Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Take a Field Trip with Slow Food Vancouver Island & Gulf Islands | Alderlea Farm, The Tea Farm & Ampersand Distillery

GET BEHIND THE SCENES SATURDAY MAY 2 WITH SLOW FOOD
VANCOUVER ISLAND’S FIELD TRIP TO CANADA’S ONLY
TEA PLANTATION, A BIODYNAMIC FARM AND AN AWARD-WINNING NEW DISTILLERY  IN THE COWICHAN VALLEY,  LUNCH INCLUDED


A  Biodynamic Farm,  Tea and Gin Field Trip: Only in the Cowichan Valley!
Saturday May 2 make new friends and spend an interesting day on a field trip to the Cowichan Valley. Discover the people and the philosophy behind three successful  local businesses that take pride in their organic roots. 

Participants will receive detailed directions to each stop upon registration. 
Estimated time for the tour:  
  • 9:30am Depart Victoria in individual cars or make up your own car pool 
  • 11:00am Arrive Alderlea Farm
  • 12:30pm Arrive at the Tea Farm
  • 2:00pm Arrive at Ampersand Distilling at Sol Farm
  • 3:15pm events conclude

Members: $23.00 plus fee of $2.37 
Non-Members: $28.00 plus fee of $ 2.67 
includes tastings, a home-cooked lunch and a dessert. 

ITINERARY

Stop 1:  Suggested departure from Victoria 9:30 a.m. up the highway we go to  Alderlea Biodynamic Farm and Café just south of Duncan,  arriving at 11:00 a.m.  Co-owners Katy and John have not only prepared a choice of delicious soups and a biodynamic greens salad for our lunch, but she has baked farmhouse bread from Vancouver Island’s own Red Fyfe wheat. Hear the story of their enterprise. www,alderleafarm.com

Stop 2:  The Tea Farm: Depart Alderlea Farm at Noon and arrive at The Tea Farm at 12:30 p.m. About 10 minutes north of Duncan, our group will rendezvous in the large car park next to a charming studio/tea room overlooking a pastoral scene.  With several terraces of Camelia Senensis  firmly rooted and ready for their best year ever,  Tea Farm co-owner Victor Vesley will tell tales of sourcing fair trade, organic tea , the joys of blending plus growing their own. Enjoy several tastings and a dessert. www.teafarm.ca

Stop 3:  at 1:30 pm back down the highway we go to Ampersand Distilling arriving at 2:00 pm. A gin lovers and a tomato lover’s paradise all in one stop!  Ampersand Gin mellows in a rustic distillery in the back field of Sol Farm.  Open less than a year, Ampersand Gin has already been awarded a silver medal for it’s purity and flavor.  Hear how the Schacht family took their bold idea, experimented and innovated new ways of distilling on a shoe string. Taste the fruits of their labours.

Sol Farm’s large greenhouse is bursting with seedlings and greens, as well as the last of the winter produce.  Well worth a warm look with Ramona, the farmer, answering your gardening questions.

3:15 pm we bid a fond Slow Food VI farewell to the lush valley and the local producers who work so hard to bring us their bounty.


Information:  Joan Athey 250-294-6040 joan_athey@yahoo.ca

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