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British Columbia Events Kootenay Boundary

EVENT RECAP: Farm Tour and Potluck at Earth Temple Gardens

Posted on August 13, 2025

On July 27th, 2025, farmers and farm enthusiasts gathered for a tour of Earth Temple Gardens, a thriving market garden located in the remote and rugged valley bottom of Meadow Creek, nestled in the Selkirk Mountains. The landscape provided a dramatic and inspiring backdrop for the day’s events.

Earth Temple Gardens was founded 13 years ago by Michael Silver, who initially started by dividing his time between gardens in Johnson’s Landing and the Meadow Creek farm site. Michael was invited to farm at the Meadow Creek location by the previous stewards of the land, Lakehead and Beyond Produce Society, a non-profit organization in the Lardeau Valley.

Earth Temple Gardens outlasted the society, and two years ago, the land transferred to new landholders who saw the value of the farm’s contribution to local food security. With the support of the B.C. Land Matching Program, they created a new lease agreement, giving Michael the security to continue farming in Meadow Creek.

The tour began with a lively conversation about farm start-up and sales channels, followed by a walk through the greenhouses and a tour of the field crops. Attendees learned about the unique opportunities and challenges of operating a market garden in such a remote setting. Earth Temple Gardens grows a wide variety of vegetables, which are sold daily at the farm stand, as well as at the Kaslo Saturday Market, the Kootenay Co-op, and to backcountry skiing companies.

Michael’s unheated greenhouses allow him to supply the local community with fresh produce throughout the growing season. He also cultivates a large crop of storage vegetables, which are sold to customers with root cellars and to retail locations throughout the winter. Crops are started and grown in the greenhouses throughout the growing season, including a variety of trellised cantaloupe.

Michael is deeply aware of agriculture’s impact on the local and global ecosystems, and is committed to farming organically – his operation is certified organic by the Kootenay Organic Growers Society. When asked about the price of local vegetables during a cost of living crisis, he explained candidly that his prices reflect the true cost of hiring local workers. His farming methods are low-impact but labour-intensive, helping to minimize his ecological footprint.

To prioritize time for summer fun with his family, Michael runs the farm on a five-day work week. No one is scheduled on weekends, except for the employee who attends the Saturday market. He credits the success of weekends off to the skill and dedication of his long-time employees.

The tour concluded with a shared potluck lunch, offering a chance for participants to connect, exchange ideas, and celebrate a day well spent on the land. Thanks so much to Michael at Earth Temple Gardens for hosting us!

Check out Earth Temple Gardens online:

Website: earthtemplegardens.ca

Facebook: facebook.com/earthtemplegardens

UPCOMING COLUMBIA BASIN EVENTS

More information about these Land Sharing Workshops will be coming soon – keep an eye on the Young Agrarians Events page!

STAY IN TOUCH

GOT LAND? WANT LAND?

Through the B.C. Land Matching Program, Young Agrarians offers support to farmers looking for land for their farm business, and landholders looking for farmers to farm their land. If you’re looking for farmland or have land to lease in the Columbia Basin/Kootenays, get in touch with Nyree, the land matcher for the region, at nyree@youngagrarians.org.

THANK YOU!

CBT

The Columbia Basin event series is made possible with funding from Columbia Basin Trust.

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