Growing Food

The food program organizes several community garden spaces on Galiano Island each year. In 2012, we will be involved in the following projects:

*Cable Bay Farms Growing and Gleaning Project
*Garlic-growing Cooperative
*Community School Garden
*Community Greenhouse Year-round Project and Spring Starts Project

Consult these individual headings to find out more about each Food-Growing Initiative.

If you are interested in participating in any of these projects, please contact the Food Program Coordinators, Janice and Alison, at 250-539-2175, option 2,e-mail us at galianofoodprograms@gmail.com or contact us through this website. You can also join us on Facebook under Galiano Community Food Program.

Googling ‘eating local’ offers up 2 million responses today whereas 25 years ago.... wait a minute, there was no google then ! My point is is that we have, en masse, embraced the benefits of eating locally as our awareness around almost everything we do expands. This article is devoted to better laying out our options for eating close to home. At the beginning of the spectrum of possible geographic food sources is the wild food we forage from our own ‘yard’: nettles, chickweed, pepper grass (all available this lovely January day).

The harvest is my favourite time of year and so are the spring sowings and the summer warmth when the greens are growing so fast. And then its winter! Mild winters might be what we pray for and we are fortunate to live in a climate that allows outdoor work any month of the year so for this article I will share with you my joys of the winter season. Apart from drawing up garden plans to make next year the best yet and drooling over seed catalogs there are many garden tasks that keep me active and upbeat.

A few weeks ago I attended a “Beet and Cabbage” workshop. We made 3 different kinds of slaw, an amazing Borscht, cabbage rolls, beet cupcakes and more – But what stayed with me – more than all the great new recipes – was a lesson about the practicality and importance of choosing ingredients that are local, in season and that are suited for our climate, beets and cabbage, squash and carrots, for instance. They grow well in our climate most of the year.

Prior to our visit to Galiano, our team of seven city gals expected a lot of labour intensive field work in less-than-ideal weather. However, we were not expecting the incredible hospitality, local food, and educational experiences that Galiano and its community members had to offer. Between a tasting of apples from Sunshine farm, a fantastic dinner comprised of house-smoked salmon and local Cable Bay produce, as well as a tasty breakfast prepared by Alison Colwell at the community hall, we were thoroughly exposed to all of the bounty that the island has to offer.

For me, the harvest season brings out deep and ancient yearnings for tribe, clan or family…. What ever that is that makes us feel safe, loved and gives us the sense of belonging to something bigger. Since the industrial revolution and the shift to the nuclear family model something changed how we played out the bringing in of food to carry us over the dark and cold months of the year. An isolation from the larger group began to form. We are inherently a tribal animal….. for tens of thousands of years we relied on one another for survival.

For decades now Galiano residents have relied on regular transportation of food if not by our own steam than one of the storeowners here. But like most other places in North America both urban and rural there has been an awakening to the prospect of rekindling our agri CULTURE. It’s not just that we are preparing for the oil situation to force us in to local production; it’s much richer than that…. It seems to me that humans actually not only enjoy watching the fruits of our labour, but that we like to do it in a group !

COME SATISFY YOUR APPETITE....

- to grow food for yourself, your family and your community
- to work with others
- to learn about soil, planting and harvesting techniques and orchard care

Cable Bay and Sunshine Farms are offering to collaborate in creative and innovative ways
- 50 foot irrigated allotment beds
- forming a potato coop
- growing community crops
- learning, labour and food exchanges

BRING YOUR IDEAS OF HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER

Let’s Occupy our Food System !

Starts Group: Get a jump on the growing season ! Learn what to start and when as well as how to make great potting mixes. Planning meeting Sun. Feb 26, 11 am @ the greenhouse.
First plantings Sunday, March 4 @ 11 am

On Thursday, Feb 16th at 11 am we'll do a good hour, raking some leaves to further mulch and add organic matter to the soil. And we will get our sunshine and exercise too !!
If you have more leaves you can bring, or if seaweed is your thing then bring it along. The more the merrier !
See you then, Janice