Who We Are

Vale Farms was started in 1975 by Charlotte and Michael Ruechel, when they immigrated to Canada from Germany. Today, their son-in-law Don Hladych and their daughter Emily are continuing the farming tradition, along with their three daughters.

We have been Certified Organic since 1999, and at that point began to direct market our meats at farmers' markets and at one health food store in Vernon. Today, we sell our meats to a number of stores and restaurants and attend farmers markets throughout the Okanagan. While we originally started with just beef, we now raise hair sheep (Dorper and Katahdin), grow garlic and have a small orchard of Sea Buckthorn berry bushes! 

In 2006 Emily and Don also started Cedar Bridge Kinderhouse on the farm, a Waldorf-inspired preschool and kindergarten. Check out www.cedarbridgeschool.org to see what the school is up to!

Photos of us!

Our Mission

To promote strong and healthy families and to provide our community with a choice of nutritious quality farm products while culitivating the holistic balance between land, animals and people.

Producers who we purchase cattle from:

Granby Organic Dairy

Granby Organic Dairy and Beef is a family owned and operated dairy in Grand Forks, BC. Ric and Vickie Llewellyn settled there in 1985 with a purebred herd of Jersey cattle, and they became organic in 1994. They became BC’s and Western Canada’s 1^st “organic” dairy and Western Canada’s 1^st producer of organic cheeses and yogurts.

The Llewellyns became an organic dairy because of their strong beliefs in animal-welfare, the nutritional health of the animals and the consumer, and their concern for sustainable agriculture. They raise all their own Jerseys from several cow family lines that they have had for many years, and know their doe-eyed, fawn colored cows by name. The Llewellyn’s don’t believe in animal auctions and feedlots, and are proud to be certified by the BC SPCA for their humane animal stewardship. Their beef animals (Jersey-crosses) are also certified organic and grass-fed their whole lives. You can be sure that the animals on this farm are contented, happy cattle!