Ron Donatelli

Silver Hills’ longest standing full-time employee and certified BCRPA Fitness Strength Trainer, Ron Donatelli, is the epitome of practicing what you preach when it comes to healthy living. However this hasn’t always been the case for the former Mr. Fraser Valley Body Building Champion who used to regularly eat 3 to 5 whole chickens per day in order to sustain his intense training regimen and brawny physique. As is often the case, a series of unfortunate events were the eventual catalyst of significant lifestyle changes for Ron and his family.

Ron first emerged in the strength training scene when a serious head-on car collision left Ron with a mangled knee that required surgery and extensive rehabilitation. After spending countless hours working out in the gym to recover from the accident, Ron opened his own fitness center in Mission, BC.

With an unwavering dedication to weight lifting, Ron went on to compete in and win several body building events until another serious car accident halted his training. Coupled with some other health concerns, Ron decided it was time to seriously re-evaluate his approach to health and nutrition. While a 17-inch plus bicep was a nice perk, he realized that the diet he was consuming based on the belief of what was needed to maintain this level of fitness was in fact, not ideal for his health. Clean, lean and simple became the goal, shifting his focus from an ‘outside-in’ mentality to an ‘inside-out’ approach. This led to Ron adopting a vegetarian diet and adhering to the philosophy that “if it has eyes or a mother”, he wouldn’t eat it. He began treating his body with much more respect and after additional research, took the next step and went vegan. He said goodbye to the milk moustache and hello to ripped abs, which Ron claims he acquired almost overnight upon making the decision to go vegan. 

But this was only the beginning of significant lifestyle changes for Ron and his family. After much deliberation and discussion, Ron and his wife, Petra, decided to chase a dream. Ron left a secure and well paying job and they packed up the family and moved to a 20-acre plot of land near Salmon Arm, BC. Soon after the move, they built a beautiful log home and started a small organic garlic farm, which they called C2 Farms – named after two of their sons, Cam and Chris. The decision sparked criticism and some friends and family questioned whether too many weights had dropped on Ron’s head from the years spent in the gym, but Ron and his wife had peace that this was best for their family and new approach to healthy living.

Since making the decision to simplify life and adhering to a vegan diet, Ron and his family have enjoyed abundant health. And with an annual crop of approximately 2,500 plants, Ron still produces some of the “meanest garlic on the planet”, which he sells at the Silver Hills Bakery.

From sales and marketing to research and development, Ron has worn many hats with Silver Hills, including the hat he currently wears as Business Development Manager. In talking to Ron, it doesn’t take long to recognize the passion he has for the company that shares his belief that simple, clean living is the key to optimal health. In fact, people often mistake him for an owner of Silver Hills because he can’t help but rave about his employer, where integrity and honesty are not only talked about, but also lived out each and every day. While Ron loves his job, he reaps the most fulfillment from the amazing stories he hears from customers who have experienced radical life change after implementing Silver Hills breads into their regular diet. Or as Ron calls them, “extra paychecks.”