News and event information for Williams Lake, BC - as it happens.

By LeRae Haynes

Mackin Creek Farm, approximately 45km north of Williams Lake, is a certified organic supplier of vegetables, garlic, berries and herbs, and the source of weekly boxes of fresh, in-season delicacies for their customers.

Farm owners Cathie Allen, Rob Borsato and their son, Joe run the farm which includes managing greenhouses and gardens, pumping water from the creek, raising pigs, chickens and ducks and using horses for some of the gardening chores.

Mackin Creek Farm began selling a ‘Box-A-Week’ of in-season organic produce in 1995, started a local organic group with others in the area in the early 1990s, and has been certified organic since then. 

“We raise the pigs for five other families besides ourselves, and one for a sausage pig, which we make in the winter together with the others. We raise some meat birds for ourselves and a few customers and family and sell our eggs at the market,” Cathie explained. “None of these are certified organic as the cost of feed is prohibitive on such a small scale. The animals are part of the garden rotation by supplying us with some nitrogen.” 

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She said that they were very affected by the fires. “One box delivery had to be cancelled and luckily we did not miss a market, thanks to a fellow who was driving out and took our truck to Quesnel where family ran the booth for the day,” she continued. “Had we not been able to do this there would have been a lot of waste from the garden. We felt somewhat like criminals by staying in during the evacuations, but given the circumstances, had we left, our garden and our livelihood, would have been ruined by pigs, hot weather and neglect. 

“We took a chance staying in, but I believe we and our other neighbours who chose to stay in were making good decisions together based on what knowledge we could get,” she said. “The rumours were scary and caused much stress to us all. Had there been good information these decisions could have been made quicker and with much less stress.” 

With the cooler temperatures and rain, life continues smoothly on the farm and customers receive their dependable boxes of fresh, flavourful, local produce.

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