Whether you’re picking up snacks on your road trip or simply want to support local food producers, farm stands are a great way to experience the bounty of the Sunshine Coast. Turn down virtually any side road and you’re bound to find a small, typically honour-system-only stand selling everything from fresh eggs to in-season fruits and vegetables.
Below, we’ve rounded up farms and farm stands where you can pick your own berries, interact with farm animals, meet local farmers, and of course, stock up on all things edible and tasty. You can also find many of these farms at local farmers’ markets in the region.
U-Pick
While blackberry bushes run wild on the Sunshine Coast, u-pick berry farms are a great way to fill your basket with minimal scrapes and bushwacking involved. These farms also sell other berries—like strawberries and blueberries—not readily available on the side of the highway.
Coast Berry Company, Powell River
In the summer, Coast Berry Company’s fields are filled with juicy vine-ripened strawberries and plump, fragrant blueberries. There are roughly 25,000 everbearing strawberry plants that are planted each year and up to four kinds of blueberry varieties, including Duke, Bluecrop, Elliot, and Liberty. Not quite up for staining your hands blue (or red) while picking berries? You’ll also find an assortment of goods for sale, from homemade jam to local honey and even raw, cold pressed, and unpasteurized blueberry juice.
When: Seasonal in July and August; be sure to call ahead for operating hours.
Where: 10084 Nassichuk Rd, Powell River, BC
Rusty Gate Berry Farm, Powell River
The Rusty Gate Berry Farm is a small, family-operated blueberry u-pick farm located in Powell River. Grab a pail and fill a bucket or two or order ahead for five- and ten-pound boxes. Even better? Stay on-site and feast on blueberries for days. Rusty Gate offers an agri-tourism experience, with tent sites available right in the orchard. (There’s also a self-contained RV site.)
When: Seasonal in July and August; be sure to call ahead for operating hours.
Where: 2575 Maywood Road, Powell River, BC
Seasonal Farms
Summer is the peak operating season for most farms on the Sunshine Coast. But come fall, when the temperatures cool and the leaves start to turn, you might just find yourself in a pumpkin patch hunting for that prize jack-o-lantern and sipping on hot apple cider.
Shady Hazel Farm, Gibsons
Shady Hazel is the de facto spot to nab a pumpkin in fall on the Sunshine Coast. Their pumpkin patch is open every weekend in October. They serve up fresh cinnamon-sugar dusted mini donuts by the dozen, along with coffee, tea, and hot apple cider. And each year, they seemingly add to the reverie with on-site activities for both kids and adults alike. Only visiting in summer? Keep an eye out for their long table supper series, which sees highly regarded chefs from Canada serving up incredible eats under twinkling lights and starry skies.
When: Open 10-4 every weekend in October. Check online for announcements of summer events, like their long table supper series.
Where: 805 Payne Rd, Gibsons, BC V0N 1V7
Little Red Wagon Farm, Roberts Creek
Don’t miss Little Red Wagon’s annual pumpkin patch day. Each fall, this small-scale farm (which also sells fresh fruit and vegetables in the summer) hosts an afternoon of family fall fun. Sip on hot drinks or snack on popcorn as you wander fields of pumpkins looking for the one to take home.
When: Call ahead for operating hours in summer and check online for details of their annual pumpkin patch day.
Where: 2025 Sunshine Coast Highway, Roberts Creek, BC V0N 2W6 Canada
Flower and Animal Farms
For the times when you want more than just to stock up on produce, head to these farms. You can pet farm animals like goats, ride horses, visit an urban flower farm, stay in a cob house, tour a greenhouse, or smell the intense fragrance of fields of lavender.
Ruby’s Run Urban Farms, Sechelt
This is not your typical farm experience. Located right in the heart of Sechelt, Ruby’s Run made creative use of urban space to grow the Sunshine Coast’s largest selection of gorgeous and brilliantly-coloured blooms. In summer, they also offer produce such as sweet strawberries and vine-ripened tomatoes, all grown within a five-minute walk from downtown.
When: Year-round; be sure to call ahead for operating hours.
Where: Neptune Rd, Sechelt, BC V0N 3A0
Farm Ventures, Roberts Creek
The whole family can experience the magic of animals at Farm Ventures in Roberts Creek. There’s the official farm greeter, Tetley the teacup pig, a llama, peacocks, and goats. (In fact, there’s 16 varieties of farm animals to visit.) There are even trail rides through the lush Roberts Creek forest and of course, fresh produce to take home.
When: Year-round, although some seasonal closures happen.
Where: 713 Sullivan Rd, Roberts Creek, BC V0N 2W6
Rolling Earth Farm Retreat, Roberts Creek
Try out farm life for a week at Rolling Earth Farm Retreat. Situated on a tranquil six acres, this small organic farm is home to a natural cob earthen home with a creekside bathhouse and outdoor kitchen. Learn the basics of permaculture, forage for plants and mushrooms with a guide, and get the skills you need to build your own cob villa. Farm fresh food is served everyday.
When: Book your stay online.
Where: 12930 Day Rd, Roberts Creek, BC V0N 2W1
Hillside Coast Farms, Roberts Creek
Hillside Coast is another farm that offers on-site accommodation. This sustainable micro-farm is home to chickens and Nigerian Dwarf Goats, the smallest dairy variety in the world. Each spring and summer, guests can see the arrival of new kids, while year-round, you can walk the idyllic grounds and eat farm fresh eggs every morning.
When: Book your stay online.
Where: 1184 Hawthorn Rd, Roberts Creek, BC V0N 2W2
Food-Adjacent Farm Stands
Sure, fresh produce is great, but sometimes you need an immediate snack. These farm stands offer delicious baked goods, roadside meals, and even flights of beer.
Gibsons Heritage Farm
This charming farm stand occupies an enviable location next to The Shortcut, a roadside food truck serving up all-day breakfast, sandwiches and burgers. While there’s no on-site tables or chairs, you can take a seat at one of the rustic wooden benches in front of the farm and tuck into a homestyle lunch. Don’t forget to grab some fresh veg from the farm stand for later.
When: Farm stand is first-come, first-served and open year-round. For The Shortcut, call ahead for operating hours.
Where: 13 Henry Rd, Gibsons, BC V0N 1V2
The O Farm, Halfmoon Bay
Tucked right off Redrooffs Road is The O, an organic vegetable farm stall selling local produce, flowers, and an ever-changing lineup of tasty treats and baked goods, courtesy of the baker behind Fawn’s Road Stand. On any given day you might find a seasonal galette, donuts or cinnamon buns, plus fruit shrubs, homemade chili oil, or hot sauce.
When: Year-round, although some seasonal closures happen. Note: the baked goods sell out fast, be sure to get there early.
Where: 8070 Redrooffs Road, Halfmoon Bay, V0N 1Y1
Persephone Brewing Company, Gibsons
Persephone Brewing is best known as the site of cold, delicious beer, but they also sell an array of fresh vegetables in the summer (look for what’s available in the taproom). You can easily spend an afternoon soaking up the sun, drinking beer on the grounds outside, or even taking in some live music.
When: Produce is available seasonally; check for current operating hours.
Where: 1053 Stewart Rd., Gibsons, BC V0N 1V7
