Glade Mountain Farm

Glade Mountain Farm is nestled in the woods located on a plateau 500 feet above the Kootenay River halfway between Castlegar and Nelson. With an intimate knowledge of their micro-climate, soil conditions and crop needs, Park Cowin and Noel Rheault produce tomatoes, long english cucumbers and basil in intensive hoop house production that rival the best from the hot Okanagan. Outside the hoop houses they raise herbs which are harvested, chopped and frozen in order to supply the local tofu maker with herbs year round. They also produce a large range of fruits and vegetables for their own consumption. They have an extremely functional cold storage built into the basement of the farm house from which they can access well preserved carrots, potatoes and other storage crops well into spring.

Ingenuity is second nature at Glade Mountain Farm, partly due to the natural inclination of those who live there as well as the physical isolation of the farm.

During the KOGS 2002 field day Noel in front of tool shed with lots of farmers at Glade Mountain many participants were inspired by both the gravity feed compost tea set up as well as the ingenious and simple lever system devised to enable one person to easily raise and lower the plastic at the side of the hoop houses when added ventilation is desired.

Despite the fact that the site is only accessible by foot or snow mobile for many months of the year, this diversified farm produces year round for a well-established local market. Their secret to obtaining farm income through the long Kootenay winters is to grow specialty sprouts or shoots. From their own fresh basil, they also produce a basil concentrate which has been a favourite with many cooks in the area for years.

Glade Mountain Farm supplies restaurants and retail outlets in the West Kootenays with a year round supply of daikon and sunflower sprouts, and pea shoots. Glade Mountain Farm products can be found in Nelson at the Kootenay Co-op, Ellisons, Overwaitea and many fine restaurants.