Curly Willow Farm
Three certified organic acres in Grindrod, worked mostly single-handed for decades.
About Curly Willow Farm
Curly Willow Farm is a small certified organic mixed fruit and vegetable farm on Thompkinson Road in Grindrod, certified through the North Okanagan Organic Association.
When Doug Saba started Curly Willow Farm he worked roughly three acres largely single-handed, using vintage 1950s horse-drawn equipment rather than tractors, and hosted one trainee at a time. Now, after decades of farming, he no longer keeps horses. He still works mostly single-handed, and uses a tractor sparingly.
He is known locally for his strawberries. He chooses varieties for flavour first and for how well they actually perform in this climate, which is not always the same thing as what grows biggest. He also teaches local gardening clubs about growing food crops.
The farm grows mixed produce, strawberries and garlic, including garlic braids. Strawberries are what Nature Delivered stocks, by the pint in season and as an eight pound flat by preorder for anyone putting up jam or freezing a summer's worth.
Cathy Stubington of Runaway Moon Theatre lives on the farm, which has hosted community theatre and puppetry.
Why we work with them
The strawberries are the thing. Doug picks varieties for flavour and for how they do in this valley rather than for whatever yields biggest, and that is what he is known for around here.
There are not many farms still worked this way anywhere. When his berries are ready we take what we can get, and the eight pound flat is there for anyone making a year's worth of jam in one afternoon.
