FOOD SUPPLY WITH A DIFFERENCE Tues-Dae Broomfield is the operator and owner of Spring-field Produce, which offers as much locally grown produce as possible as well as specialty items such as gluten-free bread and organically grown foods.

Winter may be here but that doesn’t mean folks can’t get local and organic foods.

Spring-field Produce offers local and certified foods year-round.

Owner Tues-Dae Broomfield opened the store in August and keeps the store’s shelves full of local and certified organic produce from established producers such as Mackin Creek Farms and Mackin Creek Orchards.

Organic Avalon milk, goats milk, Lac La Hache breads, 100 per cent spelt bread, vegetarian foods, Soda Creek sweet corn, local and organic honey, gluten free products, pasture to plate certified meats, organic and local foods from Canim Lake Indian Band, and local organic meats are also all available year-round.

Broomfield opened Spring-Field Produce, after hunting down local and organic foods for a couple of years with and for her family and friends.

“There was just more and more people wanting it, so I thought I’d just feed all of Williams Lake,” Broomfield says, adding that she noticed there wasn’t that much available in Williams Lake when it comes to local and organic foods.

She says there are also many residents who are allergic to certain foods, such as wheat gluten, so she also strives to accommodate them.

“A lot of people are celiac and can’t have wheat gluten,” she says, adding that she’s got three shelves just for wheat gluten – and counting.

She also notes that her store sells spelt bread, a gluten-free bread made in Lac La Hache that can’t be found at any other store in Williams Lake.

Soy milk and rice milk are also available for those who prefer dairy-free milk.

“I’m trying to get into the more vegetarian things and the raw food diet,” she adds.

Not everything in the store is certified organic, but Broomfield makes every effort to bring in certified organic foods. 

“Some people want the certified organic and other people just want the fresh fruit that’s not as sprayed or as waxed,” she says, adding that being certified organic takes a lot more work.

Whether it’s certified organic or locally grown fresh foods customers want, Spring-Field Produce has many items to choose from, including organic eggs or non-organic but locally produced eggs.

Most of her organic produce comes from Mackin Creek Farms, which is located between Quesnel and Williams Lake.

“They’re pretty well-known around here. People come in just to buy their carrots,” she says. “I love having their stuff because they’re local and they’re certified organic.”

She also gets produce from other local growers as well, including Tom Sally who brings in apples. Other people can come in and talk with her to see if they can bring in their foods as well. If they don’t have their organic certification papers, Broomfield can’t label their foods as organic, but she might be able to label them as locally grown.

During the winter months, Spring-Field is bringing in foods from Discovery Organics in Vancouver, as she tries to bring in foods that are grown as locally as possible.

“I try to go with B.C. first,” says Broomfield who also brings in some of her own poultry and pork to sell.

Next year she expects she will be able to get more foods from Mackin Creek because it will be more prepared to have Spring-Field as a customer.

She also hopes to eventually start selling light lunches, as well as smoothies and frozen yogurt made with fresh, locally-grown fruit.

Spring-field Produce is located at 615 Oliver Street and is open five days a week. From Tuesday to Thursday, it’s open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., on Friday, it’s open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Saturday, it is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.