So our first step was to discover more about the produce available on Vancouver Island. We decided to check out Nanaimo and Area Land Trust (NALT) because they have a wild plant sanctuary where indigenous plants are potted and sold as well as grown in their peak seasons. Going out there in the middle of February, however, is not the most exciting.
Not a lot grows in the cold of February. It did show me what was potentially available in a month or so though, Violets, Maple flowers, Miners Lettuce, Nettles... Perhaps growing our own interesting gear could be the answer, but I’ll leave that for another post.
Locally available cultivated ingredients include apples, turnips, beets, cabbage. Pretty standard stuff, think winter = think root vegetables. In fact, February and March seem to be the worst for local produce.
It seems like the immediate answer is to look for local stock piles of these types of ingredients and prepare ourselves for the next growing season. This revelation brought me to a gentleman that I met while attending a farmer’s market last summer.
Mr. Dirk Bekker.
He’s an urban farmer who focuses on supreme quality and has a serious passion for growing.
His story is an interesting one and is best described here, (http://www.synergymag.ca/a-lantzville-couple's-fight-for-the-right-to-grow-food/). Suffice to say, thanks to the bureaucrats of the RDN, his farm was going to be (and, as of this post, still could be) taken from him on the basis of a single complaint from a bitter neighbour and favouritism by the Municipal Government.
Having this type of By-law is absurd because it basically takes away your ability to be self sufficient. Although Mr. Bekker is growing on a slightly larger scale than most, the idea of the by-law isn’t prohibiting the sale of crops, it’s prohibiting the actual growing of crops.
Ridiculous.
The global food situation is dire. Part of the solution is utilizing urban area and promoting urban farming. People are saying green roof technology is the way of the future, as well as being able to grow food for yourself and not relying on imports as heavily. Promotion of independent farmers and subsequent farmers markets are also a mainstay in political rhetoric.
So what the hell is the problem?
Unfortunately, other than the well documented incompetence of municipal, provincial, and federal government (experienced by anyone who’s passed a road work crew and hasn’t been able to figure out why they need so many people to dig a hole), I can’t figure it out.
These issues have stretched nation-wide and across the globe. There seem to be numerous accounts of this type of hypocrisy stating that by-laws won’t allow growing.
The odd counterpoint to this is the many urban co-op gardens that we’re finding in more and more major cities. A plot you register for and submit your name to, which will be put into a lottery and a small space will be awarded for X amount of time. You’re also allowed to grow on your balconies in apartments, in back yards all over suburbia (Move that into the front yard though and look out).
All of this seems like a good start. In North Vancouver the Mayor is actually at