Find out what makes Abbotsford the agricultural hub of Canada! Abbotsford farms and agri-businesses generate $3.83 billion in economic activity for our city and support 23% of all jobs in Abbotsford. The theme of this years tour is Sustainable Agriculture! Minister of Agriculture, Pam Alexis, will be providing remarks during lunch. 

The Chambers Annual Agriculture Bus Tour will be taking place on Friday, June 14 2024 from 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM. 

Stops on this years tour:

Fraser Valley Gleaners

“At Fraser Valley Gleaners we take donated surplus and non marketable vegetables and with the help of our amazing volunteers turn it into a dehydrated vegetable soup mix which is given away to partner organizations to distribute to hungry people around the world. On weekday mornings, volunteers from many walks of life give of their time and energy to sort and process the vegetables. The produce is chopped and diced, then spread on trays.  The trays are placed in racks and the racks wheeled into our industrial-size drying units.  Drying times are between 8-10 hours. The dried product is then removed from the trays and stored in barrels.  Once we have an entire season’s worth of dried items for our soup mix, the mixing lines are set up and several of the winter months are devoted to transforming individual barrels of vegetables into a versatile just-add-water soup mix.”

Campbell’s Gold Honey Farm & Meadery

“When owners, Mike and Judy Campbell, entered retirement in the early 2000’s, they decided to follow their passion for bees and turn a decades-long hobby interest, into an agri-tourism business. With a love of learning and deep respect for the nuanced balances in the environment around them, both Mike and Judy pursued certification through a Master Beekeepers course. The experience and knowledge they have accrued has resulted in a thriving business today –Campbell’s Gold Honey Farm & Meadery, which provides premium honey wine, honey and beehive products, as well as education to their community, and greater biodiversity in support of a healthy local environment. “

Fraser Valley Biogas

“The Fraser Valley Biogas facility collects a variety of wastes, such as dairy manures, food processor wastes, grease trap material (alleviates pressure from local waste water treatment plants) and more.  The material generates biogas in an anaerobic environment, which we collect and refine into natural gas. The finished product is then injected directly into FortisBC’s grid.  The remaining slurry is then land applied on local farms as a nutrient-rich fertilizer (reducing or removing the need to apply chemical fertilizers.

Fun Fact: Fraser Valley Biogas was the first agricultural digester to produce renewable natural gas in Canada.”

Maan Farms

“Since 1977, Maan Farms has a proud tradition of providing high-quality, sustainable local produce to the community of the Lower Mainland as a leader and innovator in their field. Utilizing high-tunnel and greenhouse technology, Maan Farms is always expanding and looking for new ways to improve the use of the land they have been blessed with.“