JoJo's Story

When Claude and Judy Kolk first planted nursery trees and 20 acres of black currants with their three young daughters, in 2002, they had no idea that the farm would go in this direction.  “As we expanded, we got more and more interested in bringing people to the farm and letting them experience the nature all around us that we take for granted” says Judy.  After attending numerous conferences, and visiting many similar operations, they decided that a perfect complement to the Garden Centre, U pick orchard and Sunshine Adventure Park would be fresh food made and served on the farm.  The café is named after Claude & Judy’s youngest daughter Jolene, who’s dream to become a pastry chef began when she was about 8 yrs old.  Recently accepted to SAIT's Pastry Arts program, she now works part time in the cafe while finishing up school.

The café was built over the winter of 2009/2010.  Claude Kolk who is also a professional engineer, designed the building as well as a highly efficient air exchange system using exhaust heat from the building to preheat incoming fresh air. His training as an mechanical engineer and experience in farming give him an innovative approach to design, which he employed for many of the café’s features.  “Whenever I need to build something that seems more complicated than it should be, I start to look at alternative solutions” he says.  The railing around the stairway and mezzanine was built from reclaimed drill stem pipe. Huge timbers purchased at an auction sale provided the inspiration for the solid wood look of the building.  Nathan Born, construction manager, says the project was unlike any other he had worked on before.  “The building has a personality, a warmth and atmosphere that really reflects it’s natural setting.”  he says.  The building’s exterior gives you a taste of what’s inside, finished with a rich larch wood and fresh green accents. Sitting on the café’s patio, you can imagine you are miles away from the city life, and enjoy the soothing sounds of the waterfall and a sense of tranquility.  The waterfall and surrounding landscaping was constructed by Alexis Ference one of the farm’s landscape foremen who is also one of the Kolks’ daughters.