FARM NEWS

Green Are Looking Luscious!

Our Asian greens have been loving the rainy weather. They grew so much they should be ready to harvest next week 😎

 

Meet Your Farmers: Thalia & Josh from Koootenay Corner Gardens.

If you're looking for locally-grown plant starts be sure to check out Kootenay Corner Gardens annual plant sale which starts today! 🌱

Dates: May 1st till 31st

Open: 9am - 4pm

Where: 2450 Filipoff Rd, Castlegar (3 min south of Playmor Junction)

What they're offering: a variety of veggie starts which includes a big selection of tomatoes, peppers (hot and sweet), eggplant, cucumbers, squash, herbs and greens. 

Kootenay Corner Gardens has a beautiful farm right along the Kootenay river which we highly recommend checking out. This is their second year farming so we wanted to introduce them to you and share a bit of their backstory. Here are 5 things you didn't know about Kootenay Corner Gardens.

 

1. Who are you and where are you from originally? 

Thalia: My name is Thalia, I was born in Prince George but moved to the Kootenays when I was two and I grew up 20 min out of Nelson in Shoreacres. I spent the first decade of my career working as a Chef and am now in my 4th year of farming. 

Josh: My name is Josh Mateschitz, originally from a small town in farm country Ontario. 

 

 2. How did you end up in the Kootenays? 

Thalia: After travelling and working away, I found myself rooted back home. Not just to the Kootenays but to the very land I grew up on. 

Josh: I ended up in the Kootenays over 10 years ago, in search of a like-minded community and of course, looking for deep mountain powder to ski in. 

 

 3. What inspired you to become a farmer?

Thalia: The inspiration came directly from the land that I lived on! It always felt rich and fruitful - as if it wanted to be a part of something bigger. There was an opportunity in front of me and the call was very strong. As most things do, it started small and slow. One thing led to another and it snowballed into a farm. As I learnt about how food is grown and the high consequences of where it comes from, there seems to be no better mission than to be a caretaker of the soil and to grow nutritious food. 

Josh: After working in farm-to-table restaurants my entire adult life, serving the community with quality food quickly became my deepest passion. When I was looking for a change from the stressful lifestyle of the restaurant industry, it became quite clear to me that graduating from kitchens to farming made the most sense. 

 

4. What's your favorite part about being a farmer?

Thalia: I love being a part of a movement that is working towards decentralizing our food system to create resilient communities. What the world needs is more small regenerative farms. That is what is going to make a difference for food security, climate change, our watershed and provide a home for our precious pollinators. Regenerating the land one farmer at a time. 

Josh: I enjoy being able to serve the community with food grown with the utmost amount of love and passion, the feedback and excitement on our customers' faces when they receive our nutrient-dense produce makes all the hard work worth it to us. 

 

 5. What are your future dreams for your farm?

Thalia: The list is long! We are working towards diversifying as much as possible. Also we'd love to find ways to open our farm up to the community. Setting up a farm store on our property is in the works this year or the next for the folks that live out of town and down the road welcoming people for educational workshops on all things regenerative farming! Sky's the limit!

Josh: Our future goals on the farm are endless, but as long as we can create a healthy and sustainable lifestyle for both us and our veggies, I believe the dream will be fulfilled.  

 Click here to get more info on the plant sale

 

NEW PRODUCTS 

100% Sourdough Focacci 

Description: Tucked away in a back alley just off of Baker street in Nelson lies an inconspicuous little bakery, no bigger than your typical living room. When you open the door and walk inside it's like you walked right into the middle of an old school French bakery. The light is dim, the smell of yeast and baked bread is intense and bakers are busily weighing out raw sourdough and pulling out golden brown loaves of bread fresh from the oven, right in front of you.

This Focaccia has a rustic texture with a soft and pillowy inside. The flavour is yeasty, slightly sour with a touch of sea salt and rosemary on top - everything you want in a loaf of focaccia.

 

About La Ruelle Bakery

La Ruelle Bakery, formerly known as Au Soleil Levant, is a historic French Canadian bakery that has been operating in Nelson for 30 years. When former owner Raymond Gariépy decided to retire in 2024, long-time employee Justine Gareau-Loyer assumed ownership of the bakery. The batton was passed on and Justine decided to renovate the bakery and refresh the brand under the new name Le Ruelle.

La Ruelle Bakery specializes in authentic 100% sourdough bread with no yeast or rising agents added. And they use locally-source organic flour from Anita's Flour Mill out of Chilliwack. With their experience and passion for baking Justine and her team make some of the best sourdough bread in the Kootenays and we're beyond excited to be able to share their bread with you!

Details: Loafs come frozen. Transfer into a plastic bag or bread bag to preserve freshness.

 

 

Grass-Fed Blueberry Yogurt 

Description: Indulge in creamy perfection with our Grass-Fed Yogurt. This yogurt is made with fresh whole milk from Koootenay-raised, grass-fed Jersey cows raised by Jerseyland Organics Farm in Grand Forks. Jersey cows have a much richer milk compared to the standard black and white Holstein cows. This eliminates the need for thickening agents or emulsifiers.

This yogurt is non-homogenized so there is a thick and luxurious layer of cream on top that can be stirred in for a rich creamy texture. Moo-ve over other yogurts, this ones the real deal!

 

NEW RECIPE 

Spinach & Bacon Quiche 

Made with spinach from Linden Lane Farms, eggs from Brown Creek Farm, bacon from Granby Meat Company, cheese from Jerseyland Organics Farm, cream from Koootenay Meadows Farm and wheat from Treasure Life Farms, this quiche is as local as it gets!

CLICK HERE TO READ NOW 

 

Food For Thought 🍎

Boycott

We will be participating in the month-long boycott starting this week of Canada’s biggest supermarket chain Loblaws, who owns both No Frills and Wholesale Club. I thought it would be appropriate to break down what happens to every dollar spent at a supermarket compared to a local business.

Just five corporation (Walmart 8%, Costco 9%, Metro 11%, Sobeys 20%, Loblaw 28%) control 76% of the Canadian grocery market. And for every $100 spent at these supermarkets only $11 will go to small Canadian businesses.

If you spent that same $100 at a local businesses, $66 would stay in your community and circulate between other small local businesses and community members. 

Most of the money spend on food that should be flowing to small Canadian businesses and farmers are being extracted out of our communities by a handful of companies.

 

🍅 Save up to $200 by joining our Farm Membership! 🍅 Farm Members play a vital role in our farm business. By paying for food upfront you allow us to invest in seeds, new tools, equipment, ingredients, and infrastructure which greatly improves the overall financial stability of our farm. 

CLICK HERE TO BECOME A MEMBER 

 

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