Edible Acres works to become officially organic

With a five-year history and a solid record of sustainable practices, Edible Acres will soon be a certified-organic farm

Oliver and Lin Egan own and operate Edible Acres, a market garden in Windermere, B.C. — Photo courtesy Lin Egan

Lin Egan of Edible Acres in Windermere, B.C., is eager for spring to arrive, because she can’t wait to get her hands in the dirt.

“We’re busy doing lots of planting in the greenhouses,” Egan said. "We’re planting flowers and lettuces and other greens, and putting up the trellises for the tomatoes and putting the fans in place and getting the soil ready. I’m just so excited and ready to eat our own fresh produce again and get my hands in the dirt to produce it.”

Closer to certification

Edible Acres, which opened five years ago under the ownership of Egan and her husband, Oliver, is in the process of becoming certified as an organic food producer. The process is being conducted through the Kootenay Organic Growers Society out of Nelson, B.C., a branch of the Certified Organic Associations of B.C. Egan is optimistic that the certification will be complete in about a year, placing Edible Acres among the first certified-organic market gardens in the northern Columbia Valley.

Egan said that she and Oliver have found it quite easy to comply with the demands of the certification process. Edible Acres' produce has always been grown without the application of chemical pesticides and herbicides, but "organic” is a designation that is clear, widely understood and sought by many customers.

“Certification is not a complicated process,” Egan said. “We’ve had to make adjustments to our paperwork and documentation, but no changes were necessary in our farming practices. It’s just paperwork mainly, and then there’s a fee, but it’s reasonable.”

Something new on the horizon

Egan has heard about a proposed food business incubator for the Columbia Valley, and said she thinks it’s a wonderful idea.

“I think that anything that will enhance and promote local food and food production is awesome,” she said.

While Edible Acres would likely not have any direct need for the proposed incubator's commercial kitchen, the business mentorship and support that would be available through the incubator could be of benefit. And if more food-related businesses come to the valley, Edible Acres could certainly find itself with a fast-growing client base and increasing demand for its organic veggies for both fresh consumption and processing.