Producers

Michell's Farm

Michell's Farm is a sixth generation family owned and operated farm that has been growing on the Saanich Peninusla for over 150 years.

We grow over 50 varieties of fruits and vegetables as well as hay, grain and pasture raised beef.

Since it was originally established in the 1880's, Michell's Farm has grown from a 100 acre farm to its current 400+ acres which produces over four thousand tonnes of produce annually!

St. Jean's Cannery

Founded in 1961 by the visionary Armand St. Jean, St. Jean's Cannery & Smokehouse has been a beacon of quality and innovation in the seafood industry for over six decades. From humble beginnings with home-smoked oysters sold in local bars to an internationally recognized brand, our journey has been marked by hard work, family values, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

Our commitment to sustainability is reflected in our acquisition of Raincoast Trading (Delta BC), a company highly respected for its sustainable fishing practices. We are also proud to now be majority-owned by the Nuu-chah-nulth, five Indigenous nations with a rich history in BC's seafood economy.

Sea Salt Chocolate

Small-batch artisan confections, hand crafted in the Cowichan Valley.

We are a family owned and run business. We use high quality ingredients, and strive to form relationships with other local artisans and producers to create unique beautiful handcrafted confections.

All of our products are gluten-free, and we also offer vegan options.

Cocofino

Hi!

We are Kevin & Marie, two Canadians who met while traveling in Australia. After traveling and moving around for over two years, we decided to settle down in beautiful Tofino, BC which is on the Traditional, Unceded Territory of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation. It instantly felt like home where we are fortunate enough to enjoy the things we're passionate about like surfing, wide open space and yummy food!

Kevin, being a chef by trade, was searching for a vegan yogurt alternative but could never find one he really enjoyed. He started experimenting with recipes at home and was giving yogurt away to friends and family. After talking with people from the community, we realized others would be interested in this tasty product. To our greatest surprise, lots of Tofino locals rapidly showed their interest and asked for more week after week.

That's what drives us ever since, and we cannot wait to see where this wonderful yogurt journey will take us!

Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free. Fully recyclable packaging.
Established in 2020. www.cocofino.ca

Green Cuisine

Since we opened in 1990, we have been dedicated to sustainability!

We are proud to make our very own specialty vegan foods and products for you to cook with at home. We use them in our dishes at the restaurant, too! We have our very own production facility right in Victoria where we make our organic tofu and tempeh, as well as other delicious products like mochi, kombucha, and amasake. We use local and organic ingredients whenever possible, and always craft our food and beverages using traditional methods.

You can find our products in our refrigerator at the restaurant, or at your local grocery store.

Green Cuisine

Waters Edge Farm

"Steering You Back to Nature"

We are Vern and Racheal Shaw, owners of Waters Edge Farm in the heart of Glenora.

What started off with a few of Grandma's homemade recipes turned into a passion for sharing food with our local community. Eating naturally raised food has always been important to our family. 

Our simple recipes and wholesome ingredients are just a few of the reasons to try Waters Edge Farm products.

Hornby Island Pâté

It all started in 1982 when the Cardboard House Bakery opened on Hornby Island. After years of operating in a world of summer-oriented businesses, the bakery was in need of something that could help them stay afloat in the winter months. Enter Hornby Island Pâté.

Pâté had always been part of the bakery’s selection of fresh goods, and with its longer shelf life, it made for the perfect winter product. In 2004, the makers of Hornby Island Pâté decided to expand their reach and take their product to Thrifty’s Food. Hornby Island Pâté was met with enthusiasm and support from the local food store, and it quickly became a much-loved product across Vancouver Island.

From its humble beginnings as a simple product with basic packaging, this small local business has grown to become available in over 60 stores spanning 20 cities.

Hornby Island Pâté is handmade, plant-based, gluten-free, and soy-free.

Gayle's Greek Gourmet

Gayle's Greek Gourmet produces delicious Greek cuisine for retail sale in the Cowichan Valley. Spanakopita, dolmathes, tzatziki, the best Greek baklava you'll ever have, and more. Food is produced in the wonderful commercial kitchen at the beautiful and iconic Providence Farm.

All food is prepared with love and care for the best possible results by Gayle, a dedicated foodie with a discerning palate. Born into a family of food merchants and restaurant owners, Gayle's culinary education was at her Papou's elbow in the family kitchen. There, she learned to prepare a feast for 100 as easily as for 10...the usual number for family dinner.

Greek recipes are simple with not many variations, it is the quality of the ingredients that makes the success of a Greek dinner. It is essential that they are carefully chosen.

Produce is locally grown as much as possible and in season will include our own produce and herbs. Gayle's Greek Gourmet uses only top-quality Greek olive oil, cow/goat, or sheep feta for our Spanakopita, and that difference shows when you taste it.

The best Baklava you'll ever have is made with organic butter and only with butter, there is no cheap oil for filler. Our baklava uses honey only with no sugar syrup, the walnuts are freshly chopped halves so that they have the best flavour and are large enough that the walnut flavour shines.

Testimonial from Elizabeth, aged 10: "Tastes like heaven in your mouth."

While we can't make every dish available at all times, we will prepare as many classic Greek dishes and confections as possible as often as possible. Moussaka, pastitsio, plaki, garithes uvetsi, fassolia and fasolakia, melitzana, tarama, htipiti...

What are you looking for? Please reach out to let us know. gaylesgreekgourmet@gmail.com

Gayle Hurmuses & Tilman Hainle

Meat Me in Germany

We are Tom and Laura, owners of an authentic German bratwurst company, Meat Me in Germany. Tom is a German-born man who grew up here in Canada and made bratwurst from scratch for fun with his Opa. Laura is a Canadian/Scottish self proclaimed pork-hater who was converted by said bratwurst. 

Meat Me in Germany prides itself on being handmade every step of the way. From the cutting, to the grinding, to the stuffing, to the packaging. There is nothing on the ingredient label you can’t pronounce. The simple recipe has proved its worthiness of being passed down by previous German generations. 

Sure, you can go to the grocery store and buy packaged bratwurst or sausages but from customer feedback; turning non-pork-eaters into sausage lovers; and the success we’ve had in our first year of business, we know the product is solid, delicious and keeps people coming back for more.

Best of all, it’s a real German making your bratwurst – what’s more authentic than that?

Whistling Whale Coffee Co.

Whistling Whale Coffee Co. started in 2020. What began as a hobby fuelled by passion and caffeination, became a small family-run business. Chad and Breanne believe that coffee is a morning ritual and an afternoon pick me up, meant to be savoured and shared and what better way to share it than with our community. We source high quality beans - mostly organic and fair trade, and many which are sourced from women's co-ops from coffee growing regions such as Colombia, Peru and Ethiopia.

We began roasting on a tiny one-pound roaster in 2020. After lots of trial and error and countless hours of reading, we started to develop a special set of skills in our craft, and the coffee was tasting great. This was a fun and rewarding hobby we shared together. With great coffee came great, loyal customers. Juggling jobs, a big blended family, and a roaster that was only roasting one pound at a time, it quickly began to consume every free moment we had. Things needed to change, and today we operate on a full sized commercial grade coffee roaster where we were able to meet the demand of our existing customers and develop an entirely new customer base up and down Vancouver Island. This hobby has transformed into what is known today as Whistling Whale Coffee Company which was officially founded in May, 2022 in Ladysmith, BC.

Fast forward to spring of 2023 and we purchased our little coffee trailer, the perfect addition to our home-based coffee roastery. You might just see us at seasonal markets and events on Vancouver Island. Stay tuned to our website and social pages for future updates! A sincere thank-you for all your love and support,

Breanne & Chad

VI Farm Products

VI Farm Products is a group of Island farmers with a small marketing team who are passionate about feeding residents of Vancouver Island with Island-grown food.

Made up of Greenhouse, Root Crop and Field Crop growers across Vancouver Island, we provide grocery retailers with a variety of crops throughout the year, including cucumbers, peppers, potatoes, corn, and blueberries.

We are constantly expanding our product availability and work with local procurement groups in our goal to provide every Vancouver Island resident the opportunity to consume food grown locally on Vancouver Island. 

Longview Farms

Berryman Brothers Meat Ltd.

Here at Berryman Brothers Meat Ltd. we process, cure, package and deliver local meat products. We raise livestock with the highest health and moral standards. We build relationships with other local farmers, who also raise livestock with integrity. 

The desire to provide quality and affordable food to our loved ones was the foundation that we built our farm on. Now, we want to bridge the gap between local farmers and local families. To give local farmers an integral outlet to sell their provisions and to help more people enjoy the benefits of eating local, healthy and delicious meats!

We do this by establishing relationships with the best farming cultures on Vancouver Island and providing meat cutting services that match the integrity of the farmers we work with in a state of the art butchering facility on our family farm.

Thank you so much for your support!
Justin and Gregory Berryman

Yes We Can!

Marty and Kaitlin are the recipients of a micro-grant from Autism Speaks Canada to show that they are capable of meeting community needs for goods and services with support. As they are both non-speaking young adults with autism, regular employment is next to impossible.

The Yes We Can! project grant has led them to be licensed by VIHA to produce gluten-free, dairy-free pizza using a commercial kitchen in Chemainus. Yes We Can! is a project to demonstrate that we can be of service and provide goods to our community despite our disability.

Their pizzas are made with love by Marty and Kaitlin, their Nana (aged 92), and their mom, Megumi.

