Step onto the back deck at Kiwi Cove Lodge, and you’ll see rows and rows of kiwi vines with a thick leafy overhead canopy leading to the waterfront and mountain views.
At this time of year, the vines are full of fuzzy fruit, and last weekend, owners Doug and Peggy Kolosoff invited people onto the kiwi farm to learn more about kiwifruit. The Kolosoffs hosted Kiwi Fest Oct. 21 and shared information about kiwifruit, while offering a variety of special treats from the Kiwi Special Event Café and live music by Judy Durban and Patrick Morrison, the “Kiwi Couple.”
The Kolosoffs have owned the 10.2-acre waterfront property on Brenton Page Road for 20 years. When they purchased the property, much of the vacant property was so thickly overgrown that it could not be walked on. They cleared the land, and in 1997, the Kolosoffs planted 134 kiwi vines.
They built the 9,000-square-foot lodge in 2001, which is the same year the Kolosoffs harvested the first crop of kiwis.
“We were looking to add a small agricultural component to the property,” said Peggy. “We always intended it to be revenue-generating, not just a residence. We had certain criteria. We didn’t know much about kiwi; we just started getting advice, and we thought we’d give kiwis a try. Our criteria were that it would not need any spraying or pesticide or chemical treatment, that the labour aspect was not going to be more than we could manage, and we were also looking at the capabilities of the soil. It was also important to us that it be aesthetically pleasing.”
Kiwi Cove Lodge opened to the public with 12 rooms, and it has become a popular spot for whole lodge bookings, groups, retreats and weddings.
At Kiwi Cove, the Kolosoffs have 134 kiwi vines, and when mature, the female vines can produce 100 pounds of fruit.
Peggy says most people don’t know there is more than one kind of kiwi.
There are a handful of growers on the Saanich Peninsula, but they are only growing one type, Hayward, which are the fuzzy kiwis found in stores, she explained.
Along with the Hayward variety, the Kolosoffs produce the Hardy Arguta variety, which is smaller, sweeter and grape-like, without the fuzz.
“We are the only commercial arguta growers on Vancouver Island,” said Peggy. “We are actively pursuing the new marketing of the arguta because our crop has been so plentiful. Because we have such a good yield, we need to look at larger markets, and one I think could do well is the raw food and juice bar establishments.”
Kiwi vines like full sun and regular watering, and they do not like chilly winds.
The kiwifruit bloom in June. Kiwis do not ripen on the vine. Instead, they remain on the vine until weather forecasts of frost, and then they are all picked at once and placed in cool storage. The fruit will keep for months in cool storage, and fruit that is stored at room temperature will slowly ripen.
Kiwi Cove is also home to a community garden that just completed its sixth year of operation.
“It’s a unique model of community garden where the food is grown for charity,” explained Peggy. “The work is done by volunteers, and 95 per cent of what is grown goes straight to the Ladysmith Food Bank. Another goal of the garden is an inclusive, hands-on opportunity for people to learn how to grow food.”
They grow a wide range of vegetables in the community garden, and this year, they had a record year.
“More than 3,000 pounds of produce grown here went straight to the food bank,” said Peggy.
