About Us Deacon Vale Farm is a small family run farm on Mayne Island, British Columbia. Since 1995, the farm has been owned and operated by two families — the Abbotts and the McDougalls. The valley itself has a long farming history dating back to 1870 when a Prussian immigrant named Jacob Heck successfully worked the land. His approach to farming was to not concentrate on single crops but rather use a more healthy mixed crop rotation.

Today, Don McDougall and his wife Shanti manage the day-to-day activities on the farm. Don is a chef who trained at London's distinguished Dorchester Hotel. After working at several hotels and restaurants around the world, Don and Shanti opened a tiny but critically acclaimed bistro in Vancouver - the Mocha Café. The Café served up an eclectic "Pacific Coast" menu featuring locally grown produce, wines, and perhaps the best muffins in Vancouver! After five successful years, the couple decided to sell the restaurant and move to a rural setting. Shanti has been planting and growing exceptional gardens most of her life. What she has created in seven years at Deacon Vale Farm is extraordinary!

Deacon Vale is proud to be a certified organic farm with Island Organic Producers Association. We believe in nurturing the land which produces our food. Our animals are cared for in a humane way and in return provide us high quality meat and compost for the health of the soil. We maintain a "closed cycle" at our farm. The farm produces the amendments necessary to maintain soil fertility. 

Have you ever had the divine pleasure of eating a sun-warmed tomato fresh off the vine? Unfortunately, the opportunities to buy fresh produce are dwindling. Vancouver Island imports 90% of its produce. Most of this food has travelled thousands of miles and has been grown in a manner that stresses shelf life rather than flavour. All of our produce is sold locally. Last year a small group in our community started a Farmers Market and it was an immediate success! 

Although we would never give up olive oil, we encourage everyone to support local farmers and try growing some of their own vegetables. After all, gardeners are "superb artisans whose fruits and vegetables are the essence of quality cooking".

Deacon Vale Farm
380 Campbell Bay Road
Mayne Island, B.C. VON 2J0

(250) 539-5456
email: dvf@gulfislands.com