Pizzeria Prima Strada

At Pizzeria Prima Strada, we are passionate for the fire-roasted pizzas born in Naples, Italy. More than 10 years ago we were inspired to create a neighbourhood pizzeria serving the best pizza, good wine and craft beer – a place to gather for a delicious and casual meal. We're committed to simple, fresh ingredients on thin crust, wood-fired pizza.

From our start - back in 2008 - we've been making sausage, meatballs, pesto and tiramisu, vinaigrettes for our salads and of course chili oil. All made from scratch in our kitchen. A few years later, we added pepperoni, then gelato and sorbetto.

When we learned our house made goods had a following outside of the pizzerias, we got to work to get them from our house to yours. Great goods for a snack or meal.

We hope our favourites will become yours and more importantly, help make your days a little easier.

Salute!
Cristen DeCarolis & Geoffrey Dallas

Cowichan Green Community

The Cowichan Green Community Society is a non-profit organization that has been focusing on environmental sustainability in the Cowichan Region since March 2004. CGC’s mandate is to improve food security by developing strong relationships with local food producers, increasing capacity for local food production (both urban and rural), and empowering people with the knowledge, skills and resources they need to feed their community.

Their reFRESH Marketplace is a dignified and inclusive grocery store that offers affordable fresh produce, pantry staples, organic dairy products, as well as a line of homemade frozen meals, soups and desserts. It is located in the heart of Duncan in The Station building at 360 Duncan Street, and its mission is to increase access to fresh, healthy food. It operates as a Social Enterprise, which is a business within a nonprofit that provides products and services at a small cost with the goal of having a positive impact on societal health and wellbeing.

A unique aspect of shopping at the reFRESH Cowichan Marketplace is all profits funnel back into the reFRESH Cowichan Coupon Program. It is an easy way for everyone to purchase fresh, nutritious food at affordable prices while at the same time giving back to our community members who benefit from CGC programming.

Learn more here.

Dessert Skin Care

At Dessert Skincare, we are passionate about helping people achieve healthy, glowing skin. My journey began when I discovered how beneficial cows' milk is for skin. That's when I decided to create a line of skin care products using milk from a free-traffic dairy farm. Today, I'm proud to offer these products to my customers and help them achieve beautiful skin.

All of my skin care products are made with natural and local BC ingredients that are gentle on your skin and free from harmful chemicals. I offer a range of products, including bar soap, milk bath, exfoliating powder, and facial soap. My goal is to help you find the perfect products for your skin type and needs.

My mission at Dessert Skin Care is to empower people to feel confident and beautiful in their own skin. I believe that everyone deserves to have healthy, glowing skin, and I’m committed to helping you achieve that without paying a fortune for skin care products. I'm also committed to using sustainable and eco-friendly practices in all aspects of our business.

Thank you for choosing my soap!
Vee
Dessert Skin Care (previously Country Cottage Soap)

Rawmbas

We're an Indigenous family owned company, established in Nanaimo with the goal of providing delicious, gluten-free, vegan muffins made with the highest quality ingredients available. Quality is ensured as every Rawmbas muffin originates in our local state-of-the-art production facility.

Our muffins are an extraordinarily satisfying nutritious snack. Certified gluten-free and certified vegan, with quality ingredients that translate into pure, moist, full-flavoured goodness down to the last bite!

Forest Valley Acres

First generation farmers Matt and Selena Lawrence knew they wanted an acreage and to raise their family on a farm, but securing land and water for a large-scale operation in the Comox Valley was not in the cards. However, after creating a viable farm business model, the couple were able to secure a mortgage and loan to buy a five-acre property in Courtenay and construct a hydroponic lettuce facility called Forest Valley Acres.

"We thought, what can we farm small-scale that is sustainable if we can only afford up to five acres of land? We couldn't have these massive cornfields and you know, water is very scarce on the Island. ... So, we decided a greenhouse was going to be our best bet," Selena says. 

With some help from Matt's parents, the couple now manage a fully operational Nutrient Film Technique hydroponic system in which nutrient-rich water continuously flows down the channels past exposed plant roots. Any unused solution is captured at the end of each channel, returned to the reservoir, remixed for nutrient balance and recirculated to the plants.

The system recycles up to 95% of the water, Lawrence says. Having the lettuce's live root ball attached extends its shelf life, to further reduce waste.

Other destinations for their lettuce include local schools and the Comox Valley Food Bank. Lawrence provides elementary students with fresh greens through the Salad Bar program. "We were having some product that didn't quite make the requirements for the grocery stores but was still like a very fine product, very edible. ... And I tried to figure out how to kind of get rid of that product and be able to provide somebody with lettuce instead of just having it in our little farm stand," Lawrence says. "It warms my heart as a mom being able to help these kids get some really fresh, local, clean produce."

Paraphrased from Country Life in BC article.

Ruby's Authentic Indian Food

Ruby's Authentic is a restaurant in Esquimalt, BC specializing in authentic pakoras, samosas, and meals. 

Their frozen samosas and pakoras can be enjoyed any time at home.

North Haven Orchard & Cidery

We are a family-run business producing Farm Crafted Fruit Vinegars including apple cider vinegar, perry vinegar (from pears), and wild plum vinegar all with fruit grown on our farm.

Our orchard has a variety of heritage apples and we have added new stock over the past few years. We also grow cherry, blackberry, blueberry and blackcurrant fruits and a selection of herbs for flavouring and infusing our base vinegars. Our infused vinegars now include blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, ginger, rosemary, thyme, oregano, mint, tarragon, pineapple, mandarin, cranberry, blackcurrant. We are constantly adding flavours and combinations as our customers provide feedback.

We harvest our apples from July through the end of October. We crush and press the apples within a few days to produce pure unpasteurized apple juice. We add yeast which converts the sugar in the juice into alcohol. The alcohol is then siphoned off and transferred into a large holding tank, under airtight conditions and left to mature and mellow over the winter.

In the spring we open the tanks and add “Mother of Vinegar’. The alcohol converts into acetic acid with the combination of warming temperatures and air.

Raw, unpasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar with the “Mother” has several health benefits. Studies have shown a cohort of pre-diabetic patients who consumed apple cider vinegar before a high carbohydrate meal did not exhibit spikes in blood sugar typically seen in these patients after eating. The researchers determined the effect was due to the slowing of the passage of the food through the stomach.

Mumgry

MUMGRY is the most delicious naturally nutritious nut butter, and beautifully designed with sustainability in mind. Perfect for sharing with your loved ones.

Good for everyone, especially Mums. We prioritize the dietary needs of Mums throughout every stage of motherhood: pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, postpartum and beyond.

Keeping you nourished and energized is our greatest goal. All snacks are plant-based, low in sugar, high in protein, iron, and calcium.

Jane's Dough

Jane's Dough focuses on scrumptious gluten free sourdough bread and baked goods. We also run Chill Winston, with the best GF ice cream sandwiches you've ever tasted!

Together, we have created a couple of food businesses to enhance the life of gluten free folks here on the island[s].

What's so special about Jane's Dough Gluten Free sourdough?

For one, it tastes and looks just like a regular sourdough loaf. You get a nice crispy exterior crust with a lovely soft and open crumb. All my breads are vegan, made with organic and/or non GMO ingredients, and are made with love! Top it off with that true sourdough taste and you have Jane's Dough GF Sourdough.

You can also find us at Salt Spring Island markets, on LocalSalt, and at SSI retailers.

Vanessa (aka Jane) and Greg (aka Winston)

Saigon Subs

We're the first generation of immigrants from Vietnam from our family. We immigrated to Canada in 2009 and went through the struggles that most immigrants endured. After many hardships, we decided to open up a Vietnamese restaurant in the Cowichan Valley to bring the flavours of our home to yours.

In 2015 we took over Halifax Donairs and rebuilt it into Saigon Subs, but kept the recipes and menu the same. After 10 years of serving the Cowichan Valley, we've built an amazing and friendly community with people coming from Ladysmith, to even Alberta! Our goal is to continue serving homemade, fresh, and authentic Vietnamese cuisine to the community.

Thank you!

Sweet Pickins Farm

Sweet Pickins Farm is a 40 acre hobby farm which has always been family owned operated since the early 1950s. We farm six acres of blueberries in August, have a small herd of beef cattle, and breed AQHA horses. We also enjoy showing our dogs in conformation and offer 1-2 litters of puppies per year.

Everett and Nareela

Salsa Gonzales

Salsa Gonzales is a small-batch condiment company based on Gonzales Beach in Victoria BC, specializing in hot sauce, pickles, preserves and more!

The Salsa Gonzales story began with founder Chris Jones's desire to give Christmas presents with a more personal touch. And guess what! It turns out people loved my little homemade goodies! So much so, that people wanted more and weren't shy about offering money to pay for it! That's when I knew I had a business on my hands. And not long after I was inquiring about a commissary kitchen, quitting my job, and selling my wares at the farmer's markets four days a week.

That was March 2020. Now in 2023 Salsa Gonzales can be found in almost 20 outlets, with the lofty goal of having over 100 outlets by the end of the year. We (I) couldn't be any more grateful to those that helped me get this business off the ground. From the first tasters and early customers that would contact me from Facebook Marketplace and buy sauce out of my trunk - to the people who I've never even met that order my sauce from my website because they heard it was great.

Thank you so much. From the bottom of my spicy-ass heart.
Chris Jones

Soya Nova Tofu Shop

Soya Nova is a family owned and operated tofu shop located on Salt Spring Island, BC Canada.

