Local residents love fresh, locally grown and produced flavours of agrifoods from Vancouver Island such as the diverse products from Victoria’s Canadian Artisan Foods, North Saanich's Snowdon House Gourmet & Gifts and Sooke’s Tugwell Creek Honey Farm and Meadery.

The provincial government’s Buy Local Program is providing funding to local companies to promote their products, increase consumer demand and sales while supporting food security in B.C. The island companies are receiving up to $42,400 in funding to launch advertising and promotional campaigns.

Canadian Artisan Foods is a Victoria-based marketing, sales and distribution company that helps local, small-batch food producers grow their sales and distribution. The variety of products sold by the company are processed and packaged in B.C., keeping local dollars in the economy and creating jobs for British Columbians.

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Near the southern end of Vancouver Island is Snowdon House Gourmet & Gifts located in north Saanich. The gift shop offers a bounty of unique food products including fruit infused vinegars, beer and cider bread mixes, soup and dip mixes. Snowdon House is located on four acres, where six years ago, 1,600 Christmas trees were planted. Looking for a more renewable and sustainable way to use the Douglas firs, owner Laura Waters developed a line of products that feature the distinctive flavour of the Douglas fir such as fruit-infused vinegars, Sparkling Fir Essence and brie toppers.

The Tugwell Creek Honey Farm and Meadery was established in 2004 in Sooke as the first meadery in Western Canada. The company’s mead, also known as honey wine, is made in small batches from local berries and honey, sourced right from the farm. The mead is reminiscent of ancient times, and is often referred to as “nectar of the gods”.

The Buy Local program has received $8 million in B.C. government funding since 2012 to increase sales of locally grown and processed agrifood and seafood products within the province.

The B.C. government's Agrifood and Seafood Strategic Growth Plan supports the building of domestic markets and maintaining a secure food supply. The Plan is a component of the BC Jobs Plan, and the roadmap to leading the agrifoods sector to becoming a $15-billion-a-year industry by 2020.

The provincial government's Buy Local program is administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of British Columbia. Applications are available at: http://iafbc.ca/funding-opportunities/buy-local/

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Quotes:

Minister of Agriculture Norm Letnick –

“Local companies contribute to generating jobs, building the economy and providing products that come right from our own backyards – guaranteeing the freshest flavours possible. Thanks to the Buy Local program, we can help support these companies and recognize and celebrate their passion and dedication to the B.C. agrifoods industry.”

Philippe Taillefer, president and owner, Canadian Artisan Foods Inc. –

“As a sales, distribution and marketing company, our mission at Canadian Artisan Foods is to support local small-batch producers. With the help of the Buy Local funding we are launching a campaign to promote these local companies and encourage buying local. This has been a great opportunity to help out our fellow local organizations while growing our own brand.”

Laura Waters, owner, Snowdon House Gourmet & Gifts –

“At Snowdon House Gourmet & Gifts we offer hassle-free home cooking and convenient comfort food that will nourish you and your family. We don't spend nearly enough time at our dinner table anymore and we want to change that. Since we have had the opportunity to take part in the Buy Local Program, we hope to inspire British Columbians to cook, create and grow.”  

Dana LeComte, owner, Tugwell Creek Honey Farm and Meadery Inc. –

“We are grateful for the funding provided by the Buy Local Program.  This allowed us the ability to invest in much needed promotional materials for our business.”

Learn More:

For more information about Canadian Artisan Foods and the producers the company represents, visit: http://canadianartisanfoods.com

Look for more information about Snowdon House Gourmet & Gifts Ltd.: http://snowdonhouse.ca/about/

Check out Tugwell Creek Honey Farm and learn more about mead: http://tugwellcreekfarm.com

B.C. Buy Local program: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/programs/bc-buy-local-program