Come celebrate handmade, homegrown country harvest in Abbotsford. Journey out to the Fraser Valley to discover a rapidly growing food culture.
The community of Abbotsford has emphasized handmade, homegrown agriculture. It’s a place of farmers, brewers, growers, and makers coming together to showcase their pride of produce.
Be sure to see our 2020 Fun-filled pumpkin patch and corn maze guide for Metro Vancouver
COVID-19 Updates
Be sure to check with each place of business before you visit to find out about the latest COVID-19 restrictions.
Self-guided Country Food and Drink Tour of Abbotsford
Come out to the country and sample some of Abbotsford’s farms and markets by taking the suggested self-guided tour.
Enjoy fresh country air, rolling farmlands with mountain views, lavender fields, artisan cheeses, fresh fruits, vegetables, baked goods, award winning wines, honey, ciders, mead, handcrafted soaps, and other products for your health and home. There are also other family-friendly, fun-loving, seasonal activities.
If you are looking to pick up some farm-fresh berries during the summer berry season, be sure to check out our guide to where to buy berries in Metro Vancouver.
Tuscan Farm Gardens
The Tuscan Farm Gardens is a stunningly beautiful farm and is now closed for the season but you can still buy their products online.
Experience fragrance of thousands of lavender plants in bloom from the middle of June until July 26.
Entrance to the garden during COVID-19 is only available through advance online ticketing for a two-hour visit.
There is more than lavender fields to explore. Walk through the gardens to find colourful wildflowers, roses, a gazebo, lily pond, fountains and places to sit in this peaceful setting.
The store offers handmade, all-natural products from the fresh herbs and flowers grown there.
Choose from essential-oil soaps, teas, lavender honey and a variety of spa products.
On weekends you can enjoy lavender ice cream, lemonade, and other treats.
Location: 6834 Mt Lehman Road, Abbotsford
For more information call: 604-857-1998
Visit the website: https://www.tuscanfarmgardens.com/
Photo: Jill Wellington, Pixaby
Mt Lehman Winery
Mt Lehman Winery purchased 80 acres of farmland in 1988. Three years after purchasing the land, they planted 50 different types of grapes on 3.5 acres.
The boutique winery opened in 2009 and has won dozens of awards for its wines ever since.
Owner and head winemaker, Vern Siemens, started experimenting with wine-making in elementary school. He now grows grapes on 15 acres of the beautiful estate producing award-winning red and white wines.
The tasting room is open Wednesday through Monday from noon to 5 pm.
Mt Lehman Estate Winery in Abbotsford is open for wine tasting.
Grapes growing in the Fraser Valley at Mt. Lehman Winery in Abbotsford, BC
In the barrel room of Mt. Lehman Winery
We asked Mt Lehman Winery how their business been affected by COVID-19.
1. How has Mt Lehman Winery been affected by COVID-19? How how has your business changed?
“The COVID-19 pandemic really affected us because there are no large wedding wine purchases, convention event purchases, or trade shows, etc. Restaurant purchases are also way down and there are no foreign tourists. We are relying on local support which actually has been very good.”
2. Are you offering wine tasting and how will you be protecting visitors to Mt Lehman Winery?
“Our tasting room is open Wednesday through Monday from noon to 5 pm. We are sanitizing and wiping down the counter after each customer. Social distancing is in place. The tasting room is limited to 3 parties at a time, with a maximum of 6 people. We ask our tasters to be time considerate if they see others waiting outside. We have a beautiful property and encourage those waiting to relax and wander the property.”
3. What is unique about your business or products?
“Our wines are made almost entirely from our estate fruit (we did bring in a little fruit in from the Okanagan Valley for our Merlot, but that’s it). All wine is naturally made and bottled on site. Rather than trying to dictate where the wine should go we allow the wine to tell us where it would like to go to best show off our terroir. Our wines are naturally fresh and typically more about elegance than power with lower alcohol than most commercial wines. Alcohol can cover wine deficiencies and so with lower alcohol, there is nowhere to hide making our wines cleaner, more fruit forward, and delicious.”
