22 BUILDING trust
about you? Yes, bring some.’” He explained the need to
use foreign workers to meet labour requirements, blueberries’ growth cycle and answered questions about the use of chemicals in plant health. “This year we didn’t spray a single insecticide. We spray some fungicide and we spray a fair amount of fertilizer to keep the plants healthy and we give the plants enough nutrients to fend off insects themselves,” Stobbe explains. “In our school of thought, we can’t go organic because we need to feed the plant.” A stop at Serene Lea Farms, the Stobbe family’s 200-head dairy, followed.
Stobbe outlined the
milking process, described the geothermal system that uses heat from the milk for heating and cooling the farm and stressed the importance of nutritionally balanced rations for his herd. “We’re a little bit different
here. We have a grain mill so we make our own calf grain. I balance it with my nutritionist; I’m always tweaking it a little bit,” he says. The birth of a calf aided by Stobbe and his father Abe highlighted this part of the tour and gave everyone a first- hand example of the care provided by farmers to their animals.
A cheese tasting, courtesy of cheesemaker Sandra Proulx, wrapped up the afternoon. Proulx, long-time cheesemaker at Terroir Cheese
nfrom page 21
in Armstrong, purchased the business six months ago. She brought along her two Brie- style cheeses: Goaty Cow and Mt. Ida, and provided lots of delicious recipe ideas. Proulx plans to open a new
facility in Kaleden next summer where she can produce a full line of cheeses and do retail sales. Sysco Kelowna corporate
chef Brent Durec says Sysco organizes a Vancouver tour each year featuring many large producers but local connections are just as important. “We want to support local farmers and offer a wider product to the customer,” he says. “It’s always interesting finding the different farms and products.” Kelowna Yacht Club
executive sous chef Jeff Burns said Sysco’s ability to pick up fresh product from farmers and deliver it to other customers along the route creates more food possibilities for restaurants. “We use Sysco a lot so the
more local product they can get, the more we can highlight that,” says Burns. “It’s a good way to understand the local side of food. … I’m very interested to see the diversification being used by local farmers.” October’s tour was the
second We Heart Local organized this year. The first tour in May included a visit to a greenhouse and a dairy farm in Delta. Plans are taking shape for additional tours in 2019.
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • DECEMBER 2018
Farmer John’s Market in Grindrod, top, was the lunch stop during a North Okanagan farm tour of chefs, food bloggers, nuturitionists and dieticians. Below, the impromptu birth of a calf during the tour gave guests a first-hand glimpse into day-to-day dairy farming. JACKIE PEARASE PHOTOS
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