Fifteen years after coming to the Cowichan Valley and ten years after opening Canada's first Farm to Table cooking school, Mara Jernigan will be cooking and teaching for her last summer season at Fairburn Farm.
Jernigan, whose early training in Europe left her inspired by the notion of agritourism, chose the Cowichan Valley to settle with her young family. They started a small vineyard, market garden and cooking school called Engeler Farm in 1996. A marriage break-up in 2005 saw Mara move her operation to one of the Cowichan Valley's most historic agricultural properties and take over the guesthouse operation at Darrel and Anthea Archer's Fairburn Farm.
Since moving to the Cowichan Valley, Mara has raised livestock, participated in farmers markets, conducted farm tours in conjunction with a luxury resort, and held asparagus, stinging nettle, composting and even batwatching events. She has hosted school children, youth groups, activists, fellow chefs and culinary students, universities, organic leaders and over a hundred Wwoofers (Willing workers on organic farms) from around the world. Mara founded and organized Vancouver Islands premiere food event, FarmFolk/CityFolks Feast of Fields for ten years, she co-founded the Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands Slow Food convivium with Sooke Harbour House's Sinclair Philip and is the current Canadian President of Slow Food. For the last ten years she has taught hundreds of people basic techniques and the value of cooking with local seasonal ingredients in her hands-on field to table cooking classes. This was recognized in the recent EAT magazine readers awards where she won Gold as Food Educator of the Year. Her concern for the preservation of agricultural land has extended into the community where she has been active with many boards and organizations as well as the recent Cittaslow designation to be awarded to Cowichan Bay, the first in North America.
"I always had the dream to run a small inn on a farm, to raise my son while working and cooking at home. I love the Cowichan Valley and I have done many of the things I wanted to do here. This year my son Julian turns 19 and will finish culinary school and I am ready for a change," states Jernigan.
Mara plans to continue offering her annual culinary tours in Italy and is currently working out the details of a spectacular location to hold her acclaimed culinary bootcamps in 2011. She is also hoping to take a sabbatical year to live, travel and study languages in Europe. For her last year at Fairburn Farm, Mara has several special events planned, including a stinging nettle festival in conjunction with Slow Food on April 18th and a very special dinner with friend and mentor, chef Michael Stadtlander in September.
"I have really loved living and cooking at Fairburn Farm and I feel very grateful towards the Archer family for letting me develop my culinary concept in such a special environment. She states. I am going to make the most of my last year in this beautiful place. I have have had great staff to help me and we have had so many wonderful guests for our Sunday lunches, our cooking classes, and in the guesthouse and I look forward to sharing my last summer with them."
The Archer's daughter Maryann, who returned in 2008 to work with the water buffalo, will be taking over the accommodations from Jernigan and will be reopening as a Bed & breakfast in 2011. As the third generation operator of the farmhouse, she looks forward to reconnecting with the community and inviting individuals, couples, and families to experience the natural beauty and peace that the farm offers.
For more information contact Mara at 250 746-4637
mara@fairburnfarm.bc.ca
