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Visiting Eagle Acres is the Perfect Treat for Fall

It’s getting close to Halloween, and for trick or treaters (and adults), Eagle Acres is a spectacular treat for spooky season. Make the trip out to the farm and you’ll find an inviting family pumpkin patch, and cute farm animals like sheep and goats who just love getting a little attention and are looking to be pet. Eagle Acres’ Erin Anderson, the main family farmhand, talked to us about sustainable farming and adding fall fun to the fields with a pumpkin patch. By Avneet Takhar It’s a family affair at Eagle Acres. Could you tell us more about the farm and its history? Brian (my partner) and I started our farm nearly 25 years ago. We were a small dairy farm with the goal to educate children about where their milk comes from. We quickly learned that we needed to educate people of all ages—not just the youth. The internet…

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Farms

Pumpkin Patches in Metro Vancouver

For kids, maintaining composure in the lead-up to Halloween can be just as unbearable as trying not to eat the whole advent calendar on December first. I say “for kids” mainly as a misdirect to hide the fact that, as I’m a grown man, with no kids, I’m finding it hard to maintain my composure in the lead-up to Halloween. Thankfully these spooky, fresh-air activities are like a ghostly balm on my impatience as I wait for the calendar to run down. Hazelmere Pumpkin Patch A mainstay of the best autumn events in Surrey, the Hazelmere patch returns with a you-pick pumpkin area, a mini corn maze, a playground area and a wagon ride. Oh, and not to be outdone, there’s plenty of opportunity to interact with the friendly locals of the farm (goats, pigs, peacocks). Food trucks will be on the scene, so stay for lunch and make a…

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Eagle Acres Pumpkins
Family Friendly

Autumn Harvests Right From the Farm

By Kristi Alexandra While autumn marks the end of the u-pick berry season, it doesn’t mean local harvesting is over. From pumpkin patches to cranberries to organic greens, here are a selection of working farms in Metro Vancouver and beyond that have markets where you can purchase seasonal produce this fall. Riverside Cranberry Farm Riverside Cranberry Farm boasts a picturesque harvest season perfect for scooping up fresh cranberries and taking selfies. On your visit, you can snap photos around Riverside’s cranberry bog, learn about cranberry farming, and bring home some freshly harvested cranberries and other goodies from the new onsite Farm Store. If getting it all for the ‘gram is your motivation, we suggest adding the “Cranberry Plunge,” where you can plunge into the bog of berries to do some harvesting yourself. Don’t worry–the farm provides the waders so you don’t actually get wet. Open Sept 30–Oct 7, Thurs–Sat 26885…

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Lavenderland in Richmond

Indulge in Lavender Delights at Lavenderland

By Jaclyn Hayward Autumn may be nearing, but lavender season is still in full bloom, so relish and enjoy the sensory experience offered by this captivating and locally-grown herb. Lavenderland opened earlier this summer in Richmond, providing an excellent opportunity to take friends and family on a scented journey exploring endless photo-taking moments and exclusive products and treats. Purple-flavoured anything is delightful, and that goes without saying for this summer’s newest favourite food pairings available exclusively at Lavenderland: lavender-infused gelato, and lavender-infused tea. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Richmond Lavenderland (@richmondlavenderland) Blackball Tea has really captured the flower’s essence and colours with their magnificent purple display of new tea flavours created especially for Lavenderland. Try the Lavender Meet Yogurt drink and be ready to wander the fields refreshed. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Richmond Lavenderland (@richmondlavenderland) Steveston’s Mr.…

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Farms

Richmond’s Young Farmers Grow Fresh Niche Asian Produce

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…

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Farms

Gojoy: Goji Berries of the Fraser Valley

By Kathy Mak The latest point of pride for Peter Breederland is a berry that is virtually unknown in North America but lauded as one of the most nutritionally rich foods on the planet. The ellipsoid, jelly-bean shaped berries are bright orange-red in colour, 1-2 cm long, tart-sweet in flavour, and are most commonly referred to as ‘goji berries’. Breederland, based in the township of Langley, is considered B.C.’s first commercial grower to cultivate and harvest fresh goji berries. Already a successful horticulturalist in the Fraser Valley for the past 23 years, as owner of Topgro Greenhouses (specializing in mini-bell peppers), Breederland jumped at the challenge of growing goji berries when he was looking for a new and unique crop to expand his farm. With little to no existing information to guide him for goji berry farming, Breederland had to pioneer his own growing practice from scratch. After five years,…