4. What else would you like people to know? What are your latest awards? What are you most proud of?
“For a tiny winery we have won dozens of awards at competitions including the prestigious Lieutenants Governor’s award of excellence. But really these are just beauty contests and so certainly subjective. What we want is for more and more customers to come and taste our wines and discover how really good Fraser Valley wines are!!”
Location: 5094 Mt. Lehman Road, Abbotsford
For more information: 604-746-2881
Visit the website: https://mtlehmanwinery.com/
Singletree Winery
Singletree Winery is a beautiful 67 acre family owned and operated heritage farm. The Etsell family began raising turkeys and then the two sons, Andrew and Nathan, wanted to diversify. In 2010, they started planting grape vines and have produced many award-winning wines since. Singletree now grows grapes on 14 1/2 acres. The Fraser Valley is a much cooler climate than the Okanagan and provides an environment for growing primarily white grapes.
The Abbotsford tasting room is open from Wednesday through Sunday from 12:00 pm to 5:30 pm. A licensed picnic area is available for you to enjoy your own picnic goodies and there is also a seasonal selection of a variety of items for purchase. The farm also offers a stunning wedding venue when COVID restrictions are lifted.
Abbotsford’s Singletree Winery opened their Naramata Bench location in April 2018. The Okanagan location is home to their red grapes.
Singletree now owns two vineyards in the Okanagan, Singletree Winery and Crooked Vines.
Singletree Naramata Winery has 5 acres of land with 3.5 acres planted and Crooked Vines has 10 acres of land with 7.5 acres planted.
Varieties in these two vineyards include: Malbec, Syrah, Petite Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc.
The Naramata Bench tasting room is open only on Saturdays and Sundays for now – 12:00 pm to 5 pm.
Debbie Etsell and her son winemaker Andrew Etsell at SIngletree Estate Winery. Photo Credit: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©
Enjoy wine tasting at Singletree Estate Winery when you take a self-guided Abbotsford food and drink tour. Courtesy photo: Singletree Winery
We asked Singletree Winery how their business had been affected by COVID-19
1. How has Singleytree Winery been affected by COVID-19? How how has your business changed?
“During the first months of the COVID outbreak, Singletree had to shift focus from in-person tastings and sales, to online and socially distanced delivery. The tasting room in Abbotsford continued to operate for curbside pick-ups but no tastings. The website was updated to improve the user experience.”
2. Are you open to the public? How will visitors be protected?
“Yes, both tasting rooms are open to the public and limiting the number of guests at a one time. Picnic tables in Abbotsford have a limit of 6 guests per table to ensure social distancing. The balcony in Naramata also has more space between tables. Wine flights are pre-poured behind Plexiglass partitions and sanitation has been increased between each customer.”
3. Are tastings available?
“Yes, tastings are available with poured flights.”
4. What is unique about your business or products? Do you have any new products?
“Singletree wines are grown and handcrafted on a heritage family property ran by the Etsell Family. With careful attention to the land, they have deep roots in the agricultural field. The wines are a true expression of Fraser Valley and Okanagan terroirs. The winery has recently released a series of wines from the 2019 vintage including: 2019 Siegerrebe, 2019 Viognier, 2019 Pinot Gris, 2019 Sauvignon Blanc, 2019 Rosé, 2019 Grüner Veltliner, 2017 Merlot and two Frizzante wines, Victory and Family Reserve Rosé.”
5. What else would you like people to know?
“Starting on June 27th, Singletree Abbotsford is going to be offering a temporary outside tasting area with tables placed by the vines. Wine lovers can be seated in an open area and can get service of wine specials. There is also a option for wine and cheese tastings of 5 wines and 5 local cheeses ($25). The new tasting area will work by reservation to ensure a limited number of guests at one time. Reservations can be done through the website: singletreewinery.com”
“Besides producing award winning wines, Singletree also produces house-made wine jellies that are a must-taste. Available in Hot Siggity, Citrus Pinot Gris, Spicy Pinot Noir and Siegerrebe. The first batch of Singletree’s wine jellies were made in winter of 2017 for a Christmas market. The jellies were so popular that the winery team now offers them year-round.”