Since 1982 our products have been made with Certified Organic, Non-GMO, Canadian-grown soya beans and mineral-rich unchlorinated deep well-water, with a perfect 7.3 PH balance and nigari (a natural form of magnesium chloride).

Nikkei Ramen-ya

It began on a sunny October day in 2016. Inspired by the shops of Vancouver, LA, and Tokyo, and driven by their love of noodles, Greg and Erin Masuda served the first bowl of authentic, scratch-made ramen that Vancouver Island had ever seen. Six years and 40 flavours later, Nikkei Ramen-ya still bustles; if you can't make it to our shop in Downtown Courtenay, you can now find our ramen at your local Vancouver Island grocer.

Our noodles, soup stocks, and sauces (tare) are scratch-made from premium, all-natural ingredients and come together in minutes for authentic, restaurant-quality ramen at home. Whether you're hosting foodie friends for a special evening, feeding your kids a quick, wholesome meal they will love, or just getting your late-night slurp on, our grocery products offer something for everyone – without compromise.

Melinda's Biscotti

It was over fifteen years ago when Melinda made her first biscotti for her family. She really didn’t know where this journey would lead her when she brought some snacks to work. Everyone thought it was so good that she should bring it to coffee shops in Victoria. Initially she saw it as a way to make enough money to take her girls to Disneyland, and with an oven, a mixer, and lots of determination her plan was underway.

It took a lot to get started but soon the biscotti was available in five local shops near Sidney where she lived. After a year of steady orders Alun joined the business and they decided to make a go of it. Melinda stayed at her day job at the hospital, then while working at home they renovated their garage into a commercial bakery and for three years they kept going. By then deliveries were going out to 85 coffee shops as far as Nanaimo, and people were noticing it in Toronto. The little garage bakery was becoming too small and it was time to make a change. Melinda took a leave from her job, and the pair rented a commercial space in Sidney to build a larger bakery. They then added a coffee shop and went to work. Business was ramping up, more coffee shops and stores were carrying Melinda's Biscotti, and regular customers as far away as Toronto came online. Rumour has it that even the president of Italy has enjoyed Melinda's Biscotti, and we know the snowbirds have! Eventually that space became too small again so three years later Melinda and Alun, with the help of many wonderful customers and friends, picked up the business and moved down the street to their current location with a bigger coffee shop and space to supply over 300 customers in four provinces.

If you ask Melinda and Alun what the best part of their business is, they will always tell you the same thing; it's the people they have met along the way, the wonderful customers, and the suppliers they have come to know and work with. 

Valley Home Meals

Valley Home Meals is based in the Comox Valley and has been preparing delicious home cooked meals that are delivered right to your door since 1999. Our heart-wise meals are dietitian approved and designed for busy people who wish to improve their health. Not only will our meals encourage weight management, but also provide balanced nutrition for diabetics, seniors, and those with therapeutic and other special dietary needs.

We have poured our hearts and souls into Valley Home Meals because of our genuine concern for our customers. They are like family.

At Valley Home meals, we grow our own seasonal fruits, berries, and vegetables. We also supplement by supporting local growers to ensure the best nutritional value and flavour in our menu items. You can be assured that only the highest quality ingredients go into your meals when you order from us. We make everything from scratch without using any pre-packaged mixes. All our baking comes fresh from our ovens, with flavourful gravies and sauces enhanced with our own rich reduced stock made from scratch. Valley Home Meals is a brand that Island residents have come to know and trust; service and quality are our trade mark.

Denman Island Chocolate

Denman Island Chocolate, located in British Columbia's beautiful Gulf Islands, was created in 1998 by Daniel and Ruth Terry. Long interested in the organic food movement, the Terrys left the big city for Denman Island in 1994, looking for a more rural lifestyle in which to bring up their two sons and thinking of starting a market gardening business.

Finding that a great many of their fellow islanders were already self-sufficient in vegetables, they turned (as ever) to chocolate, a shared love that dated back to their search for the perfect fuel while bicycle touring in northern France.

Thus was born Denman Island Chocolate, a business which caters to those who like their chocolate organic and dark. Denman Island Chocolate bars are sold in retail outlets across Canada and the United States, making it possible to eat good chocolate with the best ingredients while looking at either the Atlantic or the Pacific, the prairies or a mountain range.

Ruth died in 2004, but we continue to make chocolate the way she would have wanted us to. Anika Harrer joined Daniel on Denman Island in 2017, bringing new ideas and energy, and the skills needed to make us especially delicious. We are Canada's organic chocolate company and we bring you the best.

Stocking Creek Farm

We are a farm in Saltair near Ladysmith, BC. We raise free-range, non-medicated chickens and turkeys as well as eggs, u-pick blueberries, and other fruits in season.

We look forward to meeting you!

Penny Mears
Stocking Creek Farm

Truffula Tree Nut Creamery

Truffula is a tree nut creamery based in Chemainus, BC that handcrafts organic, culinary delights that cater to those with dietary restrictions and those who love to eat great food. Our organic, plant-based kitchen values natural foods and processes, creating intentionally nutritious whole foods bursting with flavour. Painstakingly crafted by Holistic Nutritionist and Raw Food Chef, Allison Landin, Truffula offers versatile, flavourful cultured nut products (vegan cheese) and grain-free crispbreads.

Driven to create foods that both nourish your body and please your palate, Allison has mastered her craft, honing her recipes and her processes since 2013. Whether you're looking for a bagel or cracker spread, something to add to your charcuterie board, the perfect creamy base to pair with fruit and honey, or a delectable crunch to pair with cheese, Truffula offers versatile, gourmet artisanal products that don't compromise on flavour or texture; rather, our foods are unbelievably crave-worthy.

Little Qualicum Cheeseworks

Little Qualicum Cheeseworks was established in 2001 by Clarke and Nancy Gourlay. After a career in humanitarian aid and development, the Gourlays, including their three young sons, moved to Vancouver Island to be close to family and explore their dream of making Swiss-style artisan cheese. On June 29, 2019 Clarke Gourlay died in a mountaineering accident in Strathcona Park. His immense vision and passion were largely to be credited for the success of Little Qualicum Cheeseworks and his loss left a significant hole in the business. In early 2021, Nancy made the decision to retire, and in the summer of 2021 Albert Gorter and Chelsea Enns moved on-site and began training with the Gourlay family.

Albert Gorter grew up on a 600-acre dairy farm near Otterburne, Manitoba. He studied animal science at Lakeland College and worked in other agricultural areas before returning to his family farm where he and his partner Chelsea Enns took over management. Along with a passion for excellence in dairy farming, Albert and Chelsea developed a strong interest in the processing side of the dairy industry and even established their own yogurt brand which they operated for a year. When the time came to pursue the next stage of their vision, they made the decision to bring their experience, energy and passion to Little Qualicum Cheeseworks and Morningstar Farm on Vancouver Island. Albert is now the farm manager and Chelsea oversees the cheesemaking and tourism operations. Their two-year-old son Rory is enjoying island life and so is farm dog, Emma.

Over the years of change and growth, Little Qualicum Cheeseworks continues to be a family business and remains committed and passionate about quality local food, sustainable agriculture, animal welfare, and providing a fun, educational, and delicious experience to all visitors of the farm and customers of their cheese across British Columbia. 

Conscious Crackers

A baker meets a nutritionist and after a late night baking experiment, a business plan was hatched! They decided to combine both their passions to create a unique and healthy product that was new to the Comox Valley.

Conscious Crackers are made with flax, quinoa, almond flour, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds. These gluten-free crackers are high in fibre and protein and are excellent with hummus, cheese, jam, and more!

Jason and Chanci
Courtenay, BC

Saanichton Farm

Four generations of the Rashleigh family have worked to produce corn, dairy cattle, hay, and grains on the Island. Our family has been farming in Saanichton since 1936, and on Vancouver Island since 1912. Today we produce grains including Hard Red Spring Wheat and Malting Barley.

At Saanichton Farm, we are passionate about growing our grains for the local market. We believe in the benefits of the 100-mile diet: it makes sense to grow our own food here on Vancouver Island, rather than importing food from distant producers. Growing and buying local food creates local jobs, supports the local economy, and reduces our environmental impact. Local producers provide fresh, healthy, delicious food for us all to enjoy.

Our goal is to grow the highest-quality, healthiest food possible. We thank you for your support of local farms, and we look forward to serving you soon.

-Bryce and Jill Rashleigh

Euphoric Juicery

Born and raised in the beautiful Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island , I started Euphoric Juicery with a passion to nourish my community.
​
Connecting with real people and sharing my love for nutrition and sustainability brings me such joy. Offering my products at the Duncan Saturday Market and in stores that share these values is important to me.

Food should be good for our bodies and the planet. We sell our juices and nut mylks in reusable glass mason jars, and our broths are packaged in compostable containers. Half of our compost is dropped off at farms with composting sites that are part of soil regeneration programs, the other half of our delicious organic compost goes to local farms for animal food.

I am definitely blessed to have found what fuels me and to be able to share it with you...may you always feel euphoric.

- Lori Ridley

Mindful Mouthful

Our bakers are not your usual, flour-covered, white-apron-wearing, run-of-the-mill types. We are uniquely-abled adults from Clements Centre for Families and we are on a mission. Through our sensational sweets and savoury delights, we are promoting consciousness and celebrating our abilities to work and earn a living. With the Mindful Mouthful, everyone wins.

