Tiny Bites does the Langley Circle Farm Tour circuit
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Karen Hamilton
June 15, 2009
I love being a tourist in my own province. Our region’s agricultural plenty makes me feel so lucky to live in BC, and meeting the people behind our farms, gardens, and local businesses makes it even easier to support them with my dollars. However, my wanderlust had a more international focus up till recent years, and despite eyeing the 6 self-guided Circle Farm Tours every summer, I had never made it a priority to do one.
Thanks to Tourism Langley, I finally got the chance to try one out this year (and I promise that this tour won’t be the last). Take a look at our day-long sojourn into the growers’ heart of Langley, British Columbia.
Our Circuit
Aldor Acres Dairy Centre
After breakfast at the nearby Holiday Inn Express and a warm welcome from Tourism Vancouver, our group hopped on a West Coast Sightseeing bus towards Aldor Acres Dairy Centre. We were promptly steered to the stables behind the Visitor’s Centre to feed the cows and snap photos of a few of the newer members of the herd.
Inside, we learned how to milk Claire (above) and had a sampling of finished product in the form of chocolate milk. As we sipped at our drinks, we were entertained by the bottle feeding of Claire’s calf, Rusty, who in his eagerness attempted to board the bus as we made ready for our next stop.
More on Aldor Acres Dairy Centre:
- Daily tours at 4pm – pre-booking of your visit is required
- $9 general admission with discounts for large groups and schools
Driediger Farms
Meet Rhonda Driediger, whose family has been running Driediger Farms and its U-Pick operation since the 1960s. As the farm hadn’t opened its doors to U-Pick visitors in time for our visit, Rhonda hopped onto our bus for a quick hello and a passing out of an entire blueberry pie for each guest. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the natural sweetness of the blueberry and its flaky crust for days after my return from the tour.
More on Driediger Farms:
- U-Pick season open this year on June 15, 2009 (read what to bring with you to the farm)
- Berries available for the picking: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, red and black currants, gooseberries
- Recommended berry handling and recipes
Krause Berry Farms
Next was neighbour Krause Berry Farms, another U-Pick destination in the Circle Farm Tour family. Many on the bus were already familiar with this destination; hopes were high that the famously towering Krause berry pies were already on sale.
Pies were indeed in the freezer as we scurried inside for a seat, with Alf and Sandee Krause warning us to pre-order for Father’s Day. In front of each place setting was a shortcake bursting with strawberries and cupfuls of coffee to go with. I downed half of mine before exploring the rest of the Porch and the U-Pick fields beyond. I cannot wait to return once the farm opens on June 18th.
More on Krause Berry Farms:
- This year’s U-Pick season officially opens on Thursday, June 18, 2009
- Come by on Canada Day and enjoy a free pancake breakfast and meet farm animals Jake, Jerry, Laddy, and Squeaky
- Come by on July 19, 2009 for the annual Farmer’s Feast, featuring many of Langley’s local farmers
Erikson’s Daylily Gardens
Another whistle stop visit, this time from Pam Erikson of Erikson’s Daylily Gardens. Since she was still getting the place ready for summertime showings, she told us how she achieved notoriety for bestowing the name of Crotchless Panties to one of her top-selling hybrids.
More on Erikson’s Daylily Gardens:
- Drop by their 8th annual Open House on July 4-5, 2009
JD Farms Specialty Turkey Store
Our bellies were still digesting the strawberry shortcake from Krause Berry Farms when we pulled into JD Farms for a lunch of turkey sandwiches and curried turkey & vegetable soup served with refreshing lavender lemonade.
For those that preferred to graze or mingle, booths ringed the patio, representing Circle Farm participants Vista D’oro, Full Bloom Farm, Fort Wine Company, and Tuscan Farm Gardens as well as the Langley Community Farmers Market, which opens on July 8th.
