Saturday Farmers’ Market Vendor Feature: Baker Breeze Farm

This week we are featuring a second-year vendor at our market, Baker Breeze Farm! As a family-run farm with the motto of ” if it is good for our family it is good for everyone”, Baker Breeze strives to provide fresh produce without using any chemical fertilizers or pesticides. We recently had the pleasure of chatting with co-owner, Maria Molnar, to find out more.

How long has Baker Breeze Farm been around? How did you get started?

12 years ago, Randy (my husband) started searching for ancient varieties of heirloom tomatoes. Once he found the perfect flavours, he began growing those varieties, saving the seeds of the best.

Having always been an advocate of growing naturally, he took it to the next step. As people with sensitivities to chemicals approached him, he thought of extending his arm to the community via farmer’s markets and restaurants. He has always believed, “If It’s good for our family, it’s good for everyone”.

What are the three most important things you think people should know about Baker Breeze Farm?

• First and for most, we are a family farm, with all our kids involved as well as grandkids.
• We are trying to impress upon people that they need to get to know their farmers and their farms.
• Growing healthy clean food is our goal.

Why do you specifically grow heirloom tomatoes?

We grow heirloom because we want people to understand what tomatoes started as! And flavour is of utmost importance.

What are some ways you keep your carbon footprint low as a farm?

We produce our own soils and worm castings, with limited in put of other organic souls if needed. We use no chemical or petroleum based fertilizers.

You mention growing naturally, what farming practices do you implement to avoid the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides?

We use only certified organic fertilizers, we weed by hand all our crops, as well we use beneficial bugs to battle pests. Both of those practices are expensive but essential to us.

Why did you choose to come to the UBC Saturday Market specifically?

Actually we were contacted and asked to attend UBC, but we felt we would fit in well with the farm’s outlook.

If you could only eat one thing from your farm for the rest of your life what would it be?

If I could eat only one thing from our farm it would be TOMATOES!

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