Kin’s Farm Market

When the Leung family arrived in Vancouver from China in 1981, it was with little more in their pockets than perseverance. Sponsored by their sister, Chie Yau Leung and his wife Chie Wen Leung sacrificed everything to relocate their three children to bountiful North America; their plane tickets purchased with borrowed money.The family got their footing in Vancouver in the Hastings Sunrise community, taking odd jobs as dishwashers, servers, and babysitters to find their way. In 1983 they opened an eight-foot table at the Granville Island Public Market, selling produce from local farmers. Fast forward 35 years, and Kin’s Farm Market — named after their three children, Kin Wah, Kin Hun, and Kin Fun — has grown to 29 locations across the Lower Mainland. The Leung children, who had taken English courses at Vancouver Community College, went back for small business courses that would help them grow from their parents’ flagship brick and mortar location from Richmond to Ladner and beyond. When COBS Bread expanded to Canada, good timing and great connections led Founder Roger Gillespie to partner with and mentor the Leung family, turning Kin’s Farm Market into the first Green Grocer chain in British Columbia. Today Kin’s Market and the Leung family continue to pay it forward — forever grateful of the support and mentorship they’ve received over the years. The local business has donated to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of BC & Yukon, Richmond General Hospital, Vancouver General Hospital, Canadian Cancer Society, Mt. St. Joseph’s Tapestry Foundation, Growing Chefs, S.U.C.C.ES.S., and UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems, and is involved in several community initiatives and sponsorships in support of youth development, seniors, and more. Kin’s Market began humble, and remains that way to this day.Awards/Accolades/TestimonialsIn the past 20 years Kin’s Farm Market and its founders and directors have received several awards for business excellence. Kin’s has been voted top choice by the readers of many – if not all – community publications, such as the Georgia Straight, the Vancouver Courier, Burnaby Now, and Richmond News to name a few. Also, Kin’s president and founder Kin Wah Leung, has been recognized as one of BC’s top influential Chinese-Canadians by Premier Gordon Campbell and he has received the New-Canadian Entrepreneur Award from the Ethno Business Council of BC. In 2009, our directors were awarded the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year (EOY) Award in the Business-to-Consumer category. The EOY is the most prestigious business leader’s recognition in North America.