Just take a bite. You’ll see.

Hornby Island Tea

Completing a diploma in Environmental Science, which was equally disturbing and inspiring, completely changed the way I viewed products throughout our grocery stores. This is what planted the seed and moved me to get involved with supporting sustainable family farms locally and globally.

It is all about creating a product that is equally as good for our health as it is for the environment. That allows the hard working farmers, local businesses, and economics to thrive. The exceptional quality, taste, aromas, health benefits and experience are what stand out from basing a business on these principles.

Hornby Island Tea blends Island-grown lavender, calendula, and mints with green and black teas from The Small Tea Co-Op family farms in Assam, India.

Scorpion Chef

Marcello Anastasi has brought his incredibly delectable creations to our community through his new masterly designed Scorpion Chef Consulting Group. Scorpion Chef offers a variety of ready-to-bake handcrafted empanadas, cooking classes, custom catering menus based on personal needs, food operations design, and much more. Chef Marcelo is an award-winning Executive Chef that brings his Spanish and Italian upbringing to the expertise of his culinary offerings. His focus is to combine local ingredients, spices, and seed combinations to create truly unique flavors.

Louis Pasture

In May 2015 two sisters, Jennifer & Tamara, decided to switch to a paleo diet focusing on protein rich meats and fish, vegetables, and fruit. They soon realized their snacking options were limited. Not to be dissuaded so easily, they decided to make their own. Using local, ethically raised pork, they started making their own pork crisps, a favorite childhood snack.

Not only did they satisfy their salty snack cravings without compromising the paleo lifestyle, they were delicious and became an instant hit with their friends and family. The Primal Sisters were born and the rest is history! They debuted at the local Farmers Market in 2016. You can now find their delicious Pork Crisps in over 80 stores across B.C.

Eugene's Greek Food

Evgeni (Eugene) Vassiliadis arrived in Victoria from his home in the bustling port of Piraeus (outside of Athens) with wife Paschalina (Lina) and two young sons, Elefterios (Terry) and Pantelis (Lee) in November 1974. From the very beginning Eugene had a vision to open a traditional Greek Souvlaki Snack Bar in Victoria. However, having arrived in Victoria with only 2 suitcases and a trunk, Eugene began working as a brick-layer, his trade in Greece, in order to support his young family.

To supplement the family’s income, Eugene began working in local Greek restaurants by night and took what construction jobs he could during the day. He quickly became head chef of a local Greek Restaurant and soon Lina—an excellent cook herself—joined him. Lina, encouraging Eugene to open a souvlaki snack bar, found their first location in the alleyway of the Royal Bank Building on Douglas and Fort Street. They opened their doors November 24th, 1979.

Today, Lee runs the company and having a young family of his own he decided family time is more important and has changed paths from restaurant life to wholesale. He is growing the business so that Eugene’s products are available in all grocery stores island-wide and into the lower mainland. Still maintaining the quality and making our famous Tzatziki & Homous in small batches. Eugene and Lina oversee from the background while enjoying their retirement, and customers of Vancouver Island continue to enjoy the same wonderful home-made recipes that Eugene and Lina first served in 1979.

Hornby Organic Bars

Our mission is to make affordable organic food without our planet and customers paying the price. Why? Because that’s what our mom taught us to do. Our story began on the incredible gulf island of Hornby, where life is slow, in the best way. It’s home to a special kind of people who are self-reliant and do things a little differently.

Like most growing businesses, we busted out of the seams of our little start-up facility on Hornby Island. Our founders packed their bags to head to Vancouver Island, where they found a facility in Comox. With the new space, new flavors, a new baby, and a packaging robot built by Irah, we rebranded.

Hornby Island Energy Bars became Hornby Organic and at the same time became the first company in Canada to produce a Canadian Certified Organic energy bar, without raising its prices to the consumer. Proving that it can be done when people and our planet are put before profit.

-Irah and Cayleigh

Promise Valley Farm

Promise Valley Farm is a family dairy farm and yogurt business located in the beautiful Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. At Promise Valley Farm and Creamery, we are passionate about land, cows, and nourishing dairy products.

We use regenerative farming practices, aspiring to improve the soil over time without the use of chemical fertilizer or pesticides. Our heritage, grass-fed Guernsey cows roam the hills of Promise Valley Farm bringing you milk that is rich in taste and quality.

The whole milk is small-batch pasteurized, but not homogenized, so the golden cream rises to the top for your enjoyment. Stop by our milk dispenser and visit our farm store for more of our delicious products.

-The Nagtegaal Family

Arbutus Farms Kitchen

Arbutus Farms Kitchen is an independent food company established in 1997 in the beautiful Cowichan Valley. We use local ingredients whenever possible and source many of our ingredients from Vancouver Island and the Fraser Valley. 64% of the ingredients we use are from Vancouver Island, 79% are from British Columbia, and 86% Canadian as a whole. Buying local plays a supportive role in our products being as fresh as possible; as well as supporting BC food producers and reducing our carbon footprint.

We never add MSG to our products; we use natural preservatives such as citrus juices and vinegar whenever possible. We pride ourselves on making healthy dishes just like you would at home, with international flair. We recycle all our supplier packaging, keeping metal, plastic and cardboard out of landfills. We send our vegetable scraps back to our local farmers to be used as feed and compost.

A&S Freeze Dried Snacks

A&S's freeze-dried fruits are convenient snacks containing only 100% natural fruits and nothing else! No added sugar, chemicals or preservatives; they are Vegan, Gluten-free, Non-GMO and high in Antioxidants. We make them in small batches to ensure freshness. Freeze-dried fruits retain their natural colour, flavour and nutritional value. The fruits are sweet, crunchy and full of nutrients. Enjoy them with a crunch or rehydrate with water. The snacks are delivered in resealable bags for your convenience. They are perfect for On-the-Go-Snacking so take them along hikes, bike rides, camping trips and more! Snacks have a prolonged shelf life and are prepared in a nut-free environment.

Alexandru & Sharlene Ionescu
A&S Microgreens

A&S Microgreens

A&S Microgreens is a Vertical Micro Farm located in Cobble Hill, BC. We proudly grow 60+ varieties of fresh microgreens, with non-GMO organic seeds, organic soil and medium, pure water, and the latest LED technology for light. We grow indoors, in a temperature-controlled environment, without pollution, without pesticides, without insecticides, without manure, and without soil contamination. This allows us to grow year-round, so it is always peak season for our microgreens. The results are super nutritious microgreens that have a wide range of textures, colours, and flavours. All our packaging consists of plant-based compostable and recyclable eco-clamshells.

Alexandru & Sharlene Ionescu

Vanvalley Farm

Vanvalley Farm was started by Herman and Ida vanBoven in 1960. Ben joined their family in 1961 and is the third of their seven children raised on the farm. He and his wife Margie purchased the farm and dairy cows from his parents in 1993, and raised four kids on the farm including Matt, who is now a co-owner along with his wife Darbi.
They started Cowichan Milk Company (our milk processing & delivery business) in 2019 on Vanvalley Farm.

Ben is the farm's primary herdsman, and he cares for our cows throughout their lives including finetuning their diets, learning their habits and personal preferences, treating minor health issues, and storing an impressive amount of information about each cow's lineage in his head. Our Holstein cows are lean in fat, raised on a grass-based diet, and are treated respectfully. Our local butcher is fully licensed through VIHA and CIFA.

Modern Soda

North Cowichan’s Valley Cider Company began crafting Modern Soda in 2019 as a way to offer cidery visitors non-alcoholic cider. Prioritizing a high quality experience instead of price-point economics means avoiding a product cheapened and often laden with cane sugar, acid and chemical adjuncts.

Apple juice blended with real fruits and botanicals to less than half its natural sweetness produces unique and creative flavors that aromatically heighten a perception of sweetness far greater than the amount of sugar actually present. The result is soda that is up to 70% less sugar than other ‘craft’ or commercial products, less acid, and no weirdo chemicals. Simply put, we figure making something good should always be more important than making it cheaply.

-Bruce McKinlay

Moonshine Mama's

In 2011 our founder Mel was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. After extensively researching natural ways to reduce inflammation and boost the immune system, Mel began mixing natural ingredients into delicious and activated elixirs with the power to heal. Necessity was the mama of invention.

Backed by science, turmeric contains the active compound curcumin that's scientifically proven to act effectively as both an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory. That connection rooted our mission to activate and share the healing powers of nature's ingredients to make these elixirs fully absorbable and to extract the potential contained within for the benefit of your health and well-being.

Folklore Chocolates

Each Folklore Chocolate is created by me, Elena Frederick. My particular love of chocolate led me to train and work as a pastry chef and baker in the Cowichan Valley, until a series of fortuitous events lead to me discovering my calling to become a chocolatier. In 2018, after several years creating chocolates for a local Shawnigan Lake company, I decided to go out on my own and Folklore Chocolates was born! 

I work out of my Island Health approved kitchen at my home in Mill Bay, creating small batches from Callebaut Couverture, and sourcing flavourings from local producers such as Westholme Tea and Foglifter Coffee when possible. I am passionate about spreading joy through chocolate and creating products that taste as beautiful as they look and I am excited to join with the Cowichan Milk Company to spread my love of chocolate throughout the Valley!

