Meet The Makers Mini Interview: hOMe Grown Living Foods
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We have all kinds of truly amazing products from Cowichan Valley based hOMe Grown Living Foods, from keto baking mixes (which have had a cult following from the minute they hit the shelves!) to bulk sprouted seeds and nuts. Everything is Certified Organic and prepared on their Farm on Vancouver Island. Founder Shani Cranston has answered our Mini Interview questions this month, sharing a little about how she and her partner Willy McBride came to be living their West Coast, gardening, surfing, raw, sprouted dream life. It’s an inspiring read and you can pretty much taste the positive energy in their food!
hOMe Grown Living Foods Mini Interview
Share your story with us in a 150 words or less.
hOMe Grown Living Foods was born in 2008 from Nourishing our guests at Milagro Retreats with Sprouted Dehydrated snacks. From 2002 -2016, we hosted & catered International Retreats to inspire conscious living and healthy food choices. During this time I was diagnosed as a Type 1 Diabetic and began studying the alchemy of food and how it affects our entire system. As an athlete, I could not find packaged food that met my needs, so we embarked on this epic journey of creating the highest vibe low carbohydrate whole food snacks possible. SLOW & LOW is our Mantra, both for how we process our products and how we live our lives. Slow and low temperature dehydrating = the most nutrient dense, bio available tasty food. Slow and low impact living = deeper reverence for Mother Nature.
Getting from an idea to a small business is a lot of work! When did it first sink in for you that ‘this is really happening’?
We started with the Farmer’s Market and from there, the local health food store wanted our products. Seeing hOMe Grown Living Foods on the shelves was a turning point, but the feeling of ‘this is really happening’ came with the expansion from Willy’s repurposed tool shed into our first shipping container. With that building came our first big investment in commercial dehydration. It was GAME ON from that point forward.
Out of all your products, which is your personal favourite and why?
They are all my children, so I find that challenging, although we eat our U-Bake Keto Bread/Buns daily and the feedback has been incredible. I really love inspiring others to create their own culinary magic and our new U-Bake Line is so simple to make. So, if I had to pick one, it would be the Pumpkin Chia Keto U-Bake Bread. Flour Free Bread is a gift and I am delighted to share it with the world!
What motivates you on a day-to-day basis?
Inspiring others to live to their full potential. I feel that healthy high vibe food is a fuel towards that goal. When people are deeply nourished, they thrive and that is contagious.
What’s your favourite thing about the town or city you live in?
We live tucked away in the woods of the Cowichan Valley. When the dehydrators are not humming away, I embrace the silence. The Elk grazing in the meadow are also a wonder to behold.
Describe your ideal Sunday morning, including your breakfast.
Depending on the season ~ either starting yoga and meditation followed by a forest walk and garden time OR Surfing big bold waves on our pristine West Coast. Breakfast is usually a gourd of Yerba Mate and Keto Toasties (our U-Bake Bread) slathered with ghee.
What are your personal top tips for feeling awesome?
Breath & Movement
Time in Nature
Organic Sprouted Whole Foods to Fuel your Life!
Answers from Shani Cranston ~ Pioneer at hOMe Grown Living Foods
Find hOMe Grown Living Foods: On Their Website | On Instagram | On Facebook