More on JD Farms:
- JD Farms’ turkey-rearing standards and certifications
- Comprehensive collection of community-rated turkey recipes with online roasting guide
- Find a JD Farms retailer near you
Full Bloom Farm
A quick pass of the beautiful property of Full Bloom Farm as owner and Registered Aromatherapist Robyn Wyman spoke to us about her lavender products, massage services, garden yoga, and more.
More on Full Bloom Farm:
- See the lavender in bloom between June 15 – August 15, 2009
- Drop by for the Lavender Festival on July 4 & 5, 2009
- Sign up for Saturday yoga in Full Bloom Farm’s lovely garden (June 20 & 27, 2009)
If you haven’t tried it before, infuse some lavender into your lemonade next time. It was divine!
Domaine de Chaberton
My husband and I tasted Domaine de Chaberton last year in our day trip to see some of Langley’s wine producers. The visit this time around included a short tour of the vineyard and peeks into the processing facility and cellar.
It was scorching under the glare of the sun, so our time at the estate ended on a refreshing note: samples of Domaine de Chaberton’s summer whites in their spacious tasting room.
More on Domaine de Chaberton:
- Free daily wine tours at 2pm and 4pm between February and November
- Find Domaine de Chaberton wines around Greater Vancouver
Select Roses
Langley’s newest Circle Farm Tour member is Brad Jalbert’s Select Roses. At this pit stop, we meandered through the fragrant blooms and humid greenhouses to find our favourite varietals. I even spotted a rhododendron with my name on it (literally!).
Brad was kind enough to offer a pot of miniature roses for our own gardens. My plant has already grown two inches since the tour and is budding the first of what I hope to be many delicate, cream-coloured flowers to prettify our solarium.
More on Select Roses:
Tuscan Farm Gardens
Our last whistle stop was at Heather and Arleigh Fair’s serene garden getaway, Tuscan Farm Gardens. The couple vends an array of organic, hand-crafted body care products from the lavender and herbs that they grow on their property. If you’d like to take in the gardens, gazebo, and pond at your leisure, you could also book a room at their B&B for stays of at least 3 days.
More on Tuscan Farm Gardens:
Cedar Rim Nursery
Our last stop on the Langley Circle Farm Tour was a doozy: the labyrinth that is Cedar Rim Nursery. If we had a plot of land to cultivate to our hearts’ content, we’d be regulars here.
I made a beeline for the Japanese maples on the perimeter of the retail store to scout varieties that would work well as a bonsai in our balcony garden. Little did I know that awaiting all of us back at the bus was a dolly full of baby Japanese maples, ranging 2ft – 4ft tall, gifted to us by Cedar Rim! Almost all of the tour guests opted for a tree. It must have been an odd sight to behold…a busload of people with trees sprouting from their laps.
Planning your Circle Farm Tour
This whirlwind day around Langley’s Circle Farms made it clear that you cannot fully experience all of these stops in a single day. With you behind the driver’s wheel and a lunch break in the mix, you’d probably hit 3 or 4 before the itinerary gets exhausting.
I’ve grouped the locations into a few themes below, denoting the ones that could double as lunch stops with an asterisk *.
- Tipsy: Vista D’oro, Domaine de Chaberton*, Fort Wine Company, Dead Frog Brewery, with a bonus stop at Township 7 (not on the Circle Farm circuit but worth going to as well!)
