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Meet Duane! He's from Hell's Half Acre Farms and is passionate about sustainable, healthy eating!
Where are you from and how long have you lived in Kelowna?
I was born in Merritt, grew up in Vernon and have lived in Kelowna from 2012.
Who is your favourite person to spend time with and why?
My better half, Meggan Gibson. She is the most supportive, encouraging and caring person I know. She is always smiling and you can hear her laugh from a mile away!
What is your favourite local store in Kelowna and why?
I love going to Buckerfields because they always have very friendly and helpful staff. They always have whatever supplies we need for the farm and dogs are allowed to inside! Very important for our German Shorthair Pointer, Ripley.
Describe yourself in one word.
Passionate.
If you could go anywhere in the world right at this moment where would you go and why?
Finland for sure. I am first-generation Canadian born and would love to connect with my ancestry there. I would love to go to my mother's hometown of Mikkeli and see where my grandfather fought in the Winter War of 1939.
What is your favourite activity in Kelowna?
I love to go to City Park during the summer and watch Meggan and her dragon boat team go by while I have a refreshing end-of-day swim in Okanagan lake!
What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?
Wow. So many to choose from. Perhaps when I led a rendition of Oh Canada at Vancouver international airport when welcoming Ed Jovanovski back after Canada won Olympic gold for the first time in fifty years and screwed up the words. I got booed!
What is the most inspiring thing that has happened to you?
Great question and again, so many to choose from. I would say when I read Miriam Joseph's, The Trivium and discovered logical fallacies.
Tell us your favourite childhood memory.
Going to California when I was ten. Seven people stuffed in a Ford Bronco. One person had to sit on the console and my dad put foam in the back so that two people could sit in the very back comfortably and all of the luggage went on top. We were the Griswald's before the Griswald's! Luckily for us, Disneyland was open when we got there!
Where do you volunteer or give back in the community?
We try to give as many vegetables to the local food bank as possible. Especially before Christmas.
If you could change one thing in the world what would it be?
It would be great to see more people reading books. Great authors like Mark Twain, John Steinbeck, Fyodor Dostoevsky and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn are very important and nearly forgotten today.
Where would you sneak away to in Kelowna to spend some time alone?
There is a hike I like to do with Ripley in behind the farm. Fifteen minutes to the top where there is a little pond and the only sounds are Ripley running through the water and the flap of birds scrambling to get out of her way! The sounds of the city are overwhelmed there.
Where would you like to see a positive change in Kelowna and why?
Not including fruit and vegetables in our diet is one of the four main causes of illness and disease and although many in Kelowna already emphatically embrace the farmer's market, I would love to see greater awareness and importance put on eating healthy, chemical-free fruit and vegetables.
What do you think makes Kelowna great?
It's the center of the Okanagan Valley! The weather, the wine and the people make Kelowna great. I love being able to just pull off the road in the summer and jump in the lake to cool off.
What are 3 things on your bucket list?
I would love to know: 1. who we are, 2. how we got here, and 3. what our purpose on earth is.
Tell us something that not everyone may know about you.
I was a drummer in a classic rock band in the early 1990's. We booked ourselves and travelled all over Western Canada. We opened for Streetheart in Penticton!
How do people connect with you, personally, through social media? (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.)
On Facebook, you can find me at Hell's Half Acre Farms or by my name. On Twitter, you can find me @TriviumMethod.
What is the name of your business/organization?
Hell's Half Acre Farms.
Why did you get into this business?
To provide local, healthy, nutrient-dense, natural fruit and vegetables to the people of the Okanagan valley.
What is the goal of your business?
To provide a healthy choice of food to as many people as we possibly can.
What has been your biggest struggle either at work or in life?
I have always struggled with time management. There is never enough time in the day.
If you could start all over again, would you do things the same or would things be different?
I would love to say I wouldn't change a thing because it made me who I am, but there will always be things I would have liked to have done differently for sure. I really learned to live in the moment when I gave up the hope of having a better past.
What do you always find yourself saying?
Turn off your television!
Tell us your best piece of life advice.
Don't let fear ever stop you. Everything you've ever dreamed of is on the other side of fear.
If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select?
Easy. Eliot Coleman.
Why do you think it is important to shop locally?
There are many important reasons to shop locally but most importantly, now more than ever, we vote with how we choose to spend our money and there is no quicker way to affect your own community in a positive way than by supporting it.
What has been your proudest accomplishment?
Probably being well versed in all three arts.
Give someone you think that deserves it a shout out and explain why!
Bob and Janet Tucker. They have been local farmers here in Kelowna for more than thirty years and have taught me many valuable things.
My choice for the KelownaNow In Focus spotlight is:
Lara, owner of Neu Movement.
We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE.
In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition of the people, businesses, and organizations that help make our city great. Thank you, Kelowna!
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