An hour's drive east of Vancouver, Abbotsford is home to one of the most productive farming areas in the world.
Follow the Abbotsford Circle Farm Tour to visit farms and markets, stop by artisan food producers or sample vintages at a winery. A few of the highlights to look for in this area include: fresh produce at Abbotsford Farm & Country Market, cheese curds and ice-cream at Birchwood Dairy, honey wine and bee products at Campbell's Gold Honey Farm and Meadery, the corn maze at Maan Farms, and a pumpkin cannon (and lots more kids activities) at Applebarn Pumpkin Farm.
Abbotsford is situated in the heart of the agricultural Fraser Valley, so expect some of the freshest food possible at the Abbotsford Farm & Country Market. This rural operates from the end of May until mid-October and features more than 30 local vendors.
Products change with the seasons, from spring rhubarb and strawberries, to summer artichokes, blueberries, miniature melons and tomatoes, to autumn harvests of root vegetables, pumpkins, apples and fresh cranberries.
Abbotsford Circle Farm Tour
The self-guided Abbotsford Circle Farm Tour is packed with farm-fresh foods in country eateries, dairy-fresh ice cream, just-picked produce, locally-produced jams and wines, and freshly baked breads.
With the popularity of the eat-local, 100-Mile Diet, Abbotsford’s many farms have retail outlets that cover the gamut from organic poultry to flowers, fruits and vegetables.
Drive to stops such as a trout hatchery; Tanglebank Gardens, a cottage-style family nursery; and Granny & Grumpa's Antiques where shelves are packed to the rafters with retro paraphernalia. From the first berries to the last of the pumpkins, Maan Farms offers u-pick fields, hay rides and, come September, a giant corn maze.
Birchwood Dairy
With nearly 200 happy cows producing milk, the dairy products at Birchwood Dairy's family farm are superlative. That means assorted cheeses, creams and cheddar curds, fresh every Wednesday. It's the gourmet fudge and ice-cream, though, that makes this dairy farm, processing plant and country store a favourite rendezvous point. Choose from more than 60 flavours, including the popular chocolate raspberry truffle.
The small kitchen also produces fresh baked goods and soups so it's a good stop for a light lunch.
Campbell's Gold Honey Farm and Meadery
The Fraser Valley's only commercial cottage-meadery produces a number of quality honey-wines and melomels (those with fruit added) which can be as sweet as a Zinfandel and dry as a Pinot Gris.
The store at Campbell's Gold Honey Farm, Country Store and Meadery also carries a plethora of other bee products: beeswax candles, soaps, hand creams, honey comb and flavoured honey.
Watch for various workshops through the year, from wreath making to beekeeping; in the late summer, sunflowers are grown to extend the pollinating season before being harvested as cut flowers and for seeds.
Applebarn Pumpkin Farm
The crowds who come to pick various apple varieties and pumpkins at the Applebarn Pumpkin Farm will always find something more such as hay rides, pony rides and corn guns. The pumpkin cannon is a blast and smaller children can interact with the barn animals.
A farm store focuses on everything apple-related such as pasteurized cider, home-made pies, chutneys and preserves, and a greenhouse produces greenhouse peppers, tomatoes and pickles. Book ahead for farm tours.
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