Category Archives: Vancouver Island Strong Stories

Michael Tchao’s Journey Around Vancouver Island: Water Buffalo, Mozzarella, and a Taste of Place

Vancouver Island Strong Stories, Videos

On Vancouver Island, food has a way of carrying the story of where it comes from.

For Michael Tchao, his journey around the Island is not just about travel. It is about meeting the people, seeing the land, and understanding the care and the science, that goes into food before it ever reaches a plate.

One stop on that journey brings him to Coleman Meadows Farm in Port Alberni, where a small herd of water buffalo is raised by Jennifer and Russell. Their farm is shaped by coastal pasture, ocean air, mountain rain, and the quiet daily work of caring for animals with intention.

That care shows up in the milk.

Water buffalo milk is rich, beautiful, and full of character. However, it is also deeply connected to the land the animals graze on and the people who tend them. At Coleman Meadows, the milk reflects more than good farming. It reflects patience, respect, and a close relationship with the animals.

From Port Alberni, that milk travels to Natural Pastures Cheese Company in Comox, where cheesemaker Paul Sutter and his team turn it into traditional mozzarella.

Mozzarella may look simple, but it takes skill, timing, and a deep understanding of the milk. Each day, the cheese tells the maker what it needs. Temperature, acidity, and stretch all have to be carefully watched and adjusted. Therefore, the process is never completely automatic. It is guided by experience, craft, and precision.

Paul and his team work closely with the milk in front of them, shaping it into mozzarella that is fresh, delicate, and full of Island character. In many ways, the cheese becomes a collaboration between farmer, animal, cheesemaker, and place.

Michael’s journey explores that connection.

It shows how food in British Columbia is built through relationships. Farmers like Jennifer and Russell care for the animals. Cheesemakers like Paul and our team at Natural Pastures Cheese Company carry that milk forward with tradition and skill. Together, they create something that belongs to this place.

From coastal pasture to cheese vat, from Port Alberni to Comox, this story is about more than mozzarella. It is about the people behind the food, the land that shapes it, and the care that can be tasted in every bite.

On Vancouver Island, good food is never just made. It is grown, cared for, carried forward, and shared.

Meet the Heart Behind the Hive: Daniel of Big D’s Bees

Press Release, Vancouver Island Strong Stories, , , , ,

Meet the Heart Behind the Hive: Daniel of Big D’s Bees

Article by Anyssa Jane – Natural Pastures Cheese

Tucked into the fertile landscapes of the Comox Valley, Big D’s Bees is more than just a honey company—it’s the expression of a life rooted in family, faith, and the rhythms of the land. At the center of it all is Daniel, the beekeeper-turned-entrepreneur whose journey into the food world started not with a business plan, but with a fascination for bugs.

Daniel didn’t always picture himself running a honey business. Growing up in the dairy industry, he understood hard work and the value of honest food—but bees? That was an unexpected twist. What began as a curiosity quickly turned into a passion, and before long, a full-fledged business. Today, Big D’s Bees produces raw honey the old-fashioned way, with a deep respect for the bees, the land, and the people they feed.

“For me, honey isn’t just a product, it’s a way of life,” Daniel says. “Beekeeping connects me to generations of farmers who understood the importance of working with the seasons, not against them.”

There’s a moment Daniel often talks about—a defining one. Standing in a buzzing bee yard during his first harvest, he cracked open a fresh frame of honey, tasted it straight from the comb, and knew: this was it. It wasn’t just about honey. It was about creating something real—something people could taste, trust, and bring into their homes.

And it shows. Big D’s honey has become a staple in many kitchens, often enjoyed in tea, drizzled over toast, or folded into baked goods. But one of Daniel’s favourite unexpected pairings? Prosciutto & Pear Stone Oven Pizza finished with a delicate Fireweed Honey drizzle. Sweet, savory, rich and floral—it’s a local favourite that proves honey can do more than just sweeten your tea.

Over the past 20 years, Daniel and his wife have built Big D’s Bees together, learning as they go. One of the biggest lessons? Letting go of the idea that he had to do everything himself. “Building a team has made the business stronger—and the work more rewarding,” he reflects.

Daniel’s wife Justine works along side him doing marketing and distribution for the company. The couple enjoys raising their daughter and sons here in the beautiful Comox Valley region.

Through it all, Daniel’s food philosophy remains beautifully simple: “Rooted in faith, guided by the rhythms of farming, and fueled by a love for family—my food philosophy is all about creating honest, nourishing products that connect people back to what matters most.”

And if you ever found yourself at Daniel’s dream dinner party, you’d be in fine company: Jesus, Noah, and Ray Charles. Over steak, red wine, and ice cream, they’d talk faith, stories of old, and wrap up the evening with a drum and piano jam session.

Big D’s Bees is more than a local honey producer—it’s a reflection of a life lived with care, patience, and purpose. From hive to jar, Daniel’s honey is a golden reminder of what happens when we slow down, listen to the land, and let the bees do their magic.

We sell the honey here in our Artisan Cheese Shop at Natural Pastures Cheese open Monday to Friday 9-4 closed Holidays.