Has anyone else noticed that it’s been a phenomenal year for growth? I mean the leafy green kind. On one of my many trips to the green waste collection site on Henry Road, I decided to check out Gramma’s Eco Farm, thinking it was about time. I had stopped at Henry Reed farm for their fabulous vegetables a number of times ever since I discovered it in about 2014, and I had watched Gramma’s Farm take shape since it first showed signs of conception in about 2021.
The first thing that I noticed was that there were no employees in the store to watch over things and take my money. The honour system seemed to be alive and well here as elsewhere along Reed Road, but I was curious, so I ventured further to see who or what I could find. I called out to a man who was building the enormous barn at the back of the property, and no, he was not the owner, but he gave me the name of that man. I went back to the store, and still no employee, so I wrote a note with my number to said owner, Chris Danroth, left it by the electronic debit/credit card reader and left. Mr. Danroth texted back and agreed to an interview the next day.
It tuns out that Gramma’s Eco Farm is related to Gramma’s Pub, a well-known watering hole in Gibsons that has been a fixture there since the 1980s. It was owned by Chris for 40 years and is now owned and run by his two sons.
Chris was born in Roberts Creek in 1946 to a family of homesteaders who came to the Sunshine Coast in the early 1900s. His grandfather cleared and farmed the 160 acres that the government of the day saw fit to allot to settlers willing to do the work of developing it as farmland. Chris remembers his grandfather going up to Sechelt and down to Gibsons in a horse and buggy to sell his produce to other settlers and trade with the shíshálh First Nation for fish.
Chris dreamed bigger than farming and went to work as a logger, eventually owning his own company. At one point he had 11 small aircraft that supported his operations. But his agricultural roots took hold of his ambitions and he bought the five acres that he is now transforming into Gramma’s Eco Farm. He has cleared it and ditched the perimeter, bringing in tons of clean aggregate to level the swampy areas in order to plant an orchard and build a very large greenhouse. He also raises free-range pigs and chickens and sells the meat and eggs in the store.
Chris’s wife and sister-in-law take care of the growing, harvesting and selling the produce as well as making the wonderful selection of jams and homemade soaps. They also create a variety of freshly baked goods that can be enjoyed with a delicious cup of coffee or tea. The only thing is you might have to serve yourself. Chris says people mostly pay the prices listed, but there is an occasional rip off. He and his wife are too busy to police the store so he absorbs the loss and maintains his faith in people’s basic honesty.
I find it very encouraging to meet a man of a certain age, so down to Earth still dreaming big and trusting others to respect his efforts. He has written a book about his life and is hoping to have it published, when he has the time.
I hope to write more about the two other farms on Henry Road in the coming weeks. I hope more Elphinstonians will discover these local treasures and support farmers who provide an alternative to imported supermarket food. The superior taste and nutritive value cannot be compared.
