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Get Down on the Farm
Farm Gates Open to all for Slow Food Cycle Sunday
Slow Food Cycle Sunday is an annual farm-to-farm cycle tour with a festival atmosphere. This trend-setting Pemberton event is the brain-child of Anna Helmer, a thirty-something organic potato farmer and avid cyclist who wanted to combine her two passions in a way that would encourage the public to learn about where their food’s origins while enjoying a non-motorized day outdoors. Participants sample the agricultural bounty of the region in the shade of the farm barns from which the products hail, then hop back on their bikes and continue along the flat, meandering road with cyclists of all levels to the next farm gate. The most recent Slow Food Cycle event, which takes place the third Sunday of every August, saw over 2500 people riding all or part of the 50 km route. Pemberton’s Slow Food Cycle Sunday has inspired similar events in other communities.
North Arm, The Sea-to-Sky’s Most Popular Farm Destination Puts a New Face on Agri-Tourism.
In its stunning setting at the foot of Mount Currie, North Arm Farm is a must do for both locals and visitors to Pemberton. Owned by Jordan Sturdy (who also happens to be Pemberton ‘s mayor) North Arm is much more than a fully operational family farm and popular fresh farm market. It is where kids meet giant pigs and climb on a tractor, where the Sea to Sky picks its fresh berries and cuts its fresh flowers, and where many of the region’s chefs source their ingredients. The bakery and café have become a culinary destination on their own. Wander the grounds, feed the animals, swing on giant swings, ride a horse-drawn wagon to the pumpkin patch and enjoy a picnic in a miniature barn.
Pemberton: U-Pick Heaven
If it’s June, it must be strawberries. July, and the raspberries come ready. August is for cherries and in September it’s apples and even walnuts. Around Pemberton, summer months are measured by what’s available at farms such as McEwan’s, Moon Farm, Ritchies and North Arm, that open their gates for people to come and pick produce for themselves. “U-picking” is an obsession for many, like local Sharon French, who doesn’t have space for her own garden. “I love going to someone’s farm or orchard, meeting the farmer, and harvesting what I need myself. Knowing where it came from means I enjoy the food so much more than buying it from a store.”
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