Victoria’s North Saanich Flavour Trail

On August 21 and 22, 2010, the 4th Annual North Saanich Flavour Trail will take place in Victoria, BC. North Saanich, one of the newest and fastest growing Agritourism regions on Vancouver Island, is located 25 minutes north of downtown Victoria. Surrounded on three sides by ocean shores, North Saanich is known for its agriculture, as evidenced by its large number of farms and road side produce and flower stands. Flavour Trail festivities focus on the importance of agriculture in the area by highlighting the farms, wineries, and nurseries that showcase North Saanich food production. Victoria visitors interested in going behind the scenes of the island’s local gastronomy will enjoy meeting the farmers and shaking hands with the vintners whose products are found on the menus of many of Victoria’s finest restaurants. The North Saanich Flavour Trail invites visitors to taste their way through markets and participate in hands-on activities at many of the local farms and producers. For more information visit www.northsaanich.ca.

Sea Cider Pours for Parkinson’s

Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse hosts 3^rd annual Pouring for Parkinson’s event, on Tuesday, November 10^th, 6pm-9pm, 2487 Mt. St. Michael Rd, Saanichton, BC  V8M 1T7

Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse, in partnership with the Victoria Epilepsy and Parkinson’s Centre, is hosting its 3^rd annual Pouring for Parkinson’s fundraising event on November the 10^th.  The evening launches Sea Cider’s month long fund raising initiative, Pairing for Parkinson’s, to support individuals and families touched by Parkinson’s disease.

The event is an opportunity to enjoy a relaxed evening of cider, live music, and abundant hors d’oeuvres with silent auction while raising funds and awareness for the VEC.  Tickets are 35.00 dollars each or 60.00 with a 25.00 tax receipt.

A musical trio from The Stomp Club will entertain with their signature retro swinging gypsy jazz, while guests graze on pairings designed by Ottavio Italian Bakery & Delicatessen and Steve Walker Duncan of Ambrosia Catering. The evenings offerings will feature artisan cheeses, hors d’oeuvres, and delectables such as blue cheese cheesecake and crab apple sorbet paired with Sea Ciders own traditionally fermented ciders.

Open since 2007, Sea Cider is a certified organic farm and ciderhouse located 15 minutes north of Victoria on the Saanich Peninsula committed to artisan cider making, practicing organic agriculture, and strengthening and supporting the local community.

The Victoria Epilepsy and Parkinson’s Centre is a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening clients’ and families’ ability to manage the effects of Parkinson’s and epilepsy by providing reliable information and services to enhance quality of life for those touched by either disease.

For more information on the event and on Pairing for Parkinson’s, contact Dionne Jennings at Sea Cider by phone at (250) 584-4824, by email at dionne@seacider.ca, or visit www.seacider.ca.

For further information on the Victoria Epilepsy and Parkinson’s Centre, contact Executive Director Catriona Johnson at (250) 475-6677, by e-mail at cjohnson@vepc.bc.ca, or visit www.vepc.bc.ca.

For information on The Stomp Club, visit www.thestompclub.com.

For information on Ambrosia Catering and event services, visit www.ambrosia.ca

For information on Ottavio’s Italian Bakery and Delicatessen, visit www.ottaviovictoria.com

Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse Celebrates Apple Day

Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse Celebrates its 1^st Apple Day With Open House on Sunday, September 27^th, 11 am to 6pm, 2487 Mt. St. Michael Rd, Saanichton, BC

Sea Cider welcomes the community to bring forth fruit to the “Apple Roadshow” as part of its first Apple Day with open house Sunday, September 27th.  The event is an opportunity to enjoy cider and learn more about local fruit as well as Sea Cider’s unique archive of rare cider apples.  Entrance is free.

Sea Cider is pleased to welcome guest ‘appraiser’ Clayton Whitney from the BC Fruit Tester’s Association to discuss all things apple.  Clayton will be on hand to identify heritage fruit varieties, talk about pruning, trellising and grafting, as well as provide information on pests and diseases, and how best to store and preserve the fruits of the fall.

For further information on the event, contact Dionne Jennings at Sea Cider by phone at (250) 584-4824, by email at dionne@seacider.ca, or visit www.seacider.ca.

For information on the BC Fruit Tester ’s Association, contact Clayton Whitney at (250) 642-6649 or Frank Besier at (250) 727-9166.

North Saanich Flavour Trail

From August 22-23 2009, the third annual North Saanich Flavour Trail will take place in Victoria, BC. North Saanich, which is one of the newest and fastest growing agritourism regions on Vancouver Island, is located 25 minutes north of downtown Victoria. Surrounded on three sides by ocean shores, North Saanich is known for its agricultural lands as evidenced by the number of farms, road side produce and flower stands found there. Weekend festivities focus on the importance of agriculture in the area by highlighting the farms, wineries, and nurseries that showcase North Saanich food production. Visitors to Victoria who are interested in going behind the scenes of the island’s local gastronomy will be able to meet the farmers and shake hands with the vintners whose products are found on the menus of many of Victoria’s finest restaurants. The North Saanich Flavour Trail invites visitors to taste their way through markets and particpate in hands-on activities at many of the local farms and producers. For more information visit www.northsaanich.ca.