- Berrylicious: Driediger Farms, Krause Berry Farms*, Vista D’oro, Domaine de Chaberton*
- InnagoddadaLangley: Tuscan Farm Gardens, Cedar Rim Nursery, Full Bloom Farm, Erikson’s Daylily Gardens, Select Roses
- Animal Farm: Thunderbird Show Park, Aldor Acres Dairy Farm, JD Farms*, Krause Berry Farms*
If you’d like to read more about the Langley Circle Farm Tour before planning your day trip, take a gander at others’ adventures in Langley and the full list of Langley participants:
- Langley Circle Farm Tour – My Urban Suburban
- Langley Circle Farm Tour – Fraser Valley Pulse
- The Langley tour – Circle Farm Tour website
Blog Giveaway: Langley Circle Farm Tour Goodies
We were treated to so many goodies during this tour launch that I’d like to pay it forward with a giveaway. Here’s what is inside the Langley care package I’m bundling up for the winner:
- Mini-bottle of Domaine de Chaberton’s Chaberton Cuvée Blanc
- 200ml jar of Vista D’oro rhubarb and vanilla artisanal preserve
- Keychain from Erikson’s Daylily Gardens
- Lavender lip balm and body/environment spray from Tuscan Farm Gardens
- Tour and personal wine & cheese party for 4 care of Fort Wine Company
- Tourism Langley tote bag and trinkets
- Info on the Langley participants plus all of the Circle Farm Tours available in the rest of BC
Contest eligibility:
- You must reside in British Columbia since I will be shipping you a package that contains alcohol.
- You must submit a comment to this post describing which Langley Circle Farm Tour participants you have either visited or would like to visit.
- You must submit your comment on or before noon on Saturday, June 20, 2009. Winner will be announced on Monday, June 22, 2009.
Good luck!
Update: Congratulations to Jemmen for winning the Langley goodie bag giveaway. Thanks to all that participated by sharing their thoughts about Langley and its Circle Farm Tour.
Categories: Canada, Events, Food, Food Purveyors, Travel
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25 Responses to “Tiny Bites does the Langley Circle Farm Tour circuit”
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Tiny Bites is a food blog that explores all things edible and imbibable in Vancouver, British Columbia. More >
Articles by Karen Hamilton
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I am planning a visit to Krause Berry Farms this weekend! mmm strawberries.
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Informative and well captured images, Karen, which got my family and I to visit Krause Berry Farms following your original tweets. And we’ll return to see the others. cheers, mel
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I have been counting down the days til I could go ‘berry picking with Z. Thanks for the Krause Berry heads up, we’re heading on Thurs with Nan and Grandpapa!
Approximately 3 years ago my friend and I decided spontaneously to drive to Langley to pick berries and we stumbled upon Krause Berry Farm. Sadly, it was late August and there were no berries to be left to be picked. We left a bit disappointed that we didn’t get to pick any berries but we did pick up a berry pie. I have not given berry picking any thoughts or travelled into Langley since. Reading your blog today brings back so many memories of that summer. I think I may just pay Krause Berry Farm another visit. Only this time, I’ll remember to check the u-pick schedule!
These are some of my favourite places! My highlights are Vista D’Oro, Kraus Bros. (mmm pie) and Erickson’s Daylilies. This summer we plan to try all the wineries. Thanks for the great article!
I’ve never been out to the Circle Farm before, but I’ve heard it’s great!
I’m keen to visit the Fort Wine Company and taste some of the varietals grown locally.
Krause or Driediger Farms would also be of interest to me (okay, their blueberries and strawberries in particular)
Looks like you guys had a great time!
Your farm tour through Langley looks great! Last year I did a Edible Farm Tour through Farm Folk City Folk and it was one of the highlights of the summer. There’s nothing like picking and eating strawberries still warm from the sun! I’d like to visit Krause Berry Farms (those shortcakes look soo good)and JD Farms (their lunch menu looks good). Thanks for the heads up on Krause berry picking, I might just have to make a trip out there this weekend!
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Hi Karen,
I’ve only been to the Domaine de Chamberton and it’s really nice to have a winery with a bistro there! It does feel like a nice escape from the city. The wines are pretty good as well. One of the places I would like to visit is the Krause Berry Farms for the berries and the pies! YUM! :p~
That’s a really nice giveaway.
The Langley Tour sounds so good. Can’t wait to go.
Thanks for the great info.
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Great give-away! Fantastic article as well on the Circle Farm tour. Thanks!
I have visited all the Langley and Fort Langley stops on the tour. Would really like to do the stops in Abbotsord, Mission and Chilliwack!
Wow – what a tour! You must have been exhausted by the end of that.
Of course I’ve been keen to see what’s going on at Dead Frog. Always like to support local breweries.
Not on the list but we picked up a couple of flats of strawberries at Surrey Farms yesterday. Yum!
PS “InnagoddadaLangley” *giggle*
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Luckily I’ve been to many of the Circle Farm Tour places: both berry farms, Vista D’Oro, Domaine de Chaberton, Fort Wine Company, Township 7 and Thunderbird Show Park. I’d love to visit all of them! Visiting farms is so satisfying.
I have done a few berry picking at the local places around where i live (cloverdale), but i have not yet been to the Krause Berry Farm, AND I didnt realize that the berry picking season is here!!
Thanks for the post!! I’ll definitely be going to check out Krause now.
I’m lucky, I live in Langley so I’ve visited a lot of these lovely places including:Township 7, Domaine de Chaberton, Krause Berry Farm, Cedar Rim Nursery, JD Farms, and Driediger Farms.
I have been to Domaine de Chaberton and loved it -I would definitely like to check out the other places on the tour as well. Always like to support local businesses when I can.
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We’re so luckey to live in langley and have all these wonderful places to visit. So many are our favourites it’s hard to choose but we LOVE Vista D’oro Farms, Domaine De Chaberton Wineries, Krause Berry Farms and so many more. We’ve tried Dead Frog Beer but have not been to the brewery yet.
Hi Karen,
I’m actually interested in the berries farms. Blueberries and strawberries are not only good eats they are also good for your health. Nice post. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope I get to win the prize. Take care.
What a great trip report – thanks! I have been meaning to do one of the Circle Tours for the past two years. I will definitely be taking part this summer.
To begin with, our family will be visiting Krause Berry farms next week for strawberries. Now that I know that there is a brewery on the tour, we will also be stopping for a pint of Dead Frog once all of the berries have been picked!
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I’ve had a blast in Krause farm two years back, and am extremely familiar with all their foods. My entire family is looking forward to another fantastic year of strawberry picking at Krause, and I’ll be purchasing some pies as well. However, as I’ve never had gooseberry before, I’m tempted to try out Driediger farm for a change.
Living in the valley, it’s great to see these great places given their due. I actually just served some strawberries from Driediger farms last night. Another location that would be worth connecting to would the “The Seasonal Experience” – a small restaurant and catering company in downtown Langley. They use local ingredients to serve excellent multi-course meals, soups and sandwiches a lunch. (The chef’s choice meal is excellent and always a surprise). http://www.theseasonalexperience.ca
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Wow, I actually grew up in Langley and had no idea about most of these places apart from Domaine de Chaberton.
I’d love to get out and take a look at what it has to offer, and perhaps change my childhood perception of a place I just wanted to get the hell out of
Great post, am thinking we should do a berry picking expedition before our next pie party!
[...] you for sharing your thoughts on the Langley Circle Farm Tour. Everyone that posted an eligible comment was put into random.org for a chance to win the Langley [...]
[...] Visit your favourite U-Pick farm and stain your hands harvesting ‘em. I recommend Driediger Farms or Krause Berry Farms, both of which I wrote about in my Circle Farm Tour of Langley. [...]
[...] Tiny Bites does the Langley Circle Farm Tour circuit (Langley, BC) [...]
I enjoyed your post. If I may, I would like to suggest my farm web site.
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Because our beef is 100% grass-fed & finished, the quality of the meat is exceptional, and the flavor is unsurpassed. Plus, it is more nutrient-dense and packed with healthful Omega-3′s than conventional beef, which is healthier for you, your family, and the planet.
Please visit http://www.sumasmountainfarms.ca/ for more information! We have plenty of recipes for you to try.
Thanks.