About Us

BirdTree Urban Farm came about as an experiment. Early in her career as a ski guide, Kristina Metzlaff found herself at remote ski lodges, wondering if there was a way to supply them with locally sourced food. It was an idle thought. One that stuck.  In between ski gigs, she began experimenting with gardens. At the time, she lived in Golden, BC, a colder, drier climate than Revelstoke. Without training or a background in anything agricultural, she messed around in the dirt, sowed seeds and brewed compost. Plants grew.

A few years later, she joined her partner in life at his property in Revelstoke. Kristina eyed up the garden plot, expanded it, and soon, more and more of the lawn gave way to new vegetable and flower beds. The urban farm was underway - as an undertaking, not a business. Yet.

Kristina continued to work winters as a ski guide (she still does). The idea of a market garden steeped, taking form as she hauled compost from the lodges back to the house, building riches. The turning point came when she overdid her tomato seedling project. She had plants growing at the ski lodge, a first. At the end of the season, she needed to find them homes. Her first foray into the farmers market scene began with a little seedling stand. From there, things snowballed. 

Revelstoke is an incredible community that supports each other and local food producers.

WHY BIRD TREE?

During their first year together in Revelstoke, a crow nested on a tree stump outside Kristina and Greg’s bedroom window. The stump was a tall remnant of a cherry tree, one of many that used to grow around the house. The couple watched the birds tend the nest, feed the hatchlings and teach their babies the ways of the world. This new place held promise. Life, movement, change, and hope. Symbolic of things to come. BirdTree Urban Farm took root.

The crows have not nested again. Other birds live in the tree, and Kristina has acquired other plots of land to expand her urban farm. But the main property surrounds the house, close to downtown, close to people and inviting to nature. Growing together.