A Legacy Preserved
At Saunders Family Farm we still make our jams in the same old-fashioned way. The jam is kettle cooked in small batches, in our federally regulated facility located in Invermere, British Columbia.
It all started with a simple patch of strawberries.
In 2012, when Faith Saunders retired, after 21 years with the school board, she decided to use the strawberries growing on her family’s hobby farm, in Windermere, British Columbia, Canada to make bottles of sweet strawberry jam.
Four rows of strawberries would change the course of our lives…
Soon Faith had a small stall at the local farmer’s market. Tourists who bought the jam wanted to know if they could buy more online.
For the Christmas market she developed Raspberry Pepper Jelly. Santa Claus stuffed stockings to the brim, with this savoury surprise. Recipients wanted more.
Saunders Family Farm Goes Retail
Then in 2014, with an online store, and even more varieties of jams (Strawberry/Rhubarb, Strawberry, Raspberry, Saskatoon Berry, Peach) and spicy jellies (Raspberry Pepper, Cranberry Jalapeño, Blackberry Pepper, Pineapple Jalapeño, Spicy Sour Cherry). By 2015, Sobey’s/Safeway took Saunders Family Farm jams and jellies across western Canada. Currently, our products can be found in Sobey’s/Safeway, Save On Foods, Federated Co-Op, Calgary Co-Op, Loblaw’s, Hickory Farms and will be continuing to appear in various other gourmet retailers across the country.
See other retailers that carry our products.
The Beginnings of our Farm by Tanner Saunders
Our farming history for my family began in 1851, when Henry Taylor, our ancestor, made the decision to become a farmer. Following in his footsteps, his son, Jacob Taylor, took over the family business. Then, in 1908, Jacob’s son, Jim Taylor (my great-grandfather), started his farming career. This consisted of grain farming, as well as fruits and vegetables in the Columbia Valley, British Columbia. This is where my family’s farm, Saunders Family Farm is located today.
Great-Grandpa Jim handed down the knowledge of farming to his son, my Grandpa Joe Taylor. He married my Grandma Sanda. In 1953, the couple established Winderberry Farms in Windermere, British Columbia where they raised two children Faith (my mom) and Rodney (my uncle). My grandparents provided a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables to the Columbia valley for many years.
My mom Faith, and dad Gordon Saunders continued the family tradition by establishing their own farm in 1986. They named their fruit and vegetable farm Win-Valley Gardens.
In 2001, we started another farm on the same land called Saunders Family Farm. Since then, Saunders Family Farm has been providing fresh produce and preserves to local communities around the Columbia Valley in British Columbia.
Since then, we’ve become a household name because of our gourmet jams and unique spicy jellies.
We hope you enjoy our jams and jellies as much as we enjoy making them. To explore our products, visit the store.
Tanner Saunders