Location: 5782 Mt. Lehman Road, Abbotsford, BC
For more information: 604-381-1788
Visit the website: singletreewinery.com
Mt. Lehman Cheese
Mt. Lehman Cheese produces a variety of artisan cheese using the highest quality local ingredients from local Fraser Valley farms. The newest in addition to the cheese listed below is the Water Buffalo Cheeses.
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- Blue Capri – aged, blue, unpressed
- Fraser Valley Goat Feta – brined, semi-firm, unpressed
- Mt. Leham Tomme – aged brined, hard
- Matsqui Goat Cheddar – aged, hard
- Frisky – bloomy rind, brined, unpressed
- Dutchess – unpressed, washed curd
- Gozzarella – brined, stretched curd, unpressed
- Gouda Van Geit – hard, washed curd
The Cheese Room is located at Goat’s Dairy Farm, an operating goat farm. It is open Monday to Saturday from 9 am – 6 pm.
Location: 30854 Olund Road, Abbotsford, BC
For more information: 604-854-6261
Visit the website: http://mtlehmancheese.ca/
The cheese is sold at farmers’ markets and many other local retailers. Here is a complete list.
Mt Lehman Cheese Company in Abbotsford produces cheese made with goat’s milk. Courtesy photo.
Leap Farm Market
Make your own charcuterie board with meats sourced from the family-run Leap Farm Market. The market is open all year, selling farm fresh fruits and vegetables grown on their Abbotsford farm and Okanagan orchard, complemented by other local growers. The poultry and pork sold is raised on their land.
A Cache Creek ranch raises Leap Farm’s own Black Angus beef. The bakery serves in-house freshly baked goods along with offerings from local artisan bakers. A variety of home-style takeaway dishes are available, including fresh salads. Be sure to check out the delicious looking recipes online. There are many gluten-free choices. The market is open 9 am – 7 pm on weekdays, and 9 am – 6 pm on weekends.
The Farmer’s Table Cafe serves breakfast on the weekends and lunch during the week. The menu changes daily. The Farmer’s Table Cafe is closed until COVID-19 restrictions ease.
Delicious handmade, homegrown recipes – Lepp Farm Market – Peri Peri Chicken with Corn Salsa. Courtesy photo.
1. How has Lepp Farm Market been affected by COVID-19?
“We were fortunate to stay open in the initial phases of Covid-19, and were able to respond quickly to Dr. Bonnie Henry’s recommended safety protocols. We were also able to pivot quickly by shutting down our cafe and focusing our kitchen’s time and effort on ready to go meals. Many people in our community suddenly found themselves cooking every meal for themselves, some for the first time, and were greatly appreciative of this. Instead of our usual baked goods, we sold our flour, sugar and yeast due to the sudden demand. Since we control much of our own supply chain (all of our meat comes from either our own farms or local farms) and have the ability to source from multiple suppliers as needed, we didn’t experience the same shortages that so many grocery outlets did.”
2. We see you are open to the public now? What is available for visitors?
“We’ve stayed open to the public by limiting the number of guests in our market at a time. We’ve removed our cafe seating and greatly reduced our cafe menu in order to accommodate physical distancing in our retail space. Come in for a latte, farm-fresh ingredients and products that we make right here in-house like our Angus Burgers.“
3. How will you be protecting visitors to your business?
“We have limited the number of guests in our market at a time to allow for physical distancing. Our produce area is almost entirely under tents in the open air, allowing for airflow. We sanitize every cart and basket after every use and have hand sanitizer available in our entryway. We’ve increased our sanitization protocol of high touch areas. All of our cashiers work behind plexiglass, and we have all of our tills open during peak hours to avoid line ups inside the market. Our staff are required to stay home and follow our health officials guidelines if they are sick.”
