Harry Yee’s family roots run eight decades deep at Sun Tai Sang farm in South Burnaby. His grandfather started working the land in 1935 and delivered produce to Chinatown by horse and buggy. Then trucks replaced horses, and Yee remembers his family working the fields late into the night, illuminated only by the headlights.

“Sometimes you’d have to drive the truck out there for harvesting so you could see the light,” he says.

article continues below

Yee and his brother eventually took over five-acre plot of land, and these days they sell directly to the public. Word-of-mouth buzz brings them a steady stream of customers.

The farm is roughly two-thirds food and one-third flowers and bedding plants. Yee grows a lot of leafy greens, especially Chinese produce, like bok choy, sui choy, baby bak-choi, yu choy and gai lan, bitter and fuzzy melons, cilantro, parsley and arugula. There are also impatiens, marigolds, begonias ornamental grasses and succulents.

The Yee family farm is one of nine participating local farms in a new self-guided tour organized by Burnaby Food First. The food security group created a map featuring farms and nurseries in Burnaby’s Big Bend area, and Tourism Burnaby is helping spread the word. According to the Burnaby Food First, there are 43 farms operating in city limits, second in produce volume only to Delta and Surrey.

Jennifer Lee, a volunteer with Burnaby Food First, said the farm tour idea came from Big Bend residents hoping to highlight changes in the area.

“I think it just comes down to showcasing access to local, healthy foods. In our minds, the less it travels, the healthier it is,” she said. “It’s really about getting people to eat healthier.”

Local produce doesn’t have to be shipped and stored in warehouses, as is the case with Yee’s produce. He harvests in small batches to keep his shelves stocked and cuts more when need be.

But it’s also about supporting local farmers, Lee explains.

“If it’s available locally, we should be investing as a community in the local farms,” she said. “If we don’t support our local farmers, who’s going to be there to do this as a job,” she asked.

To take the tour, download a pamphlet at bit.ly/BurnabyFarmTou r or keep your eyes peeled for copies at local libraries and the farmers’ market.

Participating farms:

GardenWorks at Mandeville Sun Tsai Sang Farm Wing Wong’s Nursery Hop on Farms Burnaby and Region Allotment Gardens Leong’s Nursery It’s About Thyme Nursery Urban Digs Farm Common Ground Community Farms

To suggest more locations for the tour, email burnabyfoodfirst@gmail.com.