When the K'omox First Nation named it "the Land of Plenty", it was on to something. Astride land and sea and warmed by sunshine, the Comox Valley harvests magnificent bounties. Almost 500 farms fan out over 12,000ha/30,000a, encompassing orchards, nurseries and vegetable, dairy and berry farms. Purity - pure air, pure soil, organic produce - completes the image of island Eden. Step right up and resuscitate with a shot of organic carrot juice or rejuvenating wheatgrass.
Farm Tours
Comox farmers love to share as much as they love to eat. The Comox Valley Growers Guide available at the Comox Valley Visitor Centre lists farms welcoming visitors to tuck into local product. It maps out three driving tours: Bounty from the Sea and Land to the South Comox Valley, oriented to fish and seafood; Sights, Tastes and Tradition for bakeries, cheeses and chocolate in the Central Comox Valley; and Farm to Fork for sausages, meat and poultry in the North Comox Valley. Make advance appointments for all farm visits.
U-Pick Farms
U-pick farms invite visitors to load up on plump blueberries and raspberries. The oceanfront Seafood Game Farm north of Courtenay goes a step further by offering accommodations and camping to engage visitors in full-throttle mode.
Courtenay Wineries
The Beaufort Winery, 8km/5mi north of Courtenay, opened in 2008, the first winery in the Comox Valley, and shot straight into the wine world stratosphere. The Beaufort Mountains setting recalls the vineyards of Argentina.
Wine Tours & Tastings
The boutique winery produces just 2200 cases of wine per year and sells out in months. It's garnered a raft of provincial and national awards, most spectacularly the Gold Medal in 2009's All Canadian Wine Championships. The winning wine is Panacea, a blend of three Island grape varieties. But Gewurztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cassis, a heady blackberry dessert wine, are not to be missed, either. Free tours and tastings are available on weekends until the wines are sold out, which is well before summer's end. Hurry all the way.
Blue Moon Winery
The Blue Moon Winery at Nature's Way Farm produces crisp fruit wines in small batches. The idea is to treat them as alternatives to conventional grape-based table wines. Blue Moon's delightful labels are Dusk, an off-dry blueberry wine recommended for chicken and duck; Soleil, a crisp apple wine recommended for fish and seafood; and Eclipse, a blueberry dessert wine. Also on the property is the Tria Culinary Studio, offering cooking classes and workshops. Drop by and take a look.