Growing Food

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).

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.

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.

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 !