A Family Business that Sources Direct from A World of Family Farms, on Cortes Island
In order to be with their children and make a decent living on Cortes Island, Lovena Harvey and her husband Ryan founded Gathering Place Trading in 2003. As small-scale organic farmers they wondered how they would make a living, but that all changed after a trip to South Africa. They met a local Rooibos farmer and had a fortuitous exchange, trading their camper van for a ton of organic Rooibos tea. Fast-forward to today, and Gathering Place Trading has increased their product line to include organic spices, culinary herbs, vanilla, coconut, and dried fruits, all directly sourced from values-based family or cooperative farmers around the world, as well as Canadian organic growers.
Entrepreneurial / Project Outlook:
- Products are now available in 100 retail stores across Canada
- Credits relationships with values based farmers to cultivate an exceptional line of organic, and fairly traded products
- Employs six people and continues to bring in foods based on their motto: “We only bring in foods that we want to feed to our family.”
