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Forstbauer Family

Forstbauer Family Natural Food Farm is a Certified Organic and Biodynamic farm established in 1971 by Hans and Mary Forstbauer. Located in Chilliwack, B.C. the Forstbauer’s steward over 100 acres of farmland where children play, cattle graze, chickens scratch, and vegetables and fruit flourish. The Forstbauer family has always been passionate about organic farming, and they pioneered the organic farming movement in the province. They had a big role in starting the British Columbia Association for Regenerative Agriculture (BCARA), and also the Certified Organic Association of BC (COABC).

Goertzen Family

Farming has been in the Goertzen family for five generations. Their farming heritage began in Russia, but in 1969, Chad Goertzen’s farther started a mixed dairy and hog operation in Chilliwack, BC. In 2007, Chad took over the family farm, Sundance Farms, which is a farrow to finish farm that has 415 sows and sends 10,500 hogs to market every year. They farm proudly for Chilliwack’s Johnston’s Meats.

Lepp Family

Meet Rob and Charlotte Lepp and their family. The Lepp family have deep ties to the farming lifestyle and used to grow grain in Saskatchewan prior to moving to BC. Rob’s father arrived in Abbotsford in 1948 and purchased the Matsqui property–where Lepp Farms now stands. Following high school, Rob started farming with his father and they expanded Lepp Farms into a large hog farm.

Van Belle Nursery

Van Belle Nursery was started in 1973 by Bill and Grace Van Belle and it is still running strong under the second generation of growers, Dave and Amy Van Belle. Together with their five children, nieces, nephews, and a dedicated team of employees, they grow millions of starter and finished landscape plants that ship all over North America each year.

Amanda and Jeff Lee

The beautiful Creston Valley is where you will find Honey Bee Zen Apiaries, producers of Swan Valley Honey. Amanda Goodman Lee and Jeff Lee care for between 300 and 500 hives of honey bees. They farm on seven acres and have an established group of honey yards throughout the valley. They produce their own signature all-natural wildflower honey, which is found in stores throughout the Kootenay region of British Columbia.