Our tenth season has come to a close. An amazing season, not without challenges to overcome, and spend time nurturing the farm for our next growing season. Peaches and nectarines….well, aside from the preserved ones of 2023, we didn’t see one blossom for the first time we have lived on the property(since 2006). Being spoiled by enjoying a few tree ripe peaches a day during the season, it was disappointing to say the least, and even more so for Ainsley and Baker. In fine farming fashion, the need to focus on ground crops, along with the harvest we did have, things looked a bit different last year. Truthfully, it was a reminder that mother nature holds the cards, and it is our duty as farmers to pivot, something most have gotten used to especially over the last few growing seasons. It brought forth a new appreciation for some of the produce we may have taken for granted, the peaches will certainly taste even sweeter this year…
We saw an expanded list of return guests, both for our winery partnered events, and our private, tailored culinary experiences at the farm. Humbling to say the least, and seeing familiar faces always inspires creative menu development, along with continued experimentation with our food program and philosophies. We have made adjustments to our services reflective of smaller booking sizes, enhancing our offerings with Al Fresco lunches, partnered with Michael from Devino Wine Tours. It was an exciting enhancement, enabling some new guests to experience our table to farm approach, in a more casual but still immersive style on the patio, while affording our culinary team an opportunity to experiment with family style menu development. We are looking forward to this continued partnership, as it seems like a perfect fit to tie a brief lunch amidst a wine tour with some of the amazing wineries in our valley. For details on how to book a premium wine tour with a curated, alfresco lunch at Backyard Farm, contact Devino directly here: Devino Wine Tours Devinos’ schedule gets filled up quickly, so make sure to start planning early! Additionally, transportation to and from Backyard Farm for a private culinary experience for up to 20 guests can be arranged, as Devino is proudly our primary transportation partner, enabling you and your guests to enjoy an experience and do so safely.
Our alfresco lunch bookings are dependent on our schedule, as we do not host 2 groups in a day if the evening booking is large(12+) or an offsite booking.
The wine and hospitality industry also had significant challenges this year. We know all too well the stresses of crop failure and climate effects on farming. We appreciate that our winery and distillery partners share in our ethics. “Playing the long game” has been a conversation piece lately, recognizing that unforeseen challenges need to be met with foresight and positivity-without sacrificing the quality of the experience, or the product. We are thankful for the many opportunities to contribute our food and hospitality to the many winery and distillery events this past year, and look forward to the many events already booked for the 2025 season.
Further to this, we are in the planning stages of elaborating on our partnered events. Some roundtable discussion include the possibility of guest chef collaborations with some friends and mentors in the industry. We haven’t finalized details, but a few events last season reminded us how much fun it is to cook with like minded chefs and creators in the industry, and share stories and experiences with a room of guests. We would invite a winery, brewery or distillery to join us for the evening and pair with the menu. Details will likely be released first through our “friends of the farm list”, so send us an email and we can add you if you haven’t already. It likely won’t be hard to fill the 20 seats, so the availability will be exclusive. We may also look at hosting industry “speakeasy” nights to fill pre and post season dates. A few last minute cancellations last season were filled with some good conversation, weird and wonderful wines(random cellar finds from guests), with a lingering and more casual vibe. It’s always nice to have a group of winemakers and hospitality folks and fans swapping stories and experiences-and step away from work things for a few hours. Lastly, we are looking at ways to fill open dates pre and post season. It isn’t hard to find things to do on the farm, but our culinary team doesn’t sit idle well! We may look at having a random baking market day, or expand on our bread production for pre-order and pickup. We may also have a few late spring days that encourage an intimate brunch seating on the patio.?.!.. We will be certain to keep you informed through the website, and on our social media once we finalize details. As always, you can find confirmed events on our website “events” page if you are eager to start planning a visit sooner than later.
Our year end finalizes reflecting on our cost of operations. As everyone is aware, the cost of operating a small business, let alone in our households) have increased dramatically. We have had an opportunity to assess our pricing structure, making adjustments to enable our continued success, future developments, property infrastructure, and taking care of our staff and family to the best of our ability. It is becoming more apparent that the many financial stresses in the hospitality and restaurant industries have caused the closure of some very noteworthy establishments, or early retirement of very inspiring people. We will continue to honour our pricing as established at the beginning of the season, regardless of future cost increases with approachability and industry standard in mind. We saw food cost of quality ingredients increase immensely, but continue to strive growing, and sourcing ingredients thoughtfully and responsibly- from like minded farmers, producers and suppliers. We will also continue to utilize ethically raised and harvested meats and poultry, and support sustainable aquaculture through our food program. In addition, we will always share the story and connection of the farmer and ingredients, while educating our guests on the preparation and thoughts behind food and wine pairing. This is what we do, and how we do it.
We have started sending out deposit requests for our tentative pre-booked dates, in order to update our calendar accordingly. If you wish to book with us, or for more information, send us an email. We will forward our terms and pricing, as well as discuss your needs, with a tailored approach. Send an email to: info@backyard-farm.ca
A new year brings forward new opportunities. We are looking forward to what our 11th season brings! We will be enjoying some much needed rest and family home time for the next little bit-with a scheduled reopening for private bookings of March 1st. For the moment: eat well, sleep soundly, and enjoy all the moments you have with those whom you love, respect and are inspired by.
Chris, Mikkel, Baker, Ainsley, Baker, Kyle, Jovia, Adrienne, Brie.