An insight into farm-to-table dining in Revy
In Revelstoke, we are lucky to have several farmers and artisan makers who supply our community with fresh, locally grown food. Many restaurants in town showcase ‘farm-to-table’ menus, reducing their environmental impact and giving you tastier, healthier food.
Fresh vegetables, locally processed meat, and even fresh cut flowers are some of what’s available from producers in Revelstoke.
This is the story of how our local products end up on your plate.
Meet your makers
Established in 2010, Terra Firma Farms is a small-scale, certified organic farm specializing in garden transplant and heirloom vegetables. They supply Revelstoke with a huge range of fresh produce, eggs, and meat. Woods Goods provides the community with specialty vegetable varieties you can grow at home but their main department is flower farming. Barry from BA Sausages learned all about meat processing from his father when he was 12 years old. Now he supplies almost every pub in town with their burger patties! His meat is sourced locally and processed right here in Revelstoke. First Light Farm is a small farm in the Big Eddy, and specializes in baby mustard greens, tomatoes, and a variety of vegetables as the season progresses. Revelstoke is even home to 'seed-to-bottle' hot sauce makers, Stoke The Fire. They grow over 40 varieties of rare and exotic peppers to put in their delicious sauces. Bird Tree Urban Farm can be found at the LFI Revelstoke Farmers Market every Saturday. Their main property is located in 'South Side' which makes for convenient on farm pick ups.
Farm-to-table restaurants
Many restaurants in town have taken advantage of the variety of locally grown produce. Dose Coffee uses regional produce for their entire menu. Here you can taste meat from BA Sausages. No matter which menu item you choose, if it has meat in it, you know it’s from Barry. Even their flowers on the table are from Woods Goods and you can grab a bouquet for yourself. The Quartermaster Eatery pairs Fraser Valley duck and BC sturgeon with greens and house salad from First Light Farms. Terra Firma’s Kitchen is a true farm-to-table restaurant, sourcing ingredients right from Terra Firma Farms and like-minded farmers nearby. Freshly picked organic vegetables and eggs are delivered to the restaurant almost every day.. Waste is kept to a minimum with all restaurant compost going back to the farm to fuel the next season's crops.
“...There is very little waste. If there is a bumper crop of a particular vegetable it will be reflected in the menu.”
Terra Park, Terra Firma's Kitchen
Why we love supporting local food
Sourcing your food locally has a variety of positive impacts.
- It’s a direct economic benefit to the community - helps to create jobs, increase local spending, and support your friends and neighbors.
- Reduces your carbon footprint - your food doesn’t have to travel as far.
- Reduces packaging waste - there is significantly reduced packaging waste when you buy from small, local producers.
- Health benefits - You’ll get organic produce and meat from happier, healthier animals.
Terra from Terra Firma explains how farm-to-table restaurants reduce food waste. A menu that is built by a local food supply can adapt to produce seasonality and availability. Set menus don’t have this flexibility.
Where can you buy it?
If you’d rather cook yourself, you can get a range of local ingredients in downtown Revelstoke. The farmer’s market takes place every Saturday in the summer and every other Friday in the winter. This is a great place to fill your basket with all kinds of local goodies. Le Marche stocks local meat products and a variety of regional produce.
During your next dining experience in Revelstoke, take a moment to look down at your plate and be stoked that some of it probably came from just down the road or across the river.
Revelstoke's Local Food System
To help people get to know the elements or assets of the Revelstoke local food system Community Connections created the Revelstoke Food Asset Map, showcasing producers, suppliers, educators, and more.
View the Food Assset Map