1252 Indian RD, Creston BC • 1-250-428-2734
Sutcliffe Farms is the largest Asparagus producer in British Columbia, Canada. Our asparagus brand is called "Kootenay Green" and we harvest over 100 acres of asparagus a year. Each piece is hand-picked ensuring the highest quality spear each and every time.
The farm soil type is classified as silty loam and the farm itself is situated on a rich, fertile, alluvial flood plain. Our asparagus is sub-irrigated by the Kootenay River located adjacent to our farm. Most asparagus is grown in well irrigated, sandy soil where nutrients are added yearly. However, our unique conditions produce a perfect asparagus spear using the natural native minerals to create a flavourful taste like no other.
Sutcliffe Farms was established in the 1950's and has produced asparagus in addition to other vegetables and field crops. During our 50 years of asparagus production we have been fortunate to establish a large network of people who enjoy our product. In fact, we sell half our yield at the farm gate. Call ahead to place your order to ensure availability. If you have further interest in seeing just how our farm operates, then please call 250.428.2734 to arrange a personalized tour. We are also Food Safe Canada GAP Certified.
OUR RETAIL OUTLET
Our retail outlet will look very different this year. We encourage you to utilize our new curbside pick up and local delivery services. You will need to call in advance to prearrange payment, and a pickup and or delivery time. Please call the Farm at 250.428.2734 at least one day in advance to make your arrangements. Our retail hours are 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM seven days a week. If you arrive in person at the farm to purchase asparagus, please be advised there will only be one person at a time allowed in the retail area. The markers on the entrance ramp will give you social distancing parameters. You will be required to enter by the ramp and exit by the stairs. There will be plexiglass shields for our retail staff and plexiglass shields to protect our product. We will continue to accept cash, debit card and credit card payments.
EMPLOYEES
We have been receiving applications for employment since the beginning of January and are now compiling our crew lists.
We are making changes to our regular protocol, but it is necessary to implement these for the health and safety of our employees, many who have been with us for many years and have become our family. As a condition of employment, our employees have committed to a voluntary fourteen day self-isolation in our camp prior to the beginning of the season. We sincerely appreciate their commitment to everyone’s health and well being.
We are so grateful for our friends who are making cloth masks for all our employees. Our heartfelt thanks go out to each of you.
We look forward to seeing and speaking with you this season from an ‘appropriate’ social distance. THANKS once again for your continued support. We sincerely appreciate the ways in which all people from our broad community come together in good times and and in times of uncertainty.
STAY SAFE and STAY HEALTHY
with our thanks
Doug and Dianne Sutcliffe
Picking asparagus is the only time you get to lay down on the job. Each of our eight tractors pulls a low rise picking platform. Each of these platforms utilizes 5 pickers who lay on their stomachs just one foot above the ground. The pickers snap off the asparagus spears at ground level and then transfer the spears into lugs beside them. We also have a mechanized grading line and a large sorting crew. The asparagus season lasts approximately 6 weeks.
Asparagus is a seasonal crop which traditionally starts the last week of April and extends through the middle of June. Asparagus grows depending on ground temperature, and can grow as much as 1 inch per hour. During ideal growing conditions, when the day and overnight temperatures do not fluctuate too much, the fields may need to be picked at least twice a day.
There is free onsite accommodation available to all employees. There is a 36 person co-ed, bunk house, as well as extensive kitchen facilities, washing machines, bathrooms, showers, picnic tables, a fire pit, dry camping facilities and a rec room. There is high speed Internet and satellite TV.
