by Jo Barnes | photos by Kathryn Alvarez Photography –
It’s the kind of farm to table family meal that we all dream of: steaming Brussels sprouts that you cut from the stalks yourself, fresh vegetables that were grown right here on the Peninsula, and a dessert pie baked with berries that you picked yourself.
Since 2006, Dan’s Farm & Country Market in Saanichton, owned by Dan and Charo Ponchet, has been providing local residents with this Peninsula-grown fresh food experience that so many seek.
“We offer a diversity of quality produce,” shares Dan. “It is farm to table here. People can see where food comes from and experience how it is grown.”
“We sell Brussels sprouts on the stalk. It gives people an idea of what they look like,” adds Simon Oliver Fowler (pictured at top right), Dan’s son-in-law and the market manager. “This invites a new atmosphere to the dinner table.”
The farm offers opportunities for people to interact with crops and livestock in a manner that is impossible in a modern grocery store. There’s an animal petting area for the kids and seasonal U-Pick service. Visitors can harvest their own blueberries and strawberries in the summer, and, in the fall, enjoy picking the perfect pumpkin for Halloween and pie making.
“U-Pick gives people another farming experience,” says Simon. “They get their hands dirty and can interact with the plants.” The daily approach at the farm is to work with nature and grow flavourful, high quality produce.
“We avoid sprays and pesticides. We use horse and chicken manure to fertilize the fields,” comments Simon. “We rotate crops and do cover cropping. The soil looks beautiful and yields amazing vegetables.”
Dan is able to offer a diverse range of produce to the community as he farms over 60 acres of land spread out over a number of locations. He began farming at the current Bear Hill Road site in 2006. Over time, he has added to his farm with additional lands along Oldfield Road. As a result, his market offers all the ingredients one needs to make festive roasted Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, baked squash, and memorable sweet desserts too. Every item is local, grown within a kilometre of the farm and fresh picked for optimum flavour and texture.
This bounty of produce is also available through all the seasons as the market is open all year round.
“We love what we do. We grow as much as we can in our own neighborhood,” remarks Dan. “We’re open every day except for a couple of weeks over Christmas.”
Dan is well known in the farming community and his love of farming began at an early age. His father, Jacques, purchased land along Oldfield Road in 1956 and started Le Coteau Farms where he grew plants and a wide variety of fruit trees. Here Dan had his first taste of what would become a lifelong venture.
“I helped out and worked on the farm. I was good at pruning, especially apple and pear trees,” says Dan. “I think I was destined for farming.”
That early experience translated into years of dedicated farming and a deep-seated interest in local food security and local farming. So it was no surprise that he took on the position of President of the Southern Vancouver Island Direct Farm Marketing Association, a non-profit organization of producers and growers on Southern Vancouver Island who sell their products directly to consumers.
“Dan is the go-to guy when it comes to farming,” remarks Simon. “People respect him, and they trust him to do a good job.”
Operating a farm, while running a busy market, requires time, effort and many helping hands from his family. Simon began working at the farm in 2015 after a chance meeting at a local farm market with his now fiancée, Sara, who is Dan’s daughter. Since then, the experiences he has gained, especially through the pandemic, have prepared him for all the challenges of farming life.
“Dan and Charo were not able to return to the country during the Covid lockdown. I had to gather family and friends to help get the farm ready for planting,” shares Simon. “It was quite a baptism by fire!”
It was a case of 13-hour days, seven days a week, but it was a successful effort and the farm was readied for another season. For Simon, the success of managing the farm in Dan’s absence was a positive experience.
“It was a confidence booster and a proud moment for me,” says Simon. “Dan was proud too.”
It’s a farm where it’s all about family working together, a focus on fresh, and a love of local community. At Dan’s Farm you can learn how food is grown, be a part of sustainable farming, and, of course during this festive season, savour the flavours of a local harvest at your own table.
