Organic Fair
Filling your senses
By Judy Stafford 
I close my eyes and just allow the small,
square chunk of chocolate to melt over my tongue, filling me completely with
the scent of roses. How can something so small and unassuming make me feel like
I’m in the middle of a flower shop? I can taste, smell, and feel the familiar
aroma surround me.
The chocolate bar is aptly named Corazon,
meaning heart in Spanish, and Kent Goodwin McKay and his wife Marisa created
this sensational chocolate bar together in honour of their wedding two years ago.
It was a marriage of more than just two people; it was a marriage that combined
Kent’s skills as an entrepreneur and a processor of aromatherapy oils with
Marisa’s passion as a ‘foodie.’ Her first book borrowed from the library when
she was a child was a cookbook. For this couple, sliding into the world of
inventing gourmet food sensations seemed a natural step from her being an
herbalist and a passionate cook.
And Organic Fair was their first-born. It’s
been a long, winding road up here to this five-acre Farm in Cobble Hill.
Located in the Cowichan Valley, this area is graced with a beautiful landscape
and blessed with a warm climate. Here, diversity is at its finest, with
forests, freshwater lakes, saltwater beaches, marinas, farmlands, and an abundance
of vineyards. Kent picked this place to realize his dream of combining his
business skills with being a farmer. He explains, “This has been 10 years in
the making. Organic Fair is my sixth business. I studied commerce in college
and at that time there was nothing for the entrepreneur. For me, there needed
to be more in the equation than what was deemed as successful—I wanted
sustainability. There was no concept of that at the time nor why we should even
worry.”
Being as sustainable as possible is where they’re
heading. In their very diverse acreage, they’re raising several varieties of
chickens, which lay six different colours of eggs, they’re going to specialize
in heritage vegetables and aromatics, and soon they’ll be certified organic.
Although they import some of their raw ingredients from Costa Rica, they insist
on fair trade practices.
“Organic is a must,” Kent emphasizes. “That
shouldn’t give you a pass on flavour or quality though. And fair trade
absolutely must be supported and beyond that, we want our customers to be blown
away with the experience of our products. Locally, what more could people want?
We’re organic, produced locally, a small family farm, and we try to make
products that are amazing in quality. People are longing for that connection to
their heritage and nature.” 
Kent explains that farms are a way to connect to the consumers directly. And what better way than to take a tour and look around the farm, taste the luscious chocolates, and listen to their passion about what they’re doing and how they want to live? They’re much more than an agritourism project—they’re living the life and they want to share. Even with the farm just slowly waking up to springtime, the excitement is in the air. The gardens are begging to be planted, and the gorgeous, multi-coloured chickens and roosters are busy, busy, busy, doing what they do best.
The store is filled with the bounty of everyone’s hard work; the shelves are lined neatly with a fascinating variety of brightly labeled chocolate bars and treats, and even the ice cream machine is getting a once-over in preparation for visitors. The success of Essential Aura, their aromatherapy business has really allowed them to branch out to the other products. It’s ten years old now and it’s sold all over the world. They have a staff of seven with at least three more coming on board. The summer on the farm will be a busy time, with the focus on growing and selling their produce.
“There’s something that is really important to me and that’s to provide the best example of a successful, small business doing the right things regarding sustainability, the environment, and social issues. If you could create a business model that, through its growth, brings positive developments to the environment, suppliers, employees, and whose products benefit the consumers, then through that growth you can change the world. What we need to do is change commerce—we need to start that wave if we are to have any hope of making success stories.”
Kent admits
it’s not going to be easy but they also feel it’s important to give back. They
are part of a new initiative called ‘Direct Fair Trade Fund.’ One percent of
all members’ gross sales goes into the fund to support and help develop other
communities around the world. He has dealt with many farmers and has built
solid relationships with folks in Costa Rica. He wants to give back to his
suppliers who have helped him build what he has today.
According to The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, 284,000 children are working in dangerous West African cacao farms where 40 percent of the world’s cacao is grown. Workers are overworked in conditions likened to slavery. Fair Trade advocates have been targeting larger producers to change their policies and working conditions. Non-profit organizations, such as the Rainforest Alliance, are now working with cacao growers in Ecuador to create more socially responsible cacao productions and processing standards. They hope to spread this model into other cacao-producing countries.
Labeled ‘Fair Trade’ chocolate means conditions have been met to ensure the workers have been treated fairly, that the working conditions are safe, and the children have access to education. Organic Fair now boasts 11 extraordinary Fair Trade chocolate bars. They have no fillers, waxes, or dairy products. They taste unbelievably delectable and you can savor flavours from all over the world, from Mexico to Japan, without even leaving the farm and you know you’re supporting a new era in earth-friendly decadence.
“At the end of the day, we want to create an
environment that is positive, a strong work ethic, and value what is important
in life. As a parent, you only have so much time to inspire. My dream is to
bring up kids who can contribute in a positive way. What I aspire to be is a
great family company. Our exit strategy is to sell this to our kids. We have
created it with a lot of heart. We have more of a desire to see what we can
accomplish rather than ever selling out to whomever. My future is not for
sale.”
But delectable chocolate bars, hedonistic hot
chocolate, organic, free trade, sinfully spiced coffee, and chocolate lip balms
are. Check out the website for a list of products, store hours, and directions.
Or just follow your nose; it’ll bring you right here. http://www.organicfair.com
This article appeared in the May June 2008 issue of More Living magazine: Vol 3, Issue 3