4. What is unique about your business or products?
“We are a family run, year-round farm market and full-service butcher shop. Our beef, poultry and pork are all raised on Lepp Farms, and we grow much of our own produce on our farms in Abbotsford and our Okanagan orchards. This year we introduced a hydroponic greenhouse where we grow varieties of lettuce all year round and a strawberry tunnel project that is set to extend our local strawberry season. We source what we don’t grow locally whenever possible, and source pantry items and cooking supplies locally or gourmet.”
Location: 33955 Clayburn Road, Abbotsford, BC
For more information: 604-851-5377
Visit the website: http://www.leppfarmmarket.com
Delicious handmade, homegrown recipes – Lepp Farm Market – Savoury Thumbprint Cookies. Courtesy photo.
Maan Farms
The Market is open 7 days a week from 9 am – 5pm and our u-pick is open from 10 am – 3 pm, depending on availability.
Maan Farms is a family affair that started with their first roadside stand in 1982. Steadily growing the business, the family moved to their primary location in 2006. The 80-acre farm prides itself in supporting sustainable, cost-effective, and ethical farming practices.
The Maans are always looking for new ways of welcoming the community into their home and have launched many family-friendly, fun-loving seasonal activities. These popular events include: a Fall Fest with a Pumpkin Patch, a Haunted Corn Maze and Pitch Black, and a Christmas Market.
Mama Maan’s Kitchen produces homegrown cooking. Freshly baked strawberry pies can be ordered in season and there are numerous pre-order options that can be ready to eat or taken home with you.
The award-winning Maan Estate Winery began producing wine in 2013. All wines are made in-house with fresh farm-grown fruit. Each bottle produced is made with two pounds of fruit. All the wines are very low in sulphites. Visit the Tasting Room to sample some of their offerings.
There is a Country Market to buy fresh produce and you can pick your own during berry season.
The Maans also offer a banquet hall for all types of gatherings and a venue for rustic farm-style weddings, featuring an 80-year-old barn, gazebo and outdoor courtyard.
Have you ever heard of Goat Yoga? Well you can find that on the farm as well. Yes, yoga with baby goats. Enjoy wellness on the farm with chai, wine, or a peaceful sunset.
Maan Farms is one of the best places to buy fresh berries in the Fraser Valley.
We asked Maan Farms how their business been affected by COVID-19.
1. How has Maan Farms been affected by COVID-19? How how has your business changed?
“When the provincial restrictions and shutdowns began back in March we ended up having to cancel two of our favourite spring events, our Easter Egg-Stravaganza and our adult Easter event called Bunnies & Booze. It was a difficult but a necessary thing to do for the safety of our employees and our community. We also had to begin the process of re-booking many of our spring and early summer weddings. It’s been a strange year but we have managed this far and things are looking up! Because of the government shutdowns, we had to find a unique way to provide an experience to our customers because that’s what we do. We hosted two Drive-Thru events, one for Easter and one for Mother’s day, where customers could come, pick-up a delicious crepe breakfast for their families, drive thru our Farm Safari and see our animal friends, and even have a visit from the Easter Bunny and Queen Elsa, all from the safety of their vehicles! It was so much fun and a wonderful way to engage with our community in a time when we have had to stay apart from so many people we love.”
2. How will you be protecting visitors to Maan Farms?
“We are following the guidelines for safe operation set forth by Work Safe BC and The Ministry of Agriculture. These measures include, markers and signs to help encourage our customers to maintain a physical distance of 6 ft, gloves for our team members, and plexiglass barriers at tills and kitchen counters.”
3. Are you are offering pick up or wine tasting?
“You can pre-order many of our products on our website for pick-up in store, such as our wine, fresh and frozen meals, baked goods, and more! Our Tasting Room is also open and we are doing wine tastings with the appropriate safety measures in place.”
