
Mailing Address
IOPA
4164 Telegraph Rd
Cobble Hill, BC V0R 1L4
Contact Info
Administrator: Crystal Arsenault
Phone: (250) 858-5239
Email: admin(a)iopa.ca
Website: http://www.iopa.ca
Accreditation
BC Certified Organic Program (BCCOP)
Scope: Crops, Livestock, Processing
Date of Certificate
May 11, 2020 – May 11, 2021
Certification Body Information
The Islands Organic Producers Association is a non-profit association of organic growers and producers on southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.
Our central mandate is threefold:
- to maintain written standards for organic farming;
- to administer a fair and strict process to assess the operations of organic producers;
- and to award certified organic status to those who qualify.
We also work to promote and strengthen sustainable agriculture and to establish a cooperative relationship among organic producers.
IOPA has grown steadily since its inception in 1990 and now has over 75 certified organic or transitional producers. IOPA is a certifying body of COABC (Certified Organic Associations of British Columbia ). We require our members to abide by both IOPA guidelines and COABC standards
Organic agriculture is both a philosophy and a way of farming. The main focus is maintaining sustainable, productive farms, based on living soil ecosystems. The farmer's role is to use and support a community of organisms, both plant and animal, that maintain and build the soil, minimize predation by unwanted pests and weed plants, and produce healthy, nutritious food for the farm and the community. The process is as important as the product, and the quality and sustainability of life is paramount.
Environmental degradation is widely recognized as the most serious threat to life on our planet. The environmental crisis is a consequence of misdirected human activity, and modern orthodox agriculture -- with its dependence on heavy machinery, high energy inputs, chemical fertilizers and poisons -- bears its share of responsibility for this crisis. Soil structure and fertility have been seriously degraded in most agricultural regions of the world. Food crops and domestic animals alike no longer possess their former vitality, and poisonous residues on crops and in animal products are viewed world-wide with increasing concern. In order to arrest and reverse this trend, it is necessary for farmers to develop a sound ecological relationship with the land.
Board of Directors | 2021 |
President | Shawn Dirksen |
Vice President | Al Grant |
Treasurer | Danielle Bellefleur |
Secretary | Robin Tunnicliffe |
COABC Rep | Heather Stretch |
Alternative Rep | Heather Ramsay |
Certification Committee Members | Jay Williamson |
IOPA volunteer | Erin Bett |
IOPA volunteer | Sarah Chapman |
IOPA volunteer | Aaron DeWarle |
IOPA volunteer | Derek Powell |
IOPA volunteer | Brian Padlewski |
IOPA volunteer | John Pattison |
non-iopa member | Kate Vanruyven |
Membership Listing, Found 57 entries
Transitional Assessed to the BC Organic Standards and in transition to full organic status. For more information click here.
Pending Application for assessment to the BC Organic Standards submitted - certification review decision pending. For more information click here.
Enterprise | Contact | City | Status | Class |
---|---|---|---|---|
ALM Organic Farm & Full Circle Seeds | Mary Alice Johnson, , |
Sooke | Certified | Farm |
Amara Farm | Arzeena Hamir, Neil Turner |
Courtenay | Certified | Farm |
Apple Luscious Organic Orchard | Harry Burton, |
Salt Spring Island | Certified | Farm/Poultry |
Avalon Farm | Kerry McDonald, Cathy Burkosky |
Port Alberni | Certified BCCOP Low-Risk | Farm |
Blue Harvest Farm | Jim Stachow, Mina Stachow |
Ladysmith | Certified | Farm |
Blue Heron | Kris Chand, Maria Chand |
Parksville | Decertified | Farm |
Bright Farm | Charlie Eagle, John Pattison, Jessica Kavanaugh |
