Island Farm Fresh front page

Welcome to the e-version of the Southern Vancouver Island Direct Farm Marketing Association guide to farms and farm fresh products in Greater Victoria and the Gulf Islands, the Cowichan Valley, Ladysmith, Cedar, and Oceanside (Qualicum, Parksville). Click on the menu to find when products are in season (what's in season), where you can buy them (products), and how to get to the farms you want (farms and maps). You can also find information on farmers' markets on southern and central Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands (markets). Buying local is good for you – and the environment! We'll be updating our website every month with information on special recipes using local farm products throughout the growing season and other news on our local farming community. Look for a copy of the "Farm Fresh" guide for 2009/10 at participating farm stands.	Click to download: > Pages 1-10 (1.9 MB) > Pages 11-20 (2.3 MB)

TOUR OF FARMS SAANICH PENINSULA – July 26 COWICHAN VALLEY – August 9 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Where does my food come from? What's it like to be a farmer? Who will grow my food in the coming generations? Enjoy free educational farm tours on the Saanich Peninsula and the Cowichan Valley so that you can explore answers to these questions - and have some fun, too! Click here for more information... Cobble Hill Fall Fair Celebrates 100 Years! Congatulations to Cobble Hill Fall Fair which will celebrate its 100th birthday on August 29. Click here for more information.		Yummy! Raspberries and tayberries almost ready... Time to stock up on vanilla ice cream – berry season is bustin' out! Some farms have already started picking raspberries and tayberries on Canada Day – call ahead to your favourite farm stand to find you what they've got on hand. Saskatoon berries and blueberries soon to follow... We expect to see saskatoon berries ready by the middle of the first week of July, and blueberries soon after (before mid-July).		At merridale ciderworks ... The Plays the Thing July 3, 2009 The Bamberton Historical Society teams up with the Seeds and Salt Theatre Company to produce a performance of 4 short plays, all based on true Vancouver Island events. The plays include a variety of characters, heroic deeds; intrigue, love, and humor that will make you laugh as well as tug at your heart. Dinner at 5:30pm in the Merridale bistro, followed by a 7pm performance on our patio. Call 250.743.4293 for reservations or go to www.merridalecider.com for more information! Dinner and rock 'n roll! July 4, 2009 Meet our local Brentwood band at Merridale this July 4th for dinner and dancing under the stars. Dinner starts at 5:00 - partake in a full meal, light snacks, or join us just for drinks as Da Band tunes up their instruments. Dancing starts at 7:30 – get ready to rock and roll. No cover charge for the evening, so what are you waiting for? Call 250.743.4293 for reservations! Go to www.merridalecider.com for more information.
Grape and Graze on the Saanich Peninsula August 1, 2009 The Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and Mary Winspear Centre have partnered to produce a new event, Grape & Graze, an afternoon wine and culinary festival that will feature delights for the palate under the big white tents on the patio at Mary Winspear Centre, Saturday, August 1. Featured will be Peninsula wines and ciders, complementary culinary delights prepared by local restaurant chefs, fresh food from local growers, and the creations of local artisans. Tickets, priced at $25 and entitling the bearer to six “tastings”, will be available soon. Call the Chamber office for more information at 250-656-3616.

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