From Seed to Skillet - September 7-10, 2011

Come celebrate Richmond's fall harvest season - this tour is geared to media with an interest in agritourism or gastronomy. Within minutes of Richmond's bustling city centre are 247 farms providing the region with autumn favourites such as beets, pumpkins, potatoes, wild mushrooms, squash, and of course, cranberries - Richmond is Canada's largest producer of the distinctive red berries. You'll have the opportunity to watch the fall harvest of a cranberry bog, where floating berries are collected en masse. Over 37 percent of Richmond's land is in the Agricultural Reserve and it is well protected. Enjoy a guided tour of several Richmond farms led by talented local chefs. Sample homemade dandelion wine and learn about the innovative "farm to table" initiatives at the picturesque Terra Nova Share Farm. There, you'll participate in the preparation of your meal before indulging in inventive fall cuisine made with fresh-grown ingredients. Many local restaurants maintain individual plots at Terra Nova or work with local farms and you'll also get to sample their unique culinary dishes. But one can't live off vegetables alone, so we'll visit several unique Asian grocery stores and experience a dim sum dine around to see how the city's 65 per cent Asian population is influencing Richmond's dining scene. The trip caps off with an in-depth tour of the Fisherman's Wharf in the Historic Fishing Village of Steveston - Canada's largest commercial fishing harbour and a Mecca of all things salmon - where you'll learn about sustainable fishing practices and watch as sea urchins, prawns and salmon are sold straight off the boats. This tour may include a fishing excursion.