Local fruit farm featured in Amazing Race episode

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on July 19, 2022.

Herald photo by Al Beeber Jim Luco of CR Fruit Farm givers a tour of his property that was featured in a segment of last week's episode of "The Amazing Race Canada."

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

They don’t know for sure who recommended them but the owners of CR Fruit Farm are thrilled the producers of “The Amazing Race” Canada asked them to be part of the reality TV series.

Jim Luco and wife Toni Frieburg run the U-pick fruit and vegetable farm on Highway 508 just minutes southeast of Lethbridge which played a role when “The Amazing Race” visited the city in last Tuesday’s episode.

In tonight’s episode, contestants leave Waterton Lakes National Park for Fernie, B.C.

Before doing an interview with The Herald, the fruit farm owners had to check with producers to get the OK. They also had to fill out a number of non-disclosure forms prior to filming and couldn’t tell anyone they were part of it.

On a Friday ride through the farm on a golf cart with one of two family dogs, Luco gushed about the opportunity to be part of the hit show.

He and Toni live on land that the Luco family has farmed since 1928. But since 1995, the old barley field has been put to a different use with the couple growing a range of different fruits and vegetables.

Everything at the farm now was put in by Luco and Frieburg including trees, greenhouses, house and bushes.

“And I’m only 36,” Luco joked.

In the Lethbridge episode, contestants had to memorize a list of vegetables at a southside Subway restaurant that they needed to get at the fruit farm.

One team was seen asking former Lethbridge Bronco and NHL star Ron Sutter for directions to the farm which is basically two minutes from the Lethbridge airport.

The episode shows contestants grabbing the vegetables at a stand, which was just a prop, now resting in a pile of scrap out of sight when a person pulls onto the property after driving down a long treed driveway.

Each team was only on the property for about 20 seconds, said Frieburg who said they had to keep their dogs, including a young pup, out of the way of the contestants.

Luco said a neighbour named Bob Copeland had asked him if the couple would be interested in participating in the show but he also heard someone at County of Lethbridge was a contact with producers.

“It was great, what an amazing thing. What a wonderful thing for Alberta and for Lethbridge,” said Luco.

“You don’t even see ’em,” he said of contestants.

“I bet they weren’t even here for 15 or 20 seconds a vehicle. Each team had one of those little red Blazers they were driving and a cameraman with them.”

Contestants and cameraman would run quickly to the vegetable stand and quickly they were gone again.

“It was just amazingly quick,” he said.

Frieburg took photos of the farm before and after the episode and sent them to producers.

“They were the nicest people,” she said of producers who even bought their youngest dog Winston a necktie.

Producers checked out the site first to see it was suitable before they asked the couple if they wanted to sign on.

The need for privacy was essential with a lot at stake, said Frieburg.

“How upset would one of those contestants be if we screwed it up for them,” she said.

Contestants were at the farm on April 30 between 8 a.m. and noon, they said.

“It was fascinating,” Luco said.

“It’s a real boon for Lethbridge.”

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