A Ten-Mile Tasty Tour could serve as a winter pick-me-up for the taste buds Saturday in Yarrow.
Yarrow Ecovillage members are getting ready to host visitors from Chilliwack and beyond to explore, feast and connect with them on Jan. 28.
Residents and farmers have been taking the squash, beets, and other root veggies out of storage. Greens and fresh herbs have been harvested. Free-range eggs from a local producer have been secured, along with the goat cheese and turkey sausage to be used in the special lunch.
Making connections around food seemed like a natural for a co-housing neighbourhood being built on community-minded principles, said ecovillage resident Vivian Vaillant.
“We’re all foodies,” she said. “It’s the one thing truly universal that we share. We all love to eat and cook.”
The ecovillage is an intentional community off Yarrow Central Road with co-housing, certified organic farming, and a plan for mixed commercial/residential operations — all on one sprawling 22-acre site.
Food is also an important part of connecting and sharing, and the ecovillagers are happy to share in that abundance.
“It helps you feel grateful,” Vaillant added. “This will also serve as a dress rehearsal for other events we’ll hold. If we can pull this off in January, imagine what we will do all summer long.”
The delicious luncheon meal at the heart of the Ten-Mile Tasty Tour will be served at the Yarrow Community Hall on Jan. 28 from noon to 1 p.m.
Roasted squash soup, greens with blueberry dressing, and goat cheese quiche with garlic yogurt sauce are on the menu. There’s an artisan focaccia bread with herbed butter to dip into the soup.
All the gourmet offerings are being prepared by resident chefs using certified organic produce grown on-site, along with other locally sourced items.
For Janice Patterson, the village chocolatier, food transcends education, culture, religion — almost everything.
“It’s the best common denominator to reach people,” she said.
She’s tucking some of her Milk Chocolate Fudge and English Butter Toffee w/ Dark Chocolate samples into the take-home bags for tour participants.
Ecovillage resident Meg Jordan is chipping in North Georgia Candy Roaster squash to the lunch effort.
“The squash was grown from heritage seeds I saved and later harvested for the community good,” she said.
One of the Yarrow area producers who decided to donate some of her free-range eggs for the luncheon quiche is Angela Dyck of Highland Hens. She is passionate about her chickens, and about 20 dozen eggs will be going into the quiche.
“I want to show what Yarrow has to offer,” she said.
“I love what I do and you will never taste a fresher egg,” she said.
Although she’s not a member of the ecovillage, she lives nearby and was happy to contribute to help get her name out there.
“It’s wonderful. Yarrow is just the kind of community that does things together.”
Participants are invited to either tour the Yarrow Ecovillage site before or after they have lunch. They have a 10 a.m. to noon block open for village touring or the 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Ecovillage residents will also be on hand to share what day-to-day life is like in their neighbourhood.
“Come spend a few hours with us. We hope you’ll stay for a lifetime,” reads the event poster.
The newly unveiled plans for a common house will be on display, or check out some of the homes under construction in the village.
Tickets for the Ten-Mile Tasty Tour are $20 (includes Lunch + Tour), to order in advance (604) 756-1479 or welcome@yarrowecovillage.ca.
