Annie's Family Farm

Annie's Family Farm John & Tilly

🪻🥦🥚 NOOA Certified organic flower, veg & poultry farm. Located in the heart of the Cowichan Valley. Cert. #04-596
(1)

In early August, someone reached out looking for a bulk order of paste tomatoes. Our San Marzanos were only just startin...
09/09/2026

In early August, someone reached out looking for a bulk order of paste tomatoes. Our San Marzanos were only just starting to come in, and we knew it would likely be another couple of weeks before we had the quantity she needed.

She was happy to wait.

When the harvest started coming in properly, I reached back out, hopeful she was still interested, but half expecting she may have found what she needed somewhere else in the meantime.

Instead, she rounded the order up ❤️

As a small farm operation, being able to fulfill orders like this removes some of the pressure we feel around something we can’t control and allows us to offer a product when it’s actually at its peak, rather than trying to force it into a timeline.

There are things we can do as farmers to start a season a little earlier or stretch it a little longer, and we can make educated guesses based on past experience, but ultimately nature still gets the final say and that doesn’t always work in today's world.

As a fellow consumer, I get it. We’ve been slowly trained to expect things sooner, faster and more immediately. Life is busy. People set aside a weekend to can tomatoes, plan meals around a certain date, or simply need something when they need it. Sometimes waiting just isn’t practical.

But when someone does have the ability to be flexible, and chooses to work with the timing of the field it makes a bigger difference to us than people may realize.

We don’t have the volume, margins or supply chains to meet every demand at any given moment. We grow what we can, work with the season as best we can, and often a crop that has been planned since late winter suddenly starts coming in all at once.

In those moments, it is incredibly reassuring to know there are people willing to work alongside us and the season.

Big big thank you to all our bulk orders so far this year! 🙏🏼🥹

09/06/2026

The dahlias will keep blooming until the first frost. Thus we will have bouquets until the first frost. The fall air is certainly here though and thanks to our friends for helping with the weekend harvest!

Field Notes - from your local farmer.It took years of planning, strategizing, saving, and learning to make it to the far...
08/30/2026

Field Notes - from your local farmer.

It took years of planning, strategizing, saving, and learning to make it to the farm but here we are - now in the thick of year two.

The farm was a dream, born out of our grief of losing our favourite person, Annie - John's mum. A dream that, in the process of striving for, has and continues to change us.

I’m finding the act of including myself in the alchemy of nature's cycles a metaphysical experience. It may seem melodramatic or overly romantic for something that is so often dirt-ridden and back-breaking, but I do believe it is that exact effort, that makes it all so meaningful.

John will be the first to tell you that, when someone compliments a vegetable I've grown, I will absolutely tear up.

"Best broccoli I've ever had."

"We tried an acorn squash from the grocery store after you ran out, and it just wasn't the same."

"We wrapped the shiso leaves around some smoked fish, and it was delicious!"

Who knows, maybe you were just being kind, saying the things you say to a farmer, but those words echo in my head, especially on those long, hot days.

We all have hopes and dreams for what we want our lives to be, and we all work hard to build them. We all have busy lives and limited time, and somewhere in between it all, we hope to be lucky enough to have a small collection of people who are keen to support us in our endeavours, let alone waves of people we’ve never met, neighbours, travellers, students, and peers. We’re entirely humbled that any of you decide to show up in your spare time to support our dream - the farm.

Thank you, immensely.

Photos by

Chef Sadie’s been back at it in the kitchen, crafting another short run of specialty preserves for the farm shop.This ti...
08/29/2026

Chef Sadie’s been back at it in the kitchen, crafting another short run of specialty preserves for the farm shop.

This time: Apple Mostarda. With roots in northern Italy, mostarda is a traditional fruit preserve that developed as a way of pairing the sweetness of preserved fruit with the savoury richness of meats and cheeses. Depending on the region and style, it can range from gently spiced and sweet-tart to much more mustard-forward.

A great addition to any charcuterie board, or served alongside roasted dishes like pork, chicken or duck. That said, we’ve been daydreaming about putting it on some burgers! 🤤

08/29/2026

We needed some days to recover after last weekend's dinner but wrapped farm bouquets are back and the shop has been fully refreshed with more veggies, eggs and some extra special small batch treats from Chef Sadie Marquis 💯

Looking for anything specific? Send us a DM. 🥦🍅🥔🫑🌿🌽🌶️🌼🌸🪻🌱

Behind this certificate is an enormous amount of work and an ongoing commitment to demonstrating that the way we farm me...
08/29/2026

Behind this certificate is an enormous amount of work and an ongoing commitment to demonstrating that the way we farm meets British Columbia's organic standards.

Certification means documenting how we farm and submitting records for independent review on where our seeds and planting stock come from, what goes into our soil, compost and manure management, crop rotations, greenhouse production, pest and disease management, buffer zones, cleaning and sanitation, harvest and storage practices, and the organic integrity of our products from field to customer.

And certification isn't something you earn once and forget about.

Every year we:

✅ renew our organic management plan

✅ update our crop, livestock and input records

✅ document the products and substances we use on the farm

✅ verify organic seeds, planting stock, feed and other agricultural inputs

✅ maintain compost, manure, cleaning and production records

✅ submit new inputs for approval before using them

✅ maintain records demonstrating traceability and organic integrity

✅ undergo an independent on-farm inspection by our certification body

✅ address any findings or opportunities for improvement

✅ undergo a final review of our operation before our certification is renewed

It can feel like a mountain of paperwork alongside the already very real and demanding work of farming, but there's an important reason we choose to do it.

Certification holds us accountable beyond our own beliefs about what organic farming should be.

It means working to an established and continually reviewed standard for how organic food is produced, while protecting soil health, biodiversity, animal welfare and the organic integrity of what we grow. 

We're incredibly proud to have Annie's Family Farm certified for our eggs, vegetables, fruit, berries and flowers.

It may be one piece of paper, but there's a lot of work behind it.

- Annie's Family Farm
- NOOA Certified Organic # 04-596

Address

3204 Drinkwater Road
Duncan, BC
V9L5Z2

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 9pm
Tuesday 9am - 9pm
Wednesday 9am - 9pm
Thursday 9am - 9pm
Friday 9am - 9pm
Saturday 9am - 9pm
Sunday 9am - 9pm

Website

, ,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Annie's Family Farm posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share