Vanderhoof Farmers Market – christineswalkabout

August 2020

I left Williams Lake early and headed north on Highway 97 to Prince George, then west on Highway 16 to the small town of Vanderhoof. My sister Michelle lives about 20 minutes out of town with her husband Justus, five children, Louis, Kate, Penelope, Olive and André, and many animals on her 309-acre, off-grid, solar-powered farm.

As soon as I arrived at the farm I was greeted by my wonderful nieces and nephews. André proudly showed me the house he built for himself, a short distance from the main house and close to the pond.

Then my three beautiful nieces, Olive, Kate and Penelope, took me on a tour of the farm. First, the pond which becomes a well-used skating rink during the very long and cold winters here.

Then, the new “shed”, a tall 3-story and 16-sided tower Justus is building to provide extra space and storage for this growing family.

Afterwards, we walked up to the barn area to see the chickens, turkeys, geese and pigs.

Here is a side view of the 16-sided main house, the outhouse (they now have an inside bathroom as well), and the woodpile as we returned from the barn.

And here is a picture of the front of the house. I wish I had a photo from further down the drive that also shows the expansive lawned area and pretty flower and herb gardens, including Justus’ dedicated lily and peony gardens.

I had a tour of the impressive new root cellar, then the girls and I stopped to admire the many coloured blooms in the lily garden.

Next, we walked down the drive to Michelle’s vegetable garden. It is huge, about 85 x 200 feet (!), and requires a lot of work by the whole family to keep it tended.

And here is Michelle at the door of her greenhouse which was full to bursting with ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, and even cantelope and a few small and very delicious watermelons. The greenhouse is Michelle’s quiet place where she can putter and catch a few moments of respite from her very busy life of work, family, farm, and volunteerism and friendships in the community.

After a wonderful family dinner (all meals are cooked on a woodstove for the family of 7 (!), or on the large barbeque outside), Michelle and I headed down to the lower fields to pen the sheep for the night.

Then Michelle, Justus and the kids all relaxed together with a movie before bed and I retired to my Highlander, very happy with my first day on Michelle’s farm with family.

The next day Michelle, Penelope, and I went on a walk around Vanderhoof and on trails in the surrounding forest. We began our walk at the excellent Riverside Park beside the Nechako River and Michelle proudly showed me the interpretive boards that she created for the municipality through her graphic design business.

We strolled the path that led downstream along the banks of the Nechako and around to the White Sturgeon Conservation Center. Michelle created this board as well, and has also helped with white sturgeon conservation efforts by developing extensive curriculum materials for the local schools. She has provided in-service to teachers who use the curriculum, has visited classrooms as a guest educator, and has led riverside field trips for all ages. The last time I visited Michelle I was able to see hundreds of baby sturgeon, only about 10 cm long, in their rearing tanks at the hatchery.

Next, Michelle, Penelope and I visited the Vanderhoof Community Garden which Michelle helped to establish. She created the information board here as well, and also an on-site resource book of gardening tips and tricks that was part of an inter-generational community project called “Growing Together.”

After our garden visit, we walked to a trailhead at the edge of town and into a forest of aspen, birch, spruce and pine. Many kilometers of trails have been created around Vanderhoof for use by walkers, cyclists, mountain bikers, and cross-country skiers in the winter. We were on the Heritage Nature Trail, and again Michelle had made the interpretive boards along the route that provided information about the local plants, animals, and human history of the area.

The trail circled around back into town and we then visited the local Vanderhoof Museum and Visitor Center which features a variety of beautifully restored historic buildings from the early 1900s and a brightly painted CN Rail caboose. The CN railway thunders regularly right through the center of town on its route between Prince George and Prince Rupert and it is a vital link for transport of the region’s forestry products. The O.K. Cafe was unfortunately closed due to Covid, but hopefully this summer it can reopen to visitors and locals alike. Apparently they make great lunches and pies!

We ended our walk soon after reaching this pretty spot where Stoney Creek meets the Nechako River, providing excellent habitat for a rich diversity of aquatic species, migrating birds, and other wildlife.

What a lovely afternoon we had! When we returned to the farm, it was “all hands on deck” in the garden to start picking vegetables to sell at the Vanderhoof Farmers Market on the morrow. But first, the geese had somehow escaped from the fenced barnyard and were happily enjoying the front deck of the house. Olive started to herd them back to the barnyard, but they decided they would rather go to the pond!

The next morning, Kate was up well before 6 a.m. to do her farm chores and to start baking her delicious muffins and cookies which she regularly makes to sell at the Farmers Market. She bakes them in the wood stove’s oven one batch after another!

The farmers market was so fun! “Bright, sunny, festive and colourful” describe the day and event. Michelle seems to knows almost everyone in town and was constantly socializing and connecting with people about various projects, while quieter Kate served customers and answered questions.

I helped and chatted a bit, most mostly I sat back and relaxed and ate some yummy treats. I also enjoyed making a few purchases and taking photos at this wonderful Farmers Market.

Here are two of my favourite photos from the day, a smiling Michelle and a bouquet of flowers that I bought from 7 year old Elizabeth. A market regular at her Mom’s stall, it was the first time Elizabeth had created something of her own to sell at the market. She was very proud, and the bouquet was lovely!

In the evening, after another enjoyable and lively family dinner, I decided to take myself out for a drive before bed. Before I left, I said hello to my good friend Yodel who was resting here beside the herb garden. He is a very muddy but fine and loyal fellow and I enjoyed his company during my days on the farm and felt safe with him patrolling about during my nights sleeping in the Highlander.

I enjoyed the drive along the quiet country roads and I stopped to take in this view of the Nechako from the north shore of the river just past the bridge into Vanderhoof.