📸: Sandown Centre for Regenerative Agriculture / Facebook

The South Island has it all when it comes to agriculture: berries, craft beer, gardening, lavender harvesting, and sheep shearing.

And there’s no better way to experience all of that than at the North Saanich Flavour Trails Festival this weekend.

In partnership with the District of North Saanich and Destination Greater Victoria, the North Saanich Flavour Trails Festival is a weekend-long festival celebrating the farming, fishing, brewing, distilling, and cider-making that makes this rural community so unique.

And you can enjoy it in a few different ways.

Get a taste of North Saanich’s farms, producers, and small businesses by exploring the trail with a self-guided tour that takes you across the region. Take this route and you’ll visit a variety of places, including Island Lavender, Pasture Perfect Lamb & Country Wool, The Roost Winery, Bakery, & Bistro, and a ton more great local businesses.

If you prefer the frenetic energy of a farmers market, make sure you check out the Saturday and Sunday markets at the sprawling 83 acres of farmland at the Sandown Centre for Regenerative Agriculture.

On Saturday, Aug. 19, from 4 to 8pm, the Sandown Farm Market will have a bunch of fun, including a sheep shearing demo at 4pm and zucchini racing at 4:30pm.

On Sunday, from 11am to 2pm, take a tour at the top of every hour and learn more about the Sandown Centre and its regenerative agricultural practices. Plus, there’s even more zucchini racing at 11:30am!

If you’re interested in learning more about sustainable local food systems and practices with the awesome local producers and farmers who steward them, this is the place for you.

It’s summer, so get out there and enjoy it in the country!

North Saanich Flavour Trails Festival

Where: Sandown Centre at 1810 Glamorgan Rd., North Saanich, BC
When: Friday, Aug. 18 to Sunday, Aug. 20