So I'm not sure why there are no reviews for this fabulous farm, as it's been in operation since…read more2010, I believe. Anyhow, a gazillion years ago, when I lived in Boston, I SO wanted to visit a cranberry bog. I am fascinated by how these ruby-colored berries are grown, I am fascinated by the bogs, and I love the whole seasonal nature of the fruit (i.e., usually cooking and consuming them starting in the fall, at the onset of the autumnal and winter holidays, - typically a celebratory, happy time. For me, at least, these fruits have a strong association with the holiday season, with family and family gatherings, and traditional holiday foods).
I never got to a bog in New England, and I figured I missed my chance to ever visit one. That is, until I moved to Vancouver and learned there were cranberry bogs in BC. And then I saw advertised a cranberry festival in Langley, and a self-guided tour of a real cranberry bog there. And even better: you could add on to your admission ticket a "plunge" into the bog! And my kid was as jazzed as I was to go, to learn about the growing and harvesting of cranberries and to take the plunge! It wasn't cheap but, hey, this was something on my bucket list for decades, and there was no way I wasn't going!
It was worth every penny.
My kid and I had SO much fun, and we also learned a lot about cranberry farming. The Bog-Riverside farm was great: easy to find (super close to historic Fort Langley and the downtown Langley area), free parking, the cutest retail store selling all sorts of gourmet cranberry treats (jars of sauces and chutneys and jams, donuts and tarts and pastries with cranberries, and BOG merchandise like t-shirts and hats, and more. You can also pick up lots of free cranberry recipe cards and magazines showcasing local farms and attractions. Oh, and they also have great coffees here too!), and all the folks working here were super friendly and nice.
The self-guided tour was extremely educational, and also quite well organized, with easy-to-follow maps to the farm given to you at check-in, and various posts along the way with QR codes, linking you to audio files describing what you are seeing IRL. (The tour itself is not that long, or far in distance. My kid and I did it within an hour. You could spend longer if you want, but it's do-able within 30 minutes, too. Be sure to wear shoes that you don't mind getting muddy FYI!). Part of the tour is inside a building with an old, wooden sorting machine and various placards outlining the harvesting process, terminology, etc. But the rest of the tour is outside, so be sure to dress for the weather!
Our favorite part was the plunge. What an experience! From the donning of the waders to the actual wading into the bog to the taking of goofy photos.... the whole experience was SO fun! I found cranberries in my shirt later that night hahahaha! Bonus! My kid and I laughed so much. As she would say: wholesome fun.
This tour and plunge is only available on certain days and at certain times during the Canadian Thanksgiving season, so if you are interested in doing this, be sure to get tickets when they go on sale (I think a month earlier). But I believe they have tours available by appointment year-round; check on thier website for more info. Watching the actual workers in the bog, pulling on the boom, seeing the round bog rotating as the cranberries rise and are harvested, is a pretty amazing site, and it will give you a new appreciation for this little ruby red berry.