South Island Saskatoons

South Island Saskatoons is a 7 acre Saskatoon berry orchard located in Cobble Hill, and is probably the largest dedicated Saskatoon berry farm in BC with approximately 7200 berry shrubs. Monty and Sharon Vanhouwe (and Sharon's parents Carol and Dan Teichrob) moved to Vancouver Island from Saskatchewan. 

"Vancouver Island reminded us of northern Saskatchewan's Canadian Shield area. It's all lakes and evergreens and that's what we liked, it is so beautiful. Winter in Saskatchewan is like "Island time"; everything and everyone has to slow down - but here, it is "Island time" all the time! It just so happens we were attracted to the property we bought here, the Saskatoon Farm, because it is such a gorgeous piece of property that, thanks to those before us, was very well planned and maintained! We just fell in love with it. People laugh at us being from Saskatoon and buying a Saskatoon berry farm here! It really was not planned!"

The Saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia) is a medium sized shrub, or small tree, which belongs to the Rose family. It is closely related to the apple, hawthorn and mountain ash. The Saskatoon is native to the Canadian Prairies, the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, Alaska, British Columbia and the northwestern and north central United States. It has gone by several names including Serviceberries, Juneberries, Shadberries, Sugar Pear, Indian Pear, and more.

Hungry Rooster Kitchen

Hungry Rooster Perogies are homemade in Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, B.C without any preservatives and are sourced from local ingredients. Our company is a local, family-run business. Our recipes were passed down from the original owners' grandmother in Poland. We specialize in wheat, vegan, and gluten-free perogies. We are proud to share our love for food with you and we hope you will enjoy each bite. We truly appreciate your support and we look forward to serving you a warm, wholesome meal.

Mary Zhang

Irene's Bakery (6 Mile)

Irene’s Bakery has been a family-owned business in Victoria since opening in 1985 on Oak Bay Avenue. In 2019 Irene’s Bakery had the opportunity to merge with another Victoria institution, 6 Mile Bakery. As a result they moved their wholesale operations to 6 Mile’s Carey Rd production facility and combined the two very experienced baking teams. Their mission is to provide quality products and service to Southern Vancouver Island.

Both bakeries were founded on the principles of traditional European bread making, and these principles are still practiced each and every day at Irene’s. Their bakers have over 200 years of combined baking experience. 

Tatlo Road Farm

Tatlo Road Farm is located on 7 acres just south of Crofton on Vancouver Island, and has been in operation since 2013. We grow a wide range of vegetables, herbs, and some fruit, as well as raising laying hens. We use agro-ecological practices to manage our farm and we are Certified Organic through the Island Organic Producers Association.

If you'd like to read the long story of how we started, click here.

-Niki, Nick, Fenna, and Odi

Island Hothouse

Island Hothouse produces local unsprayed greenhouse vegetables including sweet bell peppers, hot peppers, and multiple varieties of cucumbers, tomatoes, and eggplant in Ladysmith, BC. 

Matt Charlton and his team focus on using beneficial insects and companion plants to keep pests at bay.

Vancouver Island Sea Salt

Hardy Buoys

Hardy Buoys Smoked Fish Inc. was founded in 1994 by Bruce and Carol Dirom.  What started as a hobby, a way for Bruce to supplement his young family’s income, has evolved into one of the largest employers in Port Hardy.

Since 1994, Hardy Buoys has helped an entire spin-off industry develop from what they created to cater to the sports fishers' needs. Over the years charter boat operators, lodges, and even local hotels and restaurants enjoy an increased business largely due to the fact that people continue to visit the north end of Vancouver Island, because their catch can be properly taken care of. Although custom processing of sports-caught fish is now only approximately 8% of their annual revenue stream, Hardy Buoys opens a special division each year from mid-June to mid-September to continue to cater to the needs of those fishing and visiting in the community.

Hardy Buoys Smoked Fish Inc. is a member of a member of the Canada Brand Strategy, and their products can be traced using the This Fish traceability program. Many of the Hardy Buoys Smoked Fish products proudly display membership to the Sea Choice program and The Vancouver Aquarium's Ocean Wise program.

“Invaluable People Producing Value Added Products”

Spinnakers Brew Pub

Spinnakers has been an Esquimalt institution since 1984, when they successfully became Canada's first in-house brewpub of the modern era and paved the way for brewpubs, wineries, and craft distilleries with attached licensed premises to exist.

They've recently began canning their own wonderfully balanced non-alcoholic bubbly beverages, using their own natural mineral water and adding unsweetened natural flavours.

Enjoy a local, great-tasting sparkle!

Bake My Day

Bake My Day was born from Dale's love of cooking and baking. Over the years, she has had opportunities to hone her cooking skills by catering for lodges in South Africa and on Vancouver Island. While working in an office but longing to pursue her baking passion, her friends and her husband Alan encouraged her to try selling a few of her best baked goods at farmer's markets. While at the markets she realized how many people were looking for affordable great-tasting gluten-free products.

After much trial and error, she created the perfect blend for her custom flour and began working on developing her own unique tart fillings. Once she was satisfied that she had a product that she could be proud to put her name on, she forged ahead and Bake My Day Gluten-Free was created in December 2012.  Alan joined her during the first year and they have been working as a team since then. They continued to expand their collection of products. Many of their products are dairy-free or egg free, making their products accessible to many.

Bake My Day is lucky to have a wonderful crew of happy, dedicated staff  - all of them working together to create outstanding handcrafted pastry-based goodies. 

Boots 'n' Roots Permaculture Farm

Boots 'n' Roots Permaculture Farm is situated in Glenora on a three-acre site. We farm one acre, plus have the use of three commercial greenhouses. Everything is grown naturally, both inside and outside of the greenhouses. 

We work hard in harmony with nature to bring you the safest, most nutritious vegetables all through the year. We focus on feeding the soil so that our plants are naturally healthy and full of nutrients. Everything we apply goes beyond organic requirements.

We're one of the few market garden farms in the Cowichan Valley that practices true permaculture techniques. This is a step up from traditional organic methods, and is both a sustainable and regenerative way to grow our food! We never use tractors or other heavy machinery, and practice a "no-till" method where a lot of effort is put into creating a healthy soil food web - loaded with beneficial micro-organisms, fungi, and minerals.

We make all our own compost and fertilizers from scratch right here on the farm. The techniques we use make the land healthier - regenerating a beautiful soil, sequestering carbon, and developing a great habitat for all sorts of local wildlife.

-Kelly

CheeseMaker

We bring cheese-making straight to your kitchen. We like to call ourselves Urban Cheese Makers! Our D.I.Y. Kits are easy, make delicious cheese and offer you a unique experience. 

See our video tutorials, read FAQs, buy individual ingredients, and sign up for virtual classes at www.cheesemaker.ca.

Alexis and Jeremy
Victoria, BC

West Coast Kitchen

Our first venture was Fat Chili Farm, and we currently grow 1500 chili plants (45 unique species) in a glass green house and poly tunnels. West Coast Kitchen was born of our passion for wilderness hiking and our love of good food. Shani is an international chef with 30 years of experience and has constantly been in search of how to achieve the standard of our home-cooked food in the wild. After we came to Vancouver Island we were amazed to find out that options for freeze-dried meals available in stores were pretty much all imported products.

Our dream is to provide Canadians and visitors to Canada with a locally-made food option for your hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, or kayaking adventures. When we discovered freeze-drying technology, it became possible to prepare exactly what we needed in a lightweight, durable form that still had the complete nutrition value and taste of freshly made food. The result is our new line of freeze-dried products as West Coast Kitchen.

All of our gourmet freeze-dried entrees and snacks are made at our farm’s commercial kitchen in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, BC.

-Shani Farboud and Penny de Waal

Yellow Deer Mustard

We are a very small business nestled on the coast of Vancouver Island in Qualicum Beach. We pride ourselves on making fine gourmet mustards using the finest mustard seeds grown in Canada.

All of our mustards are natural and free of additives, preservatives, and emulsifiers. With the exception of our honey mustard, they are all vegan. Each small batch is produced and packaged by hand with care and attention and when possible we use only Canadian ingredients.

Yellow Deer mustards are an excellent way to add flavour to your recipes (or try some of our recipes!). They are low in calories with many available vitamins and minerals.

-Tim and Nat

The Drift Meat & Seafood

When it comes to what we produce at The Drift we have a mantra: "only make what you'd be happy to serve in your own home". We source only real, quality ingredients. You won't find any preservatives or additives in our food, and we always aim to go a step above by using labour-intensive ingredient preparations such as caramelizing or roasting for full flavour.

Our pork and lamb are sourced from a few different small-time producers on Vancouver Island, including Tannadice Farms and Drunken Owl Farm. Our chicken is sourced locally from small producers between Duncan and Saanich. We are careful to source from producers that use humane practices and/or are pasture-based.

The fish we use is directly sourced from local fisherman, all from Oceanwise's recommended sustainable fisheries. With keeping our markets narrow we’re able to promote the best of what BC has to offer as well as do our part in seafood sustainability.

With small batch production, the attention to detail you get is going to be greater than anything being produced at scale. We are able to make sure that the taste of everything we make is consistent and exactly what you’d expect from a premium product such as ours. Small batch production preserves quality, ensures authenticity, and helps keep us sustainable as we know exactly the amount of ingredients we need for every batch.

Phillips Brewing & Soda

Phillips Soda Works was founded by Phillips Brewing Company in 2012 and built on the simple premise that our commitment to hand-brewing craft beer with real ingredients could extend to soda.

