The farm Varalaya is 4-melded ancient Sanskrit words of some of the 1st elemental words humans probably spoke: Water, Fire, Earth, and Air. Ron’s 35 years of local and international food system developments, as a producer, processor, storefront and mobile market retailer, wholesaler, fair trade export developer and importer, have led him to experience and develop the virtues of radical simplicities – exemplified in the farm’s permaculture and natural law designs.
Nikki has 25 years experience with livestock and organic market farming and community gardens. She helped pioneer Interior sheep grazing in clear-cut and reforested areas, food survival gardening with street involved people, and the ‘growing out’ to the wider public of native sovereignty issues in the 70’s and 80’s.
Their 4-acre market garden area is mostly year round cropped with easy to ship lightweight premium price salad mix and seasonal field produce as well as tree and bush fruits for the local farmers market. This area was domesticated since 1982 from the surrounding diversely forested 24 acres from which furniture & dimension timber, floral & medicinal products are sustainable harvested.
Mayne Island, BC (64 km from Vancouver warehouse)