You could say Kira Turner ’08 “does it all.” She’s a pastry chef by day, a farmer by night, a baking teacher on weekends, and a mother and entrepreneur around the clock. With her husband Winston at her side, they have become an integral part of Maple Ridge’s food system and community.

Together they run Abernethy Acres, an organic produce farm that specializes in chemical-free, naturally grown fruits and vegetables. Sitting on their farm is Kira’s bakeshop, where she bakes hundreds of French macarons a week for her second business, Kizzy’s Macarons.

To thicken the plot, she has two kids, three dogs, and farm animals to care for. Though she’s always on the move, she says her jam-packed days never feel like work.

“I love what I do and the life we’ve built. There’s always so much to do, but there is nothing better than working for yourself, and providing healthy, delicious food for people”, says Kira.

It’s a life Kira says Meadowridge has prepared her for.

“Meadowridge isn’t like conventional schools here, you’re given a lot of opportunities to see what’s out there and taught to try everything and take on anything that comes at you. Your days at school are busy, but it teaches you to be open to a world of possibilities.”

LIFE AND LOVE AFTER MEADOWRIDGE

After graduating from Meadowridge in 2008, Kira returned to England (where she was born and spent her early years growing up) and obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Leeds College of Art and Design. She came back to Maple Ridge to visit her fellow alumni friends and knew she needed to return to BC to be closer to family and friends.

While working at a Starbucks in London at the time, she transferred to the Starbucks just down the street from Meadowridge School. One afternoon, she visited Thierry, a popular French bakery in Downtown Vancouver, and had her very first macaron which changed her life.

“It was delicious, and I kept going back for more. It was not sustainable constantly making the journey downtown to buy these little things, so I told myself I had to learn how to make them,” explained Kira.

Once she perfected her macaron techniques, she started giving them away to her coworkers and handed them out for free to her customers to enjoy with their coffees. The feedback was amazing. Everyone fell in love with her unique flavours and intricate, artistic designs (thanks, art school). Soon, orders started pouring in and Kizzy’s Macarons was established in 2015.

Kira moved to baking macarons full-time. She started selling them at farmer’s markets and there, she met Winston, who was selling fruits and vegetables. And of course, they fell in love and the rest is history!

Every weekend, you can find Kira and Winston together, selling fruits, vegetables, and macarons at local farmer’s markets, in Maple Ridge and all over the Greater Vancouver Area.