We will never use cheap corn syrups, artificial colours or flavours in our sodas. Instead, our recipes are built from actual spices and juices, sweetened with cane sugar, and brewed by real brewers in an actual brewery.

Kloosterman's Farm

We are a family owned and run business. We have been baking and selling our products at various farmers' markets for over 15 years! Baking is something I have always enjoyed.

In the spring and summer we also grow many varieties of fruits & berries; primarily raspberries, thornless blackberries, peaches, apples, and plums; which we also sell and use in our baked products.

Our special occasions chocolates are hand-crafted and filled with handmade caramel.

-Irene Kloosterman
Kloosterman's Farm

Island Jerky

Island Jerky is made by 3J’s Smokehouse in Sidney, BC and is not your typical jerky. With over 25 years of experience, we create the best traditional hickory wood smoked beef jerky available in BC. Founded in 2013, the 3J's Smokehouse has been a local producer on Vancouver Island ever since. We pride ourselves in using the highest quality of beef and spices to produce a lean, true, wood-smoked beef jerky with a moist, tender texture. Our customers can't get enough!

-Judy, Jerry, and Jodi

Triple Smoke Foods

Triple Smoke Foods was established in 2014 and originated from our love of cooking outdoors over open fires in the summer months and longing for that bold smoke flavor over the winter months.

Together we discovered a way to bring that all-natural smoke indoors year-round for everyone to enjoy!

To capture the very essence of Beautiful BC, we have created a line up of products that are all-natural and preservative-free. We take pride in being Buy BC licensed using only the freshest ingredients to provide a quality products for you and your family to enjoy.

-Jake & Natasha Townsend
Handcrafted in Shawnigan Lake, BC.

Sutra Foods

Sutra Foods is a local, plant-based food company making their meals from scratch in their multi-purpose production kitchen in Duncan, BC. They make all their food without any added preservatives, offer many gluten-free and vegan options, and believe in sustainable ingredients and production methods. Their product lines include Sutra Sauces and Sutra Spices.

Born in Vancouver, Paul Gill has spent almost his entire life in the food service industry. His love and passion for creating authentic food has always been the driving force behind all his food and restaurant ventures. From his humble beginnings, working in a family-owned Fish'n'Chips restaurant in a small town in Alberta to building and operating multiple restaurants across Arizona, Colorado and Vancouver, Paul has always kept his integrity to provide the absolute best quality food and service to all of his beloved customers. It was that dedication that finally led him to move back to his home country and venture into the food production and wholesale industry, almost 35 years after serving his first customer. Paul now lives in Brentwood Bay, Victoria, B.C. with his beautiful wife, Pari and his two young children, Aanya and Yash.

The Gill family lives, works, plays and travels daily within the traditional territories of the Lkwungen (Esquimalt, and Songhees), Malahat, Pacheedaht, Scia’new, T’Sou-ke, W̱SÁNEĆ (Pauquachin, Tsartlip, Tsawout, Tseycum) and Quw’utsun (Cowichan) peoples. We acknowledge our traditional hosts, and their welcome graciousness as we continue to build our lives here. We are lucky to be here. Hay'sxw'qa si'em nu schala'cha - Thank-you my honourable friends (These words were written for us by a community member after we described to her what we were feeling).

Hard To Come By Farm

Hard To Come By Farm specializes in growing apples, but also produces blackberries and raspberries in season. We are located in sunny Mill Bay at the south end of Telegraph Rd. We started the orchard in 1991 when we grafted 1000 trees and have been producing and marketing about 10-14 varieties of apples ever since. Our orchard is small, but with dwarf rootstalk we are able to grow a diversity of apples.

All our apples are tree-ripened and then handpicked and carefully boxed or bagged to avoid bruising. We have some heritage varieties like Gravenstein, Cox Orange Pippin, and Kings; older varieties including Macoun, Greensleeves, Macintosh, Summer Red, Akane, and Discovery; and newer tasty varieties such as Liberty, Elstar, and Jonagold. We pick early varieties starting in August and later season varieties until November, storing our apples on-site in our cold storage facility to keep them crisp and available until January.

You can find us in the orchard most days, mowing, thinning, pruning, fertilizing, and picking. We follow an integrated pest management program. This involves the application of sulfur for control of powdery mildew and apple scab, and use of pheremone strips to disrupt mating of coddling moth insects. These practices combined with careful monitoring of weather patterns and insect pest populations through trapping helps us reduce the need for chemical fungicide and insecticides. We only spray when absolutely necessary; when rain is predicted and therefore apple scab will spread, or when traps indicate a severe insect pest problem that can not be controlled by other means. Sprays (if required) are discontinued in June.

We are excited to be working with Cowichan Milk Company to bring our fruit to you!
-Wayne and Cindy Haddow

Taco Revolution

Everything we serve is handmade from scratch in-house with a passion and dedication to deliciousness and authenticity. It is our mission to deliver the exact same taco you would find on a street in Mexico. Tacos once found only under a hot Mexican sun can now be enjoyed along the gorgeous shores of Vancouver Island.

Every taco we serve, from the Chorizo Vegetariano to the Fish Taco and the Chicken Tinga, are all pulled directly from Mexico's taco culture. We have dared to bring those flavours north and share them with you.  Tacos so good you will want them everyday - and that's okay, because it's okay to eat tacos everyday.

All our products are 100% gluten-free, backed up by The Celiac Scene.

It is time to taste a taco as it was meant to be; it is time for a true north Taco Revolution!

Tofino Kombucha

Brewing kombucha started as an experiment, grew into a hobby, became an art form, and is now a passion that I want to share. Most people that stop by my house end up leaving with a mason jar and a kombucha SCOBY or some of my wild sourdough starter. I am fascinated with the fermentation process, especially when it comes to kombucha and bread. It never ceases to amaze me how a few simple ingredients can transform into something so nutritious and delicious.

Tofino and kombucha are a natural pairing; our temperate climate with mild winters and cool summers provides the kombucha culture with consistent year-round brewing conditions. I love the fresh, humid, and salty air of Tofino and so does my kombucha culture!

Some of my favourite first memories of Tofino are from my childhood when my family would make the long trip accross Vancouver Island to visit my Grandma Bev. I loved waking up in the morning to the sound of the fog horn echoing from the Lenard Island Lighthouse. The fog horn is now deactivated, but I still enjoying seeing the lighthouse every time I walk the beach or paddle out for a surf at Cox Bay.

Kelsey Hendricks, Tofino Kombucha

Fat Chili Farm

Shani and Penny emigrated to Canada in 2005 with their three small children, drawn by the natural, wild beauty of the West Coast. They started the Chili pepper farm and hot sauce business in 2011 in response to the lack of variety in Chilis available on the Island, and of locally made spicy food.

Shani Farboud, aka the Chili Wizard, is an international chef with 30 years’ experience and can be found at the farmer markets and creating new recipes in the farm’s commercial kitchen.

Penny de Waal, self proclaimed Chili Queen of the Cowichan Valley, can be found behind the scenes crunching numbers, and in the greenhouse making sure the crops are fruitful.

All of the chilis grown at Fat Chili Farm are grown inside a glass green house and polytunnels. Currently Fat Chili Farm grows 1000 chili plants, with a range of medium to extremely hot varieties.

Pickles' Pantry

Food has always been an essential part of family life for Chef and Owner of Pickles' Pantry, Louise Pickles. After studying History at the University of Victoria, Louise decided to make her passion for food and cooking her occupation and attended cooking school at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts in 2003. Since then, Louise's career has taken her around the world and back again as she has worked in and led some of the best kitchens in Vancouver, Australia, and Vancouver Island.

After taking a quick break to start a family, Louise and her husband moved to Cobble Hill in 2018 and look forward to raising their two children here and growing Pickles' Pantry into a thriving Island business. Pickles' Pantry adds a modern twist to traditional and rustic French Charcuterie such as Pâtés and Terrines, and combines them alongside other Island products in carefully curated Grazing Boxes.

Yeshi Dressing

What started as a conversation at home in Mill Bay is now a favourite at farmers markets and grocery stores around BC and Alberta. Yeshi is a nutritional yeast-based dressing that's fit for gluten free and vegetarian diets. Slightly sweet and creamy, it has the subtle flavours of garlic blended with tangy and nutty undertones, you’ll find there's a Yeshi flavour for every dish!

How did it all start?

Barbara is a wonderful cook and she has such a great palate; she can pick out subtle flavours that I have no idea about. She found this incredibly tasty salad dressing that I kept putting on everything. Everytime we were heading out to a restaurant I would remind her, ‘Barbara, don’t forget the dressing’. We would bring our own dressing because we were tired of the same choices...ranch, Italian or the ever present balsamic oil and vinegar. I also have a food allergy so we are pretty conscious of what we put in our bodies.

This went on for a while and when our kids left home for school we realized how much free time we had on our hands. We looked at each other and said, "it's quiet around here, we need a hobby." I said, "we should sell that dressing!" I’m an entrepreneurial spirit, and I have had a few businesses, but I have always wanted to start something that we could do together. Barbara had said no to most of my ideas, but the more I talked about this one the more she liked the idea. Our friends who had tried it, loved it. At work people would always ask for us to bring them some. So we got kind of excited and we agreed, "Let's do it!". After that, we were off to the races, we were both so excited to have something to do besides sit in front of the TV.

