Our Story
The little farm with a big heart
We are bee-friendly growers, which means that we do not use Neonicotinoids on our crops. We grow for garden centres and cities all over the island, and we now offer retail sales on our property so you too can take home our plants, baskets, and veggie starters!
Not Your Average Farm
Here at Superior Farms, we’re a multifaceted destination offering a plethora of experiences for all ages and interests. From our renowned children’s programs like Summer Farm Camp and Workshops to year-round educational opportunities, events, and entertainment, there’s always something happening on our 55-acre farm just north of Nanaimo.
As both growers and retailers, we pride ourselves on being involved in every step of the process. With over 2 acres of growing space at our disposal, we cater to garden centers across Vancouver Island, collaborate with landscapers, and undertake custom and contract growing for municipalities. Our dedication to quality shines through in the hundreds of thousands of plants we nurture each year.
But that’s not all – our farm is a hub of activity beyond just horticulture. Join us for lively events like Concerts and Ladies Nights, or explore our retail store, a treasure trove showcasing local vendors and offering everything from adorable planters to garden tools and décor. Don’t miss out on the chance to visit our mini animal petting farm, adding a touch of charm to your visit.
So whether you’re stocking up on hanging baskets, veggie starters, perennials, or bedding plants, or simply seeking a delightful day out surrounded by nature and community, Superior Farms has something special in store for you. Come and experience the magic for yourself!
We Are
Neonic-Free
The Hum of the Bees is the Soundtrack of the Garden
We are proud NEONIC-FREE growers which means that we do not use the harmful pesticide that has been linked to Colony Collapse Disorder in the bee population.
We Are
Responsible
More and more, businesses are being pressured to employ environmentally responsible options in their day to day operations. We take this concern seriously, which is why we are constantly looking for ways to have as little impact on our environment as possible.
Always
Improving
We watch what’s trending in terms of which plants require less water and attract *the good* insects. Plants that are heat tolerant, deer resistant, attract butterflies and bees, all score big with us. We improve our practices where we can, and operate in a way that leaves the smallest environmental impact.
We Are
Hands On
We are fortunate to be on our own well system that provides us with great pressure, fantastic tasting, clear, unchlorinated water. We prefer to hand water our plants versus employing a mechanized watering system. We find that we waste much less water through run-off and are able to provide more personalized attention to our plants.
Watering
Greenhouse operations are heavily dependent on irrigation water. In many cases, municipal water is very expensive and contains Chlorine and other chemicals which is not beneficial to the crops. In the summer time, the municipal water can also be too warm for some crops affecting plants to wilt or cause deceases from warm water in the root zone.
Reduce - Reuse - Recycle
We employ the reduce, reuse, recycle mantra wherever we can and whenever possible. Used poly from our greenhouses is used to insulate outbuildings, pots can be reused using a homemade bleach cleanser, we reuse trays that our plugs come in to plant our seeds, and all of our cardboard is recycled.
The Role of Natural Gas
We use high efficiency Viessmann boilers on Natural Gas to heat our greenhouses. We service them annually to ensure that they are operating at optimum performance. These boilers operate at a 97-98% efficiency rating.
Transporting Goods
We seed a number of our plants ourselves, but it is not always cost effective to do so depending on the finish time of the plant. When we don’t do it ourselves, we look for options that will bring the cuttings and plugs to us using the most direct route possible, in order to reduce emissions caused by transportation.
When we send trucks for delivery, we plan our routes so that we are delivering full cube vans of inventory, and when orders don’t require full trucks, we use a trailer towed behind a half-tonne truck in order to reduce emissions.
What about the Neonictinoids?
In the late 1990s, Neonicotinoids came under increasing scrutiny over their environmental impacts. Neonicotinoid use was linked in a range of studies to adverse ecological effects, including honey-bee colony collapse disorder (CCD) and loss of birds due to a reduction in insect populations. In 2013, the European Union and a few non EU countries restricted the use of certain neonicotinoids
(source: Wikipedia)
Neonics are still widely used in our industry because it’s a cheap, easy way to prevent insect damage to greenhouse crops. At Superior Farms, WE DO NOT USE Neonics. A significant portion of our property contains marshland that we provide to Ducks Unlimited, so it was important for us to do what we could to maintain the health of our bird population, and any of the insects that they might feed on. Read on for further information: Neonic Harms More Than Just The Bees
We do like to employ the use of ladybugs in our pest prevention program. Read more about the helpful little guys here: Natural Insect Control