Covert Farms – Getting people reacquainted with food, organically
Covert Farms Organics & Dunham & Froese Estate Winery
Okanagan Wine Subregion: Oliver, known for Merlot, Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer
Although British Columbia’s Okanagan region is finally getting attention as a wine travel destination, the fertile land of the Okanagan Valley can do much more than just grow grapes, and there’s a rich history here of where Canadians get their vegetables from if you drive just a little off the highway and take a look.
Covert Farms was established in 1959 by George and Winnifred Covert, who began with a small tomato and onion farm. The family expanded the farming business to eventually become a leading Western Canadian producer of certified organic vegetables, fruit, table grapes and wines.
What immediately warmed me to Covert Farms was the enthusiasm of Gene Covert (grandson of George and Winnifred, who runs Covert Farms with his wife Shelley). He’s a true Canadian farmer, who understands our unique growing cycle and gets excited about finding ways to reconnect Canada with where our food comes from.
Everything that Covert Farms grows can be “U-Picked”, which is a great way to spend a sunny afternoon (who doesn’t love foraging through a strawberry patch for that perfectly ripe berry?). The scenery is beautiful, and visitors can take a self-guided tour around the spacious property, framed by McIntyre Bluff in the distance. There’s also a lovely indoor/outdoor market selling whatever is fresh along with snacks, coffees and lunch items.
I was particularly impressed with how welcoming Covert Farms is for families. There are a wide variety of activities from educational (take your kids out into the fields to pick their own lunch) and just plain fun (the massive ‘Bouncy Pillow’ near the market had me dying to take a few jumps myself). There is also an extensive ‘Young Organic Farmers’ childrens summer camp series which is jam-packed full of amazing activities and hands-on growing techniques for organic food.
The farm is also home to Dunham & Froese Estate Winery, which was named the Official Wine of the 2011 Subaru Ironman Canada. Since producing their first bottles in 2008, Dunham & Froese wines have received many awards and accolades, including Best New Winery at the 2008 Okanagan Fall Wine Festival.
I really enjoyed seeing a glimpse into where and how Canada is sourcing the flavourful vegetables and fruit we are famous for, and highly recommend it as a unique Okanagan experience that brings you closer to what growing fresh local food is all about.
This entry was posted on Thursday, July 21st, 2011 at 2:03 pm and is filed under BC Wines, British Columbia, Food, Foodie Websites, Travel, Wine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.