We started testing different recipe versions and getting our friends to be our testers. Yeshi Chili. Yeshi Ginger and Sesame. Our friends loved them, our co-workers loved them, so we started taking Yeshi to our local Farmer's Markets. The response was overwhelming. I can’t tell you how many times people have told us they put the dressing on everything! So now we have ventured into retail!

Our friends and community have been so supportive and are so excited for us. We feel inspired and blessed every time someone comes up to us and tells us they love our dressings and what new dish they have tried it with. We hope people will have fun, and find their own ways to use Yeshi and most of all enjoy eating it as much as we have building our business.

Try it on everything!
-Paul and Barbara Kleinschmidt

Tannadice Farms

At Tannadice Farms, we take great pride in producing high quality, succulent meats that are enjoyed by our friends and neighbours across Vancouver Island. We've been a part of the Comox Valley for more than 45 years. We continue to be family owned and operated, and we remain deeply committed to our community.

Tannadice Farms has established a method of farming that is ethical, sustainable and healthful. Quite simply, it's how we feel farming should be done. We take great care of our animals because we know that the way your food is produced has a profound effect on its nutritional value. Healthy animals produce healthy meat.

We never feed our animals growth hormones or animal by-products, and we use antibiotics only when necessary to prevent a sick animal from suffering.

Our certified "High Health" pigs live their entire lives without being exposed to most common porcine diseases. Their "High Health" status is maintained through meticulous cleaning of their barns and regular veterinary check-ups. You'd be hard-pressed to find a healthier herd of pigs!

Our pigs are protected from the elements in housing that provides natural light and fresh air. Pigs do not sweat and can easily burn in the sun and heat. Conversely, if they are too cold, they lose body fat and are more susceptible to illness, disease, and even death. In order to keep our pigs comfortable year round, their housing is adjustable to account for all types of weather.

Tannadice Farms is proud to be a part of the Vancouver Island agricultural community and encourages you to support your local farmers whenever possible. Supporting local producers keeps both your family and your community healthy.

-Allen and Heather McWilliam

Rockin' Risotto

Nick Misura and Elizabeth Evans began Rockin' Risotto in 2015, testing various ingredient combinations to formulate their three popular mixes: "Rosie", "Cuco", and "Rippin". Nick also created the artwork for their logo himself. He passed away in 2019, and is greatly missed by the Cowichan community.

Elizabeth continues to blend and package their risotto mixes by hand in Cowichan Bay, using carnaroli rice and her own vegetarian soup bouillon mix to avoid additives. "Carnaroli is the caviar of risotto rice", Nick would explain, "mak[ing] my blends easy, simple, and fast to cook with that signature creaminess everyone loves." Risotto is known for being fussy and requiring constant stirring, but carnaroli rice doesn't gelatinize, meaning that the process can be mostly hands-off and yet the texture is fluffy and creamy instead of mushy. 

Risotto is the epitome of Italian home cooking and comfort food. In fact, true Italian cooks will tell you that risotto shouldn't take more than 20 minutes from start to finish. It began as a peasant dish, but it's now popular in high-end restaurants too due to its delicious flavour and versatility. It makes an elegant and comforting side or main dish.

The mixes are vegetarian, MSG-free, and gluten-free, allowing them to suit a wide variety of diets. All that's required is two tablespoons of oil and three cups of liquid - water, broth, wine, cream, or whatever you choose! You can opt to keep it simple, or add in protein and/or vegetables as desired. The mixes take 20 minutes to make (mostly hands-off, no constant stirring required!) and serve six as a side or 2-3 as a main dish.

Peaks Coffee

What began as a hobby for Peaks founder, Dana Meiner, soon became a passionate pursuit. Equipped with a clear vision and a tabletop roaster, this trailblazing female founded Peaks on Vancouver Island in 2006. Over ten years later, Peaks Coffee continues to challenge tradition and remains committed to offering high quality, no-compromise, laid-back coffee without attitude to the everyday explorer.

"We are inspired to understand the challenges of producing coffee with integrity from bean to cup, while supporting and sustaining the work of communities and families whose livelihoods depend on farming. The environment in which a coffee grows and the effort taken to grow and harvest coffee cannot be disconnected from the quality that ultimately ends up in your cup. Our responsibility and pursuit of specialty coffee is evident in every step of the journey, resulting in a distinctive cup with a pure aroma and taste.

We take pride in sourcing socially and environmentally conscious, traceable, and sustainable beans. We purchase our beans in small lots based on each country’s seasonality in order to ensure the freshest coffee possible. We also look for unique and distinctive varietals that can stand alone or complement other coffee components in a blend."

Island Shire

"I've had a strawberry kitchen forever!", says Shannon Van Hemert. Strawberries are her favourite fruit, and she's decorated with them since she got married. So it made sense to specialize in growing them on her Tolkien-themed farm, Island Shire.

"We don't pick them if they're not ripe. So the berries are sweet and juicy, and ready to eat sooner than later."

Island Shire started in 2010 when the Van Hemerts decided to move back to James' home province. They scoped out several areas of BC, but the Cowichan Valley was the best fit. Shannon grows a variety of fruits and vegetables, with main crops of strawberries and garlic. No herbicides, pesticides, or fungicides are sprayed on the farm, but Instead they use organic practices such as crop rotation, green manures, row covers, soil solarization and lots of plain old-fashioned weeding.

Paradise Island

George Thomson moved his family to Nanaimo in 1978 with the goal of launching a sweets and confectionary food distribution centre. However, the move coincided with the strike of a large cheese company and a shortage of Canadian cheese in the area. Overnight, he went into the cheese business. By providing excellent customer service and quality cheese products, he was able to pass on the business in 2003 to his sons Kevin and Len. Len retired last year, and Kevin continues to run the family business.

Paradise Island is still family owned and operated, and uses 100% Canadian milk with no modified milk ingredients, artificial preservatives, fillers, gluten, or animal rennet. Because it's made with all-Canadian milk, there's also no antibiotics or growth hormones. They let their cheeses naturally age, with no accelerators to speed up the process. They have steadily been making environmentally progressive changes over the last 17 years, from switching to a low-emissions fleet of distribution vehicles to installing LED and CFL lighting in their warehouse.

I Be Jammin'

Joen Belanger has been perfecting her jams, jellies, pickles, and chutneys for decades, winning many first and second place ribbons in the process!

She makes everything from classic Strawberry Jam (1st prize) to Lemon-Ginger Marmalade (1st prize), Raspberry Jalapeno Jam (1st prize), and Drunken Dill Pickles.

"All of my jams, jellies, pickles and chutneys are small batch made. I have used as much local (Cowichan Valley) and home-grown produce in my recipes as possible. My preserves have been pH tested by the MB Laboratories in Sidney, B.C." -Joen

I Be Jammin'

Bite Me Cookie Company

I remember baking cinnamon buns for as long as I have memories. My Mom used to make them and sell them at the farmers market. We would go early in the morning and get the booth all setup then little me would crawl under the table and have a little nap. I would overhear my Mom offering samples to all the potential customers and see all the different shoes strolling by, hesitate, then wander over to the booth and have a sample. Most times walking away with one of my Mom’s famous cinnamon buns or a loaf of freshly baked bread.

I feel lucky to continue the tradition of baking and selling at Farmers markets alongside my Mom. Although I don't fit under the tables and get to have naps anymore. We take our cinnamon buns to the next level with cinnamon from our fellow vendor Sutton Creek spices. We also use real butter, golden yellow sugar and finish them with a cream cheese frosting.

-Liz Schellhorn
Bite Me Cookie Company

Island Nut Roastery

Back in 1984, we found ourselves with a small bulk foods store. That store happened to come with a peanut butter grinder, and we started making the odd jar of peanut butter. But we noticed that the vacuum sealed roasted nuts we used lacked freshness, and simply didn't taste good. 

So, we decided to give the roasting thing a shot. Starting in our kitchen at home, we trained on some pretty basic nuts - peanuts, cashews, and almonds. We got the hang of it pretty quickly, purchased a couple of convection ovens, and soon found ourselves roasting full time. 

Made in small batches with only the highest-quality ingredients, our nut butters and mixes are as fresh as the air we breathe here on the West Coast. Ground, mixed, glazed, or spiced, we know you'll be able to taste the Coastal freshness, quality, and care in every nut at Island Nut Roastery.

Nielsen's Honey

Nielsen's Honey is a small apiary, family owned and operated. We are located in the Cowichan Valley have kept bees for 20 + years. All our honey is UNPASTEURIZED and UNFILTERED, meaning you get all the goodness it holds. All our honey is harvested from our own hives in the Cowichan Valley. It is a truly local product.

Buying local honey is vital to support local honeybee populations and pollination, as well as being a much healthier alternative to pasteurized supermarket honey.

From the honeycomb to your home, Nielsen's Honey is perfect for adding to tea, smoothies, baking, or just licking right off the spoon!

Kilrenny Farm

Our property in Cowichan Bay has been an active farm from the early 1920s. We have been farming organically since 1988 when we moved to the farm with our three young daughters. We were both inspired by our grandfathers' farms which led to our commitment to farming organically and sustainably.

Almost all dried pasta is made using industrial processes that are far removed from its ancient artisan roots. We make our pastas with grains that have no preservatives or additives, and vacuum pack our pastas to maintain the freshness.

We only use the best durum semolina, whole wheat, organic spelt, and organic Khorasan Kamut (milled on Vancouver Island) in our pastas with the addition of free range organic farm eggs in selected varieties.  We have been using all of these grains in our pasta since opening our pasta business in 2011.