Salt Spring Island | Certified BCCOP Low-Risk | Farm |
Carraic Farm | Alan Turner | Certified | Farm/Greenhouse | |
Comox Trail | Meagan Curtis | Port Alberni | Certified | |
Corlan Vineyard | Selwyn Jones, Patricia Jones |
Denman Island | Certified | Farm/Poultry |
Cowichan Incubator Seed Farm (CISF) | Cowichan Green Community | Certified | Farm | |
Cusheon Lake Farm | Wiebke Ortlepp, Stephanie Ortlepp |
Salt Spring Island | Certified BCCOP Low-Risk | Farm/Livestock/Poultry |
Eagle Tree Organics | Gayle Berry, Al Grant |
Qualicum Beach | Decertified | Farm |
East Cider Orchard | Anne deCosson, Larry Berg |
Denman Island | Certified | Farm |
Elemental Farm | Kevin Allen | Certified | ||
Fierce Love Farm | Erin Bett | Victoria | Certified | |
Grandview Farms | Ronald Puhky, Kim Hanson |
Salt Spring Island | Certified | Farm/Poultry |
Green Fire Farm | DeLisa Lewis | Certified | ||
Haliburton Community Organic Farm Society | Erin Bett, |
Certified | Farm | |
Haslam Creek Berry Farm | Qinghe Zhang, Min Yu |
Nanaimo | Certified | Farm |
Healing Farm | Mike Romaine, Sharyn Romaine |
Victoria | Certified | Farm/Poultry |
Hope Hill Farm | Vera Robinson, Cam Robinson |
Salt Spring Island | Certified | Farm/Poultry |
Isabella Farm | Kent Mjolsness, Basil Franey |
Salt Spring Island | Certified | Farm |
Joyful Agriculture | Kristina Coleman | Victoria | Certified | Farm |
Kildara Farms | Brian Hughes | North Saanich | Certified | Farm/Poultry |
Kloverdalen Farm | Kira Kotilla | Courtenay | Certified | Farm |
Lavender and Black | Bernd Henzler, Awatief Daniels |
Salt Spring Island | Certified | Farm |
Littlest Acres | Emily McConnell, Paul Duboscq |
Victoria | Certified | Farm |
Lohbrunner Community Farm Cooperative | Joan Varley | Victoria | Certified | Farm |
Makoha Farm | Amy Lobb, Calum Oliver |
Victoria | Certified | Farm |
Metchosin Farm | Fiona Hamersley Chambers | Certified | Farm | |
Nanoose Edibles | Lorne, Barbara |
Nanoose Bay | Certified BCCOP | |
Northbrook Farm | Heather Stretch, , |
Saanichton | Certified | Farm |
Northstar Organics | Shawn Dirksen | Central Saanich | Certified | Farm/Greenhouse/Sprouts |
Orveas Creak | Glyse Clarkston | Certified | Farm | |
Pattison Farms | Gerry Pattison, Dagmar Pattison |
Black Creek | Certified | Farm |
Pipe Rabbit Farm | Belinda Schroeder, Ron Schroeder |
Salt Spring Island | Certified | Farm |
Raven Rock | Kelly Leroux | Certified | Farm/Sprouts | |
Rebecca's Garden | Rebecca Jehn, , |
Victoria | Certified | Farm |
Saanich Native Plants | Kristen Miskelly, |
Victoria | Certified | Farm |
Salt Spring Apple Company | Peri Lavender, Brian Webster |
Salt Spring Island | Certified | Farm/Processor |
Sea Bluff Farm | , Robin Tunnicliffe |
Victoria | Certified | Farm |
Square Root Farm | Chrystal Bryson, Ilya Amrhein |
Saanichton | Certified | Farm |
SunTrio Farm | Dennis OBrien, Michael OBrien, |
Victoria | Certified | Farm/Greenhouse/Sprouts |
Sweet Acres | Ariella Falkowski | Victoria | Certified | Farm/Sprouts |
Tatlo Road Farm | Niki Strutynski, Nick Neisingh |
Crofton | Certified | Farm/Sprouts |
Tendergreens Farm | Jay Williamson | Certified | Farm | |
Therah Farm | Barbara Moore, , |
Galiano Island | Certified | Farm |
Three Oaks Farm | Rachel Fisher | Saanichton | Certified | Farm |
Umi Nami Farm | Yoshiko Unno, Heather Ramsay |
Victoria | Certified | Farm |
Valhalla | Michelle Harrison, Patrick Dique |
Duncan | Certified | Farm |
Vitality Farm | Diana Brubaker | Certified | Farm | |
Wave Hill Farm | Rosalie Beach, |
Salt Spring Island | Certified | Farm/Livestock/Poultry |
West Coast Garlic | Derek Powell | Central Saanich | Certified | Farm |
Whisperhill Farm | , Wendy MacDonald |
Saanichton | Certified | Farm |
Whitaker Farm | Mariette Sluyter, Brian Padlewski |
Courtney | Certified | Farm/Poultry |
Wind Whipped Farm | Alex Fletcher, Virginie Lavallee-Picard |
Victoria | Certified | Farm |