Abbotsford locals say there's never a big check-in lineup at the Abbotsford International Airport. And most days, they're right. But if you try to fly out of Abbotsford during the biggest sockeye salmon run in 98 years, the lineup for flights to Calgary is very long indeed.

All the smiling folks (well, mostly guys) dressed in ball caps and fishing fatigues have stacks of extra boxes packed with fresh-caught, iced salmon to check in.

So last week, I waited my turn and when the WestJet staffers queried my lack of fresh salmon -- just why would I be leaving town without any? -- I pointed out that my luggage was packed with goat cheeses, duck prosciutto, dried cranberries, hazelnuts, garlic and even a small bottle of walnut wine instead. And that I had been indulging in the land-based treasures of the Lower Fraser in addition to eating sockeye whenever I could. That seemed to satisfy them.

I spent a few days last week -touring farms, wineries and res taurants in the communities that border on the U.S. south and east of Vancouver.

The area from Richmond to Agassiz is packed with foods that show up in our grocery stores and f-armers' markets and in our res t-aurants: Pitt Meadows blueber ries, Agassiz hazelnuts, Burnaby milk, Richmond cranberries and, of course, Fraser River salmon.

Many of the area's communities have developed what they call "circle farm tours," which are selfg -uided tours of farm-gate ven dors, wineries, open-air markets and special events.

If you're visiting the Vancouver area and are interested in food, they make for a great outing in the countryside. And they help create much-needed revenues for the farms.

Take, for instance, Farm House Natural Cheeses run by Debra Boyes and her family. Finding that their small dairy herd did not generate enough income, they decided to make cheese with the milk instead of selling it to larger dairies.

N-ow, eightyearslater, theypro duce a range of two dozen award-winning cow cheeses that are a s-taple in Vancouver and Okana gan restaurants. Farm House has recently added goat cheeses to their mix, and they're selling like hotcakes, too. (Not in Calgary yet, unfortunately.)

Down the road in Agassiz, the circle farm tours have revived Canadian Hazelnut. A few years ago, the 30-year-old nut farm sold all their hazelnuts to large distributors in the U.S. But since tourists started arriving at their door, they've developed a long list o-f certified organic hazelnut prod ucts including fresh and roasted nuts, chocolate-dipped nuts, protein powders, cold-pressed oils, butters and spreads. Their on-farm store generates revenue year-round in addition to their fall harvest sales.

Another Agassiz success story is that of Limbert Mountain F. arm

In the Bouchard family since 1902, the current generation raises herbs and processes them into teas, vinegars, pestos and so on. Now they have opened a cafe and teach cooking classes to serve the circle tour visitors.

They are a key destination on the annual Slow Food Cycle Tour where cyclists visit as many farms on the circle tour as they can in one day.

T-hereareanumberofwiner ies in the area that produce wines f-rom local fruits and from lo cally grown or Okanagan-grown grapes. It's a coolish area for grapes, so many of the wineries focus on cool-weather grapes

such as Marechal Foch or Ortega, with varying results.

The most interesting wine I tasted was at Vista D'oro Farms & Winery in Langley.

Using a family recipe from 1796, winemaker Patrick Murphy infuses brandy distilled from his grape wine with their own green w-alnuts. Theresultisasilkyforti fied wine similar to a fine port.

Most of the farms are close enough to allow visitors to pack many visits into each day.

But for those who like their food prepared, there are some fine restaurants in the region, too. Restaurant 62 and S, easonal 56 both in Abbotsford, key on local products such as lamb loin and d-uck breast to create brightly fla voured, contemporary meals.

And dinner at the Fraser River Lodge in Agassiz and at the Copper Room in Harrison Hot S-prings Resort both feature lo cal seafood, including smoked, poached, grilled, stewed, chowdered or cedar-glazed sockeye salmon. So even if you haven't come to fish, you can enjoy the local bounty.

For more information on the C-ircle Farm Tours, check out cir clefarmtour.com.And for closer food touring, look for Kayben Farm's Pumpkin and Scarecrow Festival Oct. 2 and 9 at kayben.com,Karen Anderson's Calgary Food Tours at calgaryfoodtours.com,which includes a Thanksgiving tour on Oct. 3, and the annual Flavours of the Foothills Festival (August).