The owners of Fossil Beach Farm on Hornby Island are opening their 80-acre oceanfront family farm to guests for the first time in 98 years.
The farm will offer guests glamping, farm-made cider sales and tasting, and events starting in May, 2019.
Aileen Fearman and her husband have been rebuilding Fossil Beach Farm for three years adding infrastructure, accommodation, and cider-processing equipment – essential improvements to welcome the public after her family settled the land over five generations ago. After some time away, Aileen decided to return to the Island she loves and farm with her own twist.
“This has always been my home even while living elsewhere,” she said, of her fully-furnished bell tents and cider house that overlook the Salish Sea. “I am excited to be back in the place that I love, sharing our working farm with guests.”
Aileen feels that glamping is a creative and sustainable way to share the farm and compliments the ongoing operations of cider, cattle, along with fruit and nut orchards.
The glamping tents are perched above the ocean, and are fully furnished. including luxurious queen beds. Plenty of eagles, seals, blue heron and beachcombing for fossils are just steps from each tent.
“We hope that each guest can rest here and enjoy the energy of this place we call home,” said Aileen. “It truly is where farm meets sea.”
A short walk from the glampsites is the Fossil Beach Farm tasting room and picnic area, where they turn their Island-grown apples into five different styles of cider. They produce “clean, fresh Pacific Northwest-style” cider made from over 30 varieties from several orchards, including the one behind the tasting room that is 100 years old. Guests can enjoy cider in flights, growlers, or by the bottle. Each cider tells a story of the farm starting with a margarita-influenced cider named after their excavator “The Cidersourus” that arrived on a Second World War landing craft when construction began.
Fossil Beach Farm is open for operations starting May 17.
Visit the website for booking and hours www.fossilbeachfarm.com
