Knowing where your food comes from is a major step in becoming a conscious consumer. And farmers' markets are an important vehicle to help us connect directly with the farmer and the farm hands who grow, harvest and sell their fresh produce.
Farm to table, hyper-local, free-range, nose-to-tail, wild-foraged, sustainable and other monikers all help us in being a discerning consumer and provide a way to connect the dots. Putting your money where your mouth 鈥 and stomach 鈥 is, is a powerful political act.
The newly-opened Kettle Valley Ranch to Table, in Penticton, fits right in with this important mindset. Owned and operated by husband and wife team Nikolai Sopow and Cressida Sanderson, the couple are connecting their customers with a direct and local source of top quality, naturally raised and free-range meats.
They share a deep knowledge about raising animals, as 2nd generation cattle ranchers on 36-acres in nearby Faulder. Living with Nikolaisa国际传媒 parents 鈥 and seasoned ranchers 鈥 Joan and Vern Sopow, itsa国际传媒 a family affair. Together they raise Speckle Park 鈥 known to be high in Omega-3s 鈥 and Red Angus cattle on their Lastfandango ranch. While selling their quality beef, they realized that not everyone can commit to purchasing and storing a side of beef. Thatsa国际传媒 when the idea of opening a shop to sell their beef began.
And they also began to reach out to other farmers and ranchers, those folks who raise their animals ethically, without the use of hormones or antibiotics, no growth implants, non-sprayed hay and ranchlands, nothing GMO 鈥 and provide them a central outlet to sell their meat. The standards are exacting and rigorous.
Through word of mouth and a popular Facebook page, customers are quickly finding them. (Their strip mall location can be easy to miss but itsa国际传媒 right across from the Ashley HomeStore.) Their shop is bright and cheery with one wall decorated with family portraits and fun retro Western imagery, and a long counter in front of a bank of freezers.
鈥淧eople want to know where their food comes from and how they鈥檙e raised鈥 says Sanderson. She and her husband are excited and knowledgeable about their product and easily share recipes and cooking ideas. For example, Sanderson will happily share her recipe for her homemade bone broth. 鈥淲e like to experiment,鈥 she says, 鈥渁nd try things at home first, cooking it 鈥 and we鈥檙e very honest about it.鈥
The beef selection is extensive, with every cut of steak and roast, and those less-seen such as cheeks, kidneys and heart. 鈥淲e have a growing list of customers looking for particular cuts, including organ meats,鈥 notes Sanderson. Ground beef for burgers is available in lean, regular and butchersa国际传媒 blend, that includes liver, kidney and heart.
From Reverent Acres in Salmon Arm comes water buffalo. The grass-fed and grass-finished meat, similar to bison, and with low cholesterol, is also available ground, in roast and steak cuts, stewing cuts and also in haskap berry bratwurst, pepperoni and jerky. Sopow claims the ground water buffalo butchersa国际传媒 blend is excellent in tacos 鈥 something I'll be trying soon!
From Tatton Springs Ranch in Rosedale, comes heritage pork with smoked bone-in ham for Easter, and leg roasts.
Currently Sopow and Sanderson are talking with close to 20 different farms to source lamb, duck, eggs and chicken 鈥 and should have fryers in a few weeks.
They鈥檝e also reached out to other food artisans of the Okanagan to complement their pantry shelves. Find pasta from the Okanagan Pasta Company, crackers, pickles, freeze-dried berries, preserves, and cheeses 鈥 from Tanto Latte in Salmon Arm, Creekside Cheese + Creamery and The Farm House Natural Cheeses in Agassiz, and Triple Island Farms in Armstrong (that make a killer Maasdammer cheese). If the idea of charcuterie springs to mind, find also beautifully crafted wooden boards and tasteful giftie items.
The momentum is growing at Kettle Valley Ranch to Table to create a one-stop shopping experience, a cut above the rest.