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Shops & Markets

Fresh and Friendly Local Farmers Markets

By Kathy Mak To truly experience an authentic slice of local life, you can’t get more local than the neighbourhood farmers markets. Whether you’re shopping or browsing, each of the numerous markets showcases genuinely local products and proprietors from all over the Valley. Immerse yourself in sampling seasonal and fresh fare, gourmet treats, and artisanal delights that have been prepared or produced with a regional spin.   Half the fun is being part of the market’s social scene and friendly atmosphere. Chat with other food enthusiasts and meet small-scale but passionate food artisans. You’re certain to enjoy the stories or inspirations behind their unique products. Without a doubt, you’ll be glad you sampled and supported local flavours! On any given Wednesday to Sunday (May to October), there are numerous outdoor farmers markets in and around Vancouver communities. With so many choices, you may want to explore a market a day or…

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Farms

Abbotsford: Beyond Highway One

By Tim Pawsey Most travelers are familiar with Abbotsford viewed from a busy stretch along Highway One, but even a few minutes detour off the road in either direction can lead to hours of entertainment fit for the whole family. Abbotsford is also easily accessible from Washington directly through the Sumas-Huntingdon Border Crossing. Coming from Vancouver, take exit 92 South and follow Clearbrook and Vye Roads to discover Maan Farms, a multi-faceted, small scale theme park that puts on a different, happy face according to the season. In fact, there’s so much to do that families often come here for a good part of the day. Drive up to the large parking lot and you might be greeted by a display of pumpkins or a cornucopian show of mouth-watering fruits and vegetables. However, there’s  more than meets the eye at this spacious farm market, where, while Mom and Dad are tasting…

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Farms

Walnut Wine, Artisan Preserves and More at Vista d’Oro Farm

By Nikki Bayley How about some walnut wine, artisan jam and a picnic under a shady tree? There’s plenty to explore in south Langley and the Vista d’Oro farm makes for a fun day out for all the family. Since taking over an ex-dairy farm in 1997, Lee and Patrick Murphy have created a beautiful 10 acre farm on Campbell Valley Park in the heart of the Fraser Valley, just four blocks from the US border. Growing a mixed bag of orchard fruits such as apples, pears, plums and cherries, there’s a vineyard onsite too, producing their estate-grown Marechal Foch wine. We spoke to co-owner Lee about what’s happening on their farm and why it’s a must-visit for foodies. “We’re part of the Campbell Valley wine route,” says Lee, “There ‘s a great little micro-climate out here; it’s pretty small, just four of us, but people seem to love it.…

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Chef Stories

Vikram Vij’s Delectable Delights in and around Surrey

Just an hour’s drive from Vancouver lies one of the region’s most delicious culinary destinations: from wineries and cheese makers, to one of the country’s most exciting Indian restaurants, the area surrounding Langley and Surrey has it all. Celebrity chef and famed restaurateur, Vikram Vij is one of the region’s most ardent fans, “It’s like being in the countryside without having to go far from the city,” he enthuses. “You can rent a car and drive through the mountains and past the ocean, you don’t have to take a plane or a ferry, it’s right here and the best of the best foods come from this area. We’re so lucky to have everything to make a great culinary destination right in our backyard.” It’s an area that many visitors might miss out on, but Vikram says they’ll be missing a treat if they do– and he has a few recommendations…

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Farms

Three Generations of Apple Picking at Taves Family Farm

By Alexis Baran In BC, over 15 varieties of apples are harvested each year by the bushel; and you can pick 5 of them right from the trees yourself at Taves Family Farms in Abbotsford. More than just an apple farm, the Taves have turned the land into a seasonal playground and each year they invite families from the west coast and beyond to enjoy their corn maze, tractor trail, bee hive demonstrations, pony rides, and other activities. It all started with an immigrant farmer who came to Canada after his land was seized in his home country during World War II. In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, John Taves, an immigrant from Ukraine, purchased a plot of logged land that was little more than grass and stumps in Abbotsford BC. John’s grandson, Loren, recalls helping his family clear the land as a child: “I remember as a 5-year-old…

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