DECEMBER 2018 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC


21 Tour builds trust between foodies, farmers


Okanagan farms give a fresh perspective on agriculture


by JACKIE PEARASE


GRINDROD – A farm tour aimed at food influencers did more than open eyes, it changed minds. A group including chefs,


food bloggers, nutritionists and dietitians toured three North Okanagan farms October 23 with agriculture industry representatives for a behind-the-scenes look at the farms. The tour was a chance to taste local products and ask questions about food production and farm practices. We Heart Local, an initiative of the BC Agriculture Council launched in 2014, hosted the tour in partnership with Buy BC: Eat Drink Local, the province’s two-year-old initiative with the BC Restaurant and Food Services Association. The tour aimed to create connections between consumers and BC’s agriculture community. “We are working to build consumers’ confidence that the food purchased from local producers is safe and very high quality,” explains BCAC community trust manager Becky Parker. “We conducted pre- and post-surveys with the participants and found that 89% found the tour to be an effective way to learn more about farming and the food system.” The surveys showed that


participants’ level of trust in agricultural practices increased after the tour. For example, tour participants all agreed that farmers produce safe, high-quality food and that they care about the animals they raise versus 70% before the tour. All participants also agreed that farmers are transparent about production practices, versus just 10% before the tour.


There was also greater


agreement that farmers are environmentally conscious, with 78% of tour participants believing this compared to 10% before. The tour started at


Okanagan Riverbend Poultry in Grindrod, a free range and soon-to-be organic and SPCA- certified chicken layer barn. The quality of the eggs


produced and the health of the 3,300 chickens were topmost concerns for tour participants. Owner Jared de Dood explained his three-tier aviary system that gives the birds space to run, fly, roost and eat with access to the outdoors, a system that has resulted in daily production of about 3,100 eggs since he started his first flock in May. “When I came here, the


very first day, I packed six eggs out of 3,300 birds that were placed in there,” de Dood says.


He opened his books detailing his daily, weekly and monthly reporting requirements; showed the barn’s computer systems that help monitor bird health, lights, feeding and more; and explained how eggs are collected and packed for grading. “What you’re seeing is eggs coming from the farm to the grocery store within four to


AJ Stobbe has no problem finding a market for his Okanagan-grown blueberries. Most retailers are surprised to know there is a grower in the valley. JACKIE PEARASE PHOTO


seven days. That’s how fresh our products are,” he notes. A look inside the aviary


revealed quiet, content birds which quickly adapted to the visitors.


A delicious lunch next door


at Farmer John’s Market, operated by Jared’s parents, John and June de Dood, featured a starter, entree and dessert created with ingredients sourced from Okanagan farms that wowed


the group and sparked a deeper interest in local products. Lunch was also an


opportunity for everyone to see the de Dood’s state-of- the-art robotic dairy, Sunninghill Holsteins. A short drive to Mara


brought the group to 60 acres of blueberries at Madalea Farms, where owner AJ Stobbe explained how the fruit helped diversify his


family’s dairy farm and filled a need for local berries in the North Okanagan. “I have pretty good success going into a store with Okanagan blueberries and they’re pretty excited about the merchandise,” Stobbe says. “It’s been so fun because a lot of the stores are saying, ‘There’s local blueberries? How come we didn’t know


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