Agriculture & Food

The Pemberton area has a rich and diverse history of agriculture and farming practices that continue today.

The valley was logged and cleared by early settlers starting in the 1900’s.

Today, Pemberton and Area supports fruit, vegetable and beef farming but is best known for it’s ‘Seed Potato’ production which reaches markets in the lower mainland and from California, to Minnesota and beyond. Organic farming practices are on the increasingly being adopted while crop diversity has expanded with the development of cranberries, hazelnut and garlic operations. Several breeding and training equine operations have located in the Valley over the last several years, with an emphasis on English riding although there are also a number of “Dude” riding outfits. The Lillooet Lake Rodeo is a Mount Currie highlight and brings many first nations and no first nations rodeo riders from around western North America to compete on the May Long weekend.

A Shift Towards Local Farming Production

A shift in social conscious regarding farming production and practices has emphasized consumption via shorter distances to available markets and ‘organic’ food products. Environmental and quality issues (carbon footprint, energy production costs and ‘organic’ practices) are driving restaurants, local markets and large food retailers to search out ‘clean, fresh and vibrant’ products like those grown in the Pemberton valley.

The local Community Garden is in the heart of the village beside Pemberton Creek and oriented to the ‘growing family”. There are many farm stands from the upper Meadows through to D’Arcy offer reputable, fresh produce and maintain a vital connection to local and regional customers.

Agricultural Production