b'Jan Kuppens is happy to be living and working on the site of a former dairy farm. To be fair, hes pretty happy all the time, but also, hes spent his life on dairy farms, first while growing up in Holland and later in Innisfail, after he immigrated to Canada in 1996. Today, Jan is the owner of Red Gables Deli on Spring Creek Drive, and it feels like everything has come full circle.Red Gables Deli, named for one of the buildings on Jans Innisfail farm, opened at the end of 2019. Its a charming space lined with local goods, from beef, bison and Sylvan Star cheese to canned foods, baked treats, honey and dairy. Locally sourced is a trendy concept, but for Jan, its just life. He spends three days every week doing supply runs across Albertaa schedule he calls the perfect balancesourcing milk, bread, THIS FORMER FARMER TAKES preserves and meat from producers hes known for decades. Meat cutting happens at his parents farm in Innisfail, and LOCAL SOURCING processing is done by an old neighbour. The only items Jan doesnt pick up personally are a selection TO A NEW LEVEL AT HISof imported Dutch foods, a nod to his heritage that customers SPRING CREEK DELI have embracedin fact, his best-selling item is Dutch stroopies. Perhaps its these syrupy wafers that keep a growing crowd of regulars jangling the door chimes at Red Gables Deli, but more likely, its Jans amiable charm and his deep commitment to his customers. Before, I was milking cows, so there wasnt a personal connection to clients, he laughs. So I worry a lot about whether everything is good enough but people keep coming back!Jans home and deli occupy one of Spring Creeks LIVE-WORK spaces, an arrangement he didnt know was an option when he started property hunting. When he found this space, it immediately felt right. On a farm you live where work is, so this feels like a natural turnover from the farming community to here, Jan says.For Jan, living in the mountains is a lifelong dream. He bikes and hikes, and in summer he longs for winter so that he can ski. Its not easy for him to find timethe deli is open seven days a weekbut being busy doesnt bother him at all. Its fun, he says, smiling. It doesnt feel like work at all.Mist Ridge, KananaskisOPEN 7 DAYS A WEEKFEATURED CANMORE BUSINESS 713 - 707 Spring Creek DriveRedGablesDeli.ca the heart of canmore | 202109'