Eat Local in Victoria BC

A Guide to Buying Local and Organic Produce on Vancouver Island

Oct 21, 2009

Local, organic produce is found at farmer's markets, in downtown supermarkets, at farm-direct produce stores, at farm stands and can be home-delivered in Victoria BC.

A variety of vegetables and fruits thrive in the sub-Mediterranean climate of Vancouver Island. Winter-harvest vegetables and fruits such as apples, beets, cabbages, garlic, onion and squash extend the growing season through February and a small greenhouse industry provides tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuces almost year-round. Here’s a guide for where to buy local produce in Victoria, BC.

Vancouver Island Farmer’s Markets

Farmer’s markets on Vancouver Island are generally open from April through October. The two biggest markets in Victoria are the Moss Street Community Market and the James Bay Community Market, which are open on Saturday mornings from May to October. Both markets sell local, organic produce, locally-made crafts and have live entertainment.

During the week, FoodRoots, a distributors co-operative, operates pocket markets in communities throughout Victoria selling local, organic produce. Customers can also stop by the warehouse on Saturday mornings to shop for produce or pick-up bulk orders.

Downtown Victoria Grocery Stores

There are two grocery stores in Victoria’s downtown core that sell a good variety of local produce. The Market on Yates (903 Yates Street) is downtown Victoria’s biggest grocery store, selling everything you need, including seasonal fruits and vegetables from Vancouver Island farms. The produce section isn’t exclusively local and not all local produce is organic, so be cautious of imported organic produce.

A great market new to downtown Victoria is Village Family Marketplace (920 Pandora Avenue). Opened by Chef Cosmo Meens, owner-operator-chef of Victoria restaurant, Mole, this store sources everything local first. Selling seasonal produce at reasonable prices and in-store canned peaches and other fruits and vegetables, there’s no need to read labels to discover the origin of the food in this shop.

Specialty Produce Stores

For a farm-fresh experience in the Greater Victoria Region, The Root Cellar (1286 McKenzie Avenue) is open every day. The store first opened February 2008 selling only local produce, but has gradually moved into the Washington, Oregon and California bioregions. Currently, the store also stocks a few tropical fruits, but still has the best bargain prices for local produce.

Near The Root Cellar, Madrona Farm (4317 Blenkinsop Road), opens a farm stand from Wednesday through Saturday at 11am. Madrona Farm has been a fixture in Victoria since 1957 and is a biologically diverse 27-acre farm that is currently under pressure to become a residential development. There is currently a campaign being organized by the Friends of Madrona Society and The Land Conservancy of BC to purchase the Farm and protect it as a farm for local, sustainable food production.

Buy Direct from the Farm on Vancouver Island

Travelling to the Saanich Peninsula offers greater access to local, organic produce outside of Victoria. Dan’s Farm and Country Market (2030 Bear Hill Road) is a farm-direct produce stand. Dan’s Farm is a 45-acre mixed farm, rotating crops seasonally and harvesting year-round. The market sells produce from Dan’s Farm and other near-by farms, as well as baked goods, meats and has frozen berries available year-round.

Further afield is the iconic Michell Brothers Farm (2452 Island View Road, Saanichton). It’s hard to miss the giant barn store-front as you drive along the Pat Bay Highway. The farm grows a variety of seasonal produce and sells compost, bark mulch and hay for gardeners. The patches of field closest to the store are reserved for growing pumpkins, though, and families are encouraged to scour the fields for the largest and pick their own to carve out for Halloween.

Local Produce Delivered in Victoria BC

Most local stores offer a grocery delivery service, but Share Organics, Saanich Organics and Spud.ca specialize in delivery services.

Saanich Organics is a farmer-run small delivery service selling only local, organic produce from the company’s farms. The cost of a box is modest and includes seven to nine seasonal fruits and vegetables, as well as a newsletter to inform customers what’s going on at the farms. The produce is picked on Mondays, delivered on Tuesdays, so customers really get farm-fresh produce.

Share Organics started delivering local produce in Victoria in 1998. The company’s commitment to local, organic produce is evident with the fact that they have supported local farmers as they transition to using organic methods of farming. Customers sign up online and can choose the pre-designed box that meets their needs, or select a few substitutes. Imported organic produce is available during the winter months

The other delivery company that operates in Victoria is spud!. The easy-to-navigate website makes grocery shopping a breeze and the published food miles are a great way to see the impact of a purchase. Spud! has substantial purchasing power and even supplies cost-comparisons of the products they offer with local supermarket prices so customers can make the best choice.

For more information on local, organic produce available in Victoria BC and on Vancouver Island, visit OrganicIslands.ca and IslandFarmFresh.com.

The copyright of the article Eat Local in Victoria BC in Food Trends is owned by Mary Peterson. Permission to republish Eat Local in Victoria BC in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.