4. What is unique about your business or products?
“We want to give our guests more than just berries. At Maan Farms we want everyone who walks through our doors to have an authentic experience. Whether it be one of our Goat Yoga classes, a wine tasting in our licensed lounge, spending the day in the Barnyard Adventureland with the family, or getting back to nature in our u-pick fields, your guaranteed a great time. When you come to Maan Farms you leave with memories.”
5. What else would you like people to know? What are your latest awards? What are you most proud of?
“We recently were given The Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce Best in Agritourism award. It’s wonderful to be recognized in our community because we really care about what we do. We also have won several awards for our fruit wine including “Best Fruit Wine” given to us by the All Canadian Wine Championship.”
6. Have you introduced any new products?
“Try our new Chocolate Strawberry Tarts, perfect with a glass of our Strawberry Rhubarb Wine.”
Location: 790 McKenzie Road, Abbotsford, BC.
For more information call: 604-864-5723
Visit the website: www.maanfarms.com
Wine tasting at Maan Farms in Abbotsford
Taves Family Farms and Taves Estate Cidery
Farming has been a Taves family tradition for three generations. It started in 1930 when Loren Taves’ great-grandfather, John, purchased a plot of land in the Fraser Valley. The farm continues to grow and evolve.
Taves Family Farm’s slogan, “Come to the farm for a taste of the country,” says it all. They grow and share their farm-to-table foods.
Taves have been making and selling their apple cider since 1991. It is sold now in Fraser Valley stores under the name Apple Barn. Soft cider and farm foods can be ordered online.
Farmer Loren Taves relaxes in his sunflower field near the end of the season last fall. Photo Credit: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©
Sunflower fields at Taves Family Farm near the end of the fall season. Photo Credit: Wendy Nordvik-Carr
Taves Farms sells delicious apples in the fall. Photo Credit: Wendy Nodvik-Carr©
Recently Taves Estate Cidery started selling hard ciders, available as growler fills, tasting flights, and unique bottled ciders from April through December. Try the estate semi-dry cider or the unique Barnyard Series of apple, gooseberry, red currant and black currant ciders. All ciders can be ordered online.
Taves Estate Cidery in Abbotsford, BC. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr
Taves Family Farm always offers great family activities.
Taves Family Farm is also part of the Fraser Valley Sunflower Trail at the end of the summer. The Sunflower Maze is now closed for the season.
We visited the farm recently and they have excellent COVID-19 measures in place. All of the fun-filled fall attractions are open.
There are hay rides, pony rides, corn maze, U-Pick apples, pumpkin patch, petting barn, goats, Farmville, pedal karts, jumping pillows, and so much more.
We picked a 25 lb. bag of Honey Crisp apples for $35. Here is a full list of prices.
Location: 333 Gladwin Road, Abbotsford, BC
For more information: 604-853-3108
Visit the website: Taves Family Farms or Taves Estate Cidery
Cambpell’s Gold Honey Farm & Meadery
Campbell’s Gold Honey Farm and Meadery specializes in naturally sourced honey. They take pride in knowing the exact flowers their bees visit, as this is a key factor in determining the flavours of honey produced. Like wine, BC honey has a variety of colours and unique tastes. Campbell’s dry and sweet mead, also referred to as honey wine, is made from 80% of the fruit grown on the farm. Tastings are available.
Jars of assorted honey for sale at Campbell’s Gold Honey Farm store. Courtesy photo.
The shop sells honey, mead, beehive products for health and home, as well as beeswax and candles. The farm offers a variety of educational workshops, a beekeepers course and tours.
During regular operating hours, visitors to the farm are invited to wander the gardens which are part of the Fraser Valley Sunflower Trail. The store is open four days a week.
Campbell’s Gold Honey Farm offers two beautiful venues on their 8-acre property for a garden-style or rustic-style wedding.
Location: 2595 Lefeuvre Road, Abbotsford, BC
For more information: 604-856-2125
Visit the website: https://campbellsgold.com/
If we have left one of your favourite places to visit in Abbotdford please let us know in the comments below or contact us. Stay connected. Don’t miss the latest article, Subscribe now.
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