As artist Barb Pearson strides energetically through the orchard at Sage and Solace Farm, she explains how leaving the city has been good for her health, and for the health of visitors,who come to the 20-acre Aldergrove farm to stay at the bed and breakfast, or for events like Christmas wreath making classes, yoga courses, dried flower arranging and watercolour classes.

In 2018, Barb and her husband Karl, a contractor, moved from a condominium in downtown Vancouver to the property at 2768 256th St., in a bid to improve her health.

鈥淚 had severe digestive issues, gut issues, both Celiac and Crohn鈥檚 disease, and was very ill,鈥� Barb recalled.

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 get better, no matter what I ate. And so, when I moved here and started growing my own food, the absolute cardinal rule that we had was no pesticides, no herbicides, no nothing,鈥� she explained.

When they purchased the property, Barb estimates it had only 15 trees on it.

鈥淢y son told me that we had purchased a nuclear waste area,鈥� she recalled.

Neglected for many years after the original owner passed away, it took a 鈥渕assive effort鈥� to restore the site, beginning with the orchard.

鈥淲e put in the fruit trees first, and when we put them in, they were only four feet high. After a few years, we put in nut trees, we put in bushes of all kinds, different varieties of berries.鈥�

They also grow beets, squash, and tomatoes.

Then, Barb and Karl built a new home on the site, which includes two bed-and-breakfast suites.

鈥淚 meet the most amazing people,鈥� Barb remarked on opening up their farm to the public.

Recently, Rachel and Josh Malowany, who live about 11 minutes away in nearby Otter, treated themselves to a stay at the bed and breakfast. They have been witnesses to the changes at the farm, and were impressed with the transformation.

During their stay, the couple took their coffee out to a wooden bench and table on the front lawn overlooking the orchard, where they were met by a quartet of friendly Sebastopol geese, squawking their greetings.

鈥淪ome people are like, why would you book a place that鈥檚 such a short drive from home?鈥� Rachel shared, explaining the Tuscan-style outdoor ambience drew them.

鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 feel like I鈥檓 close to home,鈥� she said.

Josh agreed, saying 鈥淚 just like the diversity and the random animals that are around the area. It鈥檚 awesome.鈥�

Sage and Solace is also home to chickens, goats, and ducks.

Barb explained the sociable Sebastopols are a near-extinct type that was bred in England, 鈥渕any, many hundreds of years ago,鈥� but have gone out of vogue.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e very friendly, so that means that they are very interested in our guests and they follow them around.鈥�

Sage and Solace also hosts weddings, like that of Aylana Tam and Skylar Bartel, who were looking to have the big ceremony they were denied during COVID 鈥� when restrictions meant they could only have a small number of guests.

In March of 2020, friends livestreamed their Abbotsford nuptials, staying in cars outside the church, and honking their horns after the couple said their 鈥淚 dos.鈥�

鈥�,鈥� Tam recalled.

鈥淲e actually made the news,鈥� Tam recalled. But it was not the wedding she鈥檇 dreamed of.

鈥淚 never got to do our first dance. I never got to dance with my dad,鈥� Tam recalled.

At Sage and Solace, they did.

Aylana and Barb made such a good impression on each other when the bride-to-be visited, that Aylana now works at the farm.

For Barb, who reports her health is much improved, the farm remains a work in progress.

鈥淢y friends from Vancouver would come over and go, 鈥榯his has become your canvas鈥� and that鈥檚 exactly what it feels like. But a canvas on a very big scale.鈥�

For all that it offers, she said the farm is 鈥渘ot there yet, but getting close.鈥�

During summer months, the farm garden hosts 鈥淕olden Hour Flower Foraging鈥� a u-pick opportunity timed for the prettiest time of day, just before sunset.

鈥淵ou have to see it,鈥� she tells a visitor.

鈥淓very night, I get goosebumps. Honestly, it lights up. All the flowers turn gold, all these gardens are gold, the barn turns gold. Oh, it鈥檚 brilliant.鈥�

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