My Town
Keremeos, Canada
UBC alum Yuri Zebroff on his farm in Keremeos, BC. Photo by Kohl Finlayson.
Yuri Zebroff (BSc’97) is an organic farmer and owner of Honest Food Farm in Keremeos, a small town in British Columbia’s Southern Interior, where he has lived for most of his life.
What three words best describe Keremeos?
Agricultural. Authentic. Diverse.
How did you come to live in Keremeos?
My parents moved to the Similkameen Valley — specifically Cawston, which adjoins Keremeos — the year I was born and became one of the pioneer organic farmers in the area. I grew up in Keremeos and returned to my hometown after attending UBC to start an organic farm with my own family.
What do you like most about living there?
I enjoy being closely connected to the outdoors in my work and home life. The clean air, water, and wide, open spaces surrounding our community are a blessing.
Describe your favourite spot in Keremeos.
Nestled in the Similkameen Valley, Keremeos features stunning and majestic mountain landscapes. Its natural beauty is visible from virtually every location in town. The beautiful Similkameen River is a centrepiece of the valley, with its crisp, clean swimming holes and its powerful current during spring melt. However, my deep connection to farming makes me choose my family’s farm, Honest Food Farm, and its location at Becks Rd adjoining Keremeos Creek, as my favourite spot. Although the farm is located in the middle of the valley, it feels remote — tucked away from the relative hustle and bustle of summer activities in Keremeos.
If you could change one thing about your town, what would it be?
Keremeos’ emphasis on agriculture means that it could be a beacon of food self-sufficiency — an example for other communities. Currently, with ever-larger grocery conglomerates grabbing an ever-expanding share of consumers, many Keremeos residents travel quite far to shop at larger stores and shopping centres. However, if more were enticed to shop within their community, the agricultural feel of the Similkameen Valley would not only be maintained, but might even grow. That is something I’d love to see.
What might surprise a visitor about Keremeos?
Its diversity — both in its natural landscapes and in its people. The back roads are a pleasure to explore and reveal the work of the many talented and interesting personalities who live here.
What are your favourite hidden gems or activities that only locals know about?
The Similkameen River is definitely our treasured hidden gem. Many visitors flock to the much busier Okanagan Valley, which can get quite crowded with people floating down the Penticton Channel. Instead, I recommend going tubing down the river between our iconic Red Bridge (also known as the Ashnola Bridge) and Kobau Park in Cawston.
How easy is it to meet new people?
Compared to cities, small farming communities are notoriously difficult locales for getting to know others. Farmers are very busy, physical distances are greater, and meeting spots are fewer. However, there has been significant improvement on this front recently, as more people are seeking in-person interactions once again and a few more spots and activities for social connection have surfaced, such as our farm shop, The Farm Store, on Becks Rd!
What issues are particularly important to the people of Keremeos?
Like many small towns, there is a strong sense of individualism in Keremeos. Because of this and our relatively small population, it is hard to establish ongoing forceful interest in any particular issue. Having said that, Keremeos is home to residents who care deeply about things that matter to them, so a wide variety of small special-interest groups do exist.
What is one local custom that every visitor should know about?
The Similkameen River is associated with so many of our local traditions — be it floating down the river on Sunday afternoon, cooling off at the end of a hot summer work day, fishing, kayaking, or taking a stroll along its shores at any time of the year. The river means something to all of us.
The Farm Store at Honest Food Farm includes a café and eatery featuring food made with freshly harvested ingredients. The store also sells produce and flowers grown on the farm as well as locally sourced goods.
Photo by Kohl Finlayson.
Yuri sorting potatoes at Honest Food Farm. He followed in his parents’ footsteps and pursued organic farming in Keremeos after completing his UBC degree in 1997.
Photo courtesy of Yuri.
According to Yuri, “The food element of the [Farm] Store is what brings people in first of all and it keeps bringing them back.” He credits his wife Brandie — an “incredibly good cook” — for creating the delicious fare that continually draws repeat visitors to their farm.
Photo courtesy of Yuri.
Yuri and his family sell fresh produce grown on their farm at a variety of farmers’ markets in BC.
Photo courtesy of Yuri.
“The Similkameen River is definitely our treasured hidden gem,” says Yuri, who calls it the “centrepiece” of the Similkameen Valley. He encourages visitors to go tubing down the river between Keremeos’ iconic Red Bridge (also known as the Ashnola Bridge) and Kobau Park in Cawston.
© Lynda / Adobe Stock
Looking to connect with your UBC alumni community?
If you live outside our campus communities in the Lower Mainland and Central Okanagan, visit the Global Alumni Network page to see if there’s an alumni ambassador or social media community where you live.
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