Beautiful BC

Well, it took 37 years but I finally made it from one coast of Canada to the other. 

My adventure in the Maritimes took place in 1971 so most of the memories have faded, although I did keep a travel log and still get a kick out of reading it.

My journey west took place last week when I flew to Comox, BC for the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation (CFWF) annual meeting.  It was my second CFWF meeting and I wondered whether the organizing committee would be able to match last year’s event in Prince Edward County.  I was not disappointed! 

From start to finish the event was wonderfully planned and executed.  Despite the fact that they provided us with rain jackets as a welcoming gift (seemingly they were able to portend the weather in advance of our arrival), the farm tours were exceptional and the panel discussions illuminating.

The Comox Valley has an astounding array of agricultural operations.  Touring a cranberry farm, meeting a local cheese-maker (imported from Switzerland), and visiting a dairy farm where the producers have expanded into blackberries, honey production, and a sawmill in order to keep their children on the farm were experiences I won’t soon forget. 

Hopefully it won’t take me another 37 years to hit the road again, as there are countless agricultural stories to be told, rich and meaningful threads to weave into the history of this grand country of ours.