fresh farm direct products and local food experiences. One would be hard-pressed to find a couple that is more passionate about farm-to-table goodness than Rob and Charlotte Lepp. The duo brings together a variety of elements to achieve a quality, locally grown, field-to-fork environment all on its own. Their love for farmed products is rooted in their families, both sides farming in the Fraser Valley since 1948 raising cattle, hogs,…
By Nikki Bayley Cited as one of the key players of the city’s culinary scene, chef Andrea Carlson has been quietly shaping the way that Vancouverites eat for more than a decade. From the (now closed) C Restaurant and the Rain City Grill, to Sooke Harbour House and Bishop’s, Andrea has worked at some of the province’s most important restaurants, whose locavore seasonal menus helped to lay down the foundations of a more sustainable way of eating in B.C. and beyond. Now chef/co-owner at Burdock & Co. on Main Street, and the celebrated local community store/delicious noodle soup bar, Harvest Union, we spoke to Andrea to find out more. “The driving force behind Burdock & Co is to present farm to table food in a casual environment and bring what used to be a bit elitist to families and the neighbourhood at a more accessible price point. I wanted to…