Online Farm Map to Vancouver Island Local Foods

The Vancouver Island Farms & Food Map is a searchable guide to local farms in and around Vancouver Island from Victoria to Campbell River.

People who want to eat fresh local foods have a new online resource. The Vancouver Island Farms & Food Map is a searchable guide to hundreds of farms in and around Victoria and Vancouver Island.

Island farmers currently produce a wide range of fresh, regional foods, including unique heirloom fruits and vegetables. The public interest in locally grown produce is opening the door to exciting new “local” food possibilities. Responding to the push for fewer food miles, island producers are testing the viability of once exotic foods like quinoa, ginger root and citrus fruits.

Farm Map Regions: Vancouver Island and adjacent Islands

As a part of this growing local foods movement, BC Farms & Food has created the interactive map to connect people with locally harvested foods from the major farming regions around Vancouver Island. Map regions include Victoria, Metchosin, Sooke, the Saanich Peninsula, Cowichan Valley, Cobble Hill, Salt Spring Island, Ladysmith & Cedar, Nanaimo, Gabriola Island, Parksville, Qualicum, Alberni Valley, Comox Valley, Denman & Hornby Islands, and Campbell River. The map is a resource for residents and tourists who want to explore Vancouver Island farms, and for chefs who want to source food locally.

Local Farm Products, Events and Activities

BC Farms & Food map users can search for a complete range of local produce, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, herbs, mushrooms, grains, dairy products, eggs, meat, poultry, fish & seafood, wine, and specialty items.

The map is designed so users can do combined searches to pinpoint special interests—for example, a search on “grown without pesticides,” and “apples” to bring up local farms offering pesticide-free apples. The map also helps users locate farm stands, farmers markets, CSA box programs, wineries, and farms that welcome visitors for tours, festivals, or overnight stays.

In addition to the searchable map, BC Farms & Food offers the Farms A–Z Directory, which lists farms in the Vancouver Island area, and the Guide to Farmers Markets.

BC Farms & Food hopes the interactive map will also augment regional efforts at food sustainability and revitalization of local agriculture. Vancouver Island currently raises only a small percentage of its food. The site hopes to contribute to efforts to reverse this trend and make local agriculture a driver of sustainable and economic development for the region.

BC Farms & Food is a news and information site about local food and farms in south coast British Columbia. In addition to the interactive Vancouver Island Farms & Food Map, BC Farms & Food features articles, profiles of artisan food producers, videos, and recipes.