We use fresh organic vegetables or poultry from our farm, or locally-grown products whenever possible with the addition of fresh herbs for maximum flavour for our sauces.

-Deborah and Russell Fahlman
Kilrenny Farm

Portofino Bakery

Jaap Verbeke, General Manager of Portofino Bakery, began as an apprentice in Holland when he was 11 years old (pictured above). After exploring other career paths, one of which led him to Canada, he returned to his childhood passion and opened a retail bakery in Broadmead Shopping Village in Victoria, BC. Over time the bakery became increasingly successful, and it now supplies retail locations and restaurants on Vancouver Island with its European-style breads and baked goods.

The bakery uses Vancouver Island-grown wheat in two of their popular loaves, the Vancouver Island Wholegrain Artisan Loaf, and the Vancouver Island Harvest Pan Loaf. The wheat is grown in Metchosin and on the Saanich Peninsula, and the flour is milled on-site at the Portofino bakery.

"We have amazing customers who have helped us create high quality products that contain clean and simple ingredients. Ingredients you don't have to be a scientist to understand."

True Grain Bakery

We opened our bakery in Cowichan Bay in 2004, pouring our passion into creating the very best local, handcrafted, organic breads, pastries, and cookies. We use 100% BC-grown organic grain for everything we bake. From ancient grains like Einkorn, Emmer, Rye, Khorasan and Spelt, to heritage wheat like Canada’s own Red Fife, we buy directly from organic farmers close to home.

We stay “true to the grain” when we stone mill the grain into flour, by milling at low temperatures and adding no preservatives or conditioners. Each day our talented bakers make hundreds of loaves and pastries by hand, using tried and tested European-inspired recipes. We don’t skimp on quality, and we never cut corners. The result is baked goods that are wholesome, full of flavour, and simply a joy to eat.

True Grain Cowichan Bay

Lockwood Farms

Cammy and James Lockwood began Lockwood Farms in 2011 with James' late father, Barry Lockwood. They started with 399 laying hens and a few rows of vegetables. They now have 4250 free-range laying hens, and include the Black Soldier Fly in their diet.

"Insects are a very natural part of a hen's diet, yet conventional feed has not included insect protein" the Lockwoods note. "We believe this is the way of the future and are so excited to be pioneering this feed in our industry."

In March 2019, they received the BC & Yukon Outstanding Young Farmers award, which recognizes farmers who exemplify excellence in their profession and promote the tremendous contribution of agriculture.

"We are not trying to be better than anyone else, we just want to be better at what we do; more knowledgeable, better stewards, better parents, better citizens, better friends, better owners, better employers, and better farmers." - Cammy and James Lockwood

Ed's Soup Shack +

We produce delicious and nutritious dry soup and dinner mixes. Ed’s Soup Shack was founded over 10 years ago. It started out as Christmas stocking stuffers and gifts for friends and family. The stocking stuffers were such a hit that it blossomed into a family business and Ed’s Soup Shack was born. We now offer 20 different soups and 4 dinners and we mainly sell at farm markets and street fairs.

Karen started the Soup Shack and created all the wonderful recipes, while Ed became the number one taste tester. Leanna and Jason have now taken over the business with plans to expand so everyone can enjoy our fantastic soups and dinners.

Our soups and dinners are very healthy and nutritious with no salt, sugar or MSG added. We order as many products as possible from local companies and other small businesses and the soups and dinners are made one by one by hand in our home based, health board approved shop.

Our mixes are great for family lunches, dinners, potlucks, camping, hiking and emergency kits.

Thanks for trying Ed’s Soup Shack + and happy souping!!

McClintock's Farm

McClintock’s Farm was established in 1988 with the purchase of 23 acres in Dove Creek. Within the first few years we bought four cows and calves, put in some blueberry plants and learned a lot about farming – often the hard way! In 1996, we made the decision to become more than hobby farmers and purchased Val’s family’s 25 acres on Headquarters Road which has been in the family since 1876 and is a designated century farm. This makes us the fourth and fifth generations to farm this land.

Water buffalo became an important part of our farm after we purchased 15 young females from Fairburn Farm in Duncan, BC and a male from the Ontario Water Buffalo Company in Stirling, ON in December of 2010. We designed and built a barn which was completed in the fall of 2011 and retro-fitted an older building to become our milking parlour. The milking parlour was completed the night of March 7th, 2012 and our first buffalo baby was born the morning of March 8th, 2012 and we started milking!

In the past 7 years, our herd has expanded to a total of about 125 water buffalo and we have learned a lot! We strongly believe that our animals deserve to be cared for with kindness and respect and we strive to provide a healthy, natural, stress free environment for them. During the spring and summer months, roughly from April through until October, the water buffalo are on grass pasture. We bring them in to be milked twice a day, but the rest of the time, they are free to graze in the fields. During the winter months, the water buffalo are housed in a loose, sawdust pack barn. We group them in small, social groupings as they form strong bonds with their herd mates and mixing unfamiliar animals is very stressful. They prefer to sleep huddled together, often with their heads resting on each others backs. By using a sawdust pack barn, they are able to rest comfortably and lie down together.

We are a 100% grass fed dairy. Grass fed means that our buffalo are out grazing in the fields from about April until the grass stops growing in the fall. In the winter months, when they cannot be outside, they are fed grass silage. We do not feed any grains and all of our feed is non GMO. This reflects the natural diet of a water buffalo. All of the feed is either grown on our farm or purchased from local farmers.

-Gerry, Val, and Sandra McClintock

Tree Island Yogurt

As a microbiologist and whole food enthusiast, we started Tree Island in 2012 after returning from France where we tasted artisan yogurt made with fresh, whole milk. Nothing comparable existed in BC, so we set out to create it ourselves.

We are now making grass-fed, artisan yogurt at our production plant in the Comox Valley. We use 100% fresh whole BC milk, carefully select the best ingredients, and handcraft our yogurt in small batches using a traditional, slow-kettle cooking method.

Our mission is to nourish our community by strengthening the local food system and promoting land stewardship.

We are committed to building a sustainable future for our children and generations to come. We support local, grass-fed dairy farms with pastures that promote healthy ecosystems and we are using 50% less plastic in our new packaging.

Our team works each day towards a healthy future in this beautiful place we call home.

Drumroaster Coffee

Drumroaster Coffee is located in Cobble Hill, BC. Geir Oglend has been in the coffee scene on Vancouver Island since the late 70s, owning a number of cafes and learning to expertly repair espresso machines and successfully build sustainable, community-focused, vibrant businesses. Drumroaster was founded in 2007 with his children, Courtney and Carsen, who grew up working in cafes; and his wife Patricia, who perfects all the recipes for the treats sold in their cafe. Carsen focuses on ethically sourcing and purchasing exceptionally nice coffees, and Courtney conducts all the barista training. 

"We've found in our travels sourcing coffees that the largest impact to improving the livelihood of coffee-producing communities is simple: pay more for coffee. Of course, this comes with the expectation that rewarding higher quality by asking for more diligent picking, processing, and storage, costs more. It has become obvious that rewarding exceptional producers with higher prices and allowing them to improve year after year is a sustainable and mutually beneficial strategy. 

As a coffee drinker, you can be sure that the coffees you purchase from us are sourced ethically, from producers who care as much as we do about the quality in your cup." (from drumroaster.com)

If you'd like to see more of Drumroaster's fantastic coffees available through our delivery service, please contact us to let us know!

Farmer Ben's Eggs

Farmer Ben's Eggs is a 3rd generation family farm, owned and operated currently by Ian and Jennifer Woike. Ben, Ian's father, started the egg layer farm in 1980, branching out to the grading and wholesale business with Ian in 1994. Ian and Ben have proudly been providing safe, fresh nutritious eggs to Vancouver Island for over 4 decades.

Ian currently manages the company on a daily basis with the help of 18 employees. Jennifer manages the marketing and public relations at Farmer Ben's.

In addition to running the company, Ian and Jennifer have raised 3 children on the farm. All 3 children have been involved with the farm, while their second son has cultivated a passion for agriculture and stepped up to assist Ian with day to day operations.

"Our eggs are always 100% Island produced. We are a locally owned and family run egg production and wholesale operation, located in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island.

Our farm operates independently, without any government subsidies and we respect our natural resources and are mindful of the environmental impacts of our products. Our hens are raised without the use of hormones, antibiotics or steroids, and exceed animal welfare standards set out by the Egg Farmers of Canada. We're proud to have the first and only Enriched Housing in our state-of-the-art layer barn, operating since the Spring of 2019.

Each egg is laid by hens free from hormones, antibiotics and steroids. Our birds are housed within 2.5 km of our grading station, creating a minimal carbon footprint. This care and respect for the environment and nutrition extend to the customer."

Farmer Ben's is an active community participant and donates many dollars back into the community that supports them.

Cowichan Milk Company

We are a family farm in the Cowichan Valley milking 50 Holstein cows and raising our own calves and heifers. We grow all our own grass to feed our cows year-round with some purchased grain and alfalfa. Our goal is to take the very best care of our cows as they rely on us and we rely on them.

With the three of us working together we look forward to selling farm-fresh milk to our community from happy and healthy cows that live right here in the Cowichan Valley.

Our goal is to give you the freshest, tastiest, highest-quality milk that you have ever served you and your family. From our farm to your table, we hope that you enjoy it just as much as we and our children and grandchildren do!