Lightwater Farm at Lightwater Cove unites several historic farms and produces a wide variety of vegetables, fruits and herbs using natural organic methods.
Lightwater Farm
Organic Farming at its best
The Farm
Beautiful produce grown right here
Blessed with some of the best soil on the island, the farm includes a two-acre market garden, flower production, herb and berry gardens, seven acres of heritage orchards and a glass greenhouse for year-round fresh greens.
Varying crops include basil, tomatoes, lettuce, kale and butternut squash—along with blueberries, strawberries, apples, pears, plums, walnuts and hazelnuts.
History
Honouring our history
The Barn Museum is a window into the farming heritage upon which Lightwater Cove is founded, collecting the artifacts of early agriculture on Salt Spring Island: butter churns, pitchforks, harnesses, plows and more.
The first families who lived in Lightwater Cove came here 150 years ago from other islands—Indigenous peoples from Vancouver Island, native Hawaiians, and former residents of the Greek Isles. Their skills as boatbuilders, fishers and farmers birthed a unique culture in a wild and bountiful landscape.
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Slide image has been changed.Local and Delicious
Greens & Veggies
Market garden produce on Lightwater Farm varies year-to-year: in a given season, the fresh bounty runs from cucumbers, basil, tomatoes and garlic to potatoes, kale, beets and butternut squash. Multiple varieties of lettuce and other leafy greens grow year-round in our 1,800-square-foot glass greenhouse.
Our farmers take mindful care of the land through crop rotation, companion plantings, and other organic methods. Adding in local soil amendments—such as the seaweed that washes ashore on our beach—ensures sustainability and a terroir unique to Lightwater Farm.
A delight to the senses
Flowers & herbs
Lightwater Farm produces a dazzling variety of flowers as well as organic herbs, both culinary and medicinal. In spring and summer the land blooms with vivid colours and delightful scents—daffodils to dahlias, poppies to peonies.
Some of the delicious culinary herbs we grow are parsley, cilantro, basil and thyme. Medicinal herbs for promoting wellness include valerian, echinacea and lavender.
Fresh and sweet
Berries & Fruit
Heritage orchards make up several acres at Lightwater Cove, many planted by early settlers over a century ago. These offer delightful spots for picnics and an abundance of fruit during harvest season. The eighty-plus Ruckle, Pippin and Baldwin apple trees on the land were historically used for making cider, a tradition we carry on in our relationship to the local cidery.
In addition to apples, the farm has over thirty other fruit and nut trees, bringing a wealth of pears, plums, almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts every year. Strawberries and blueberries also flourish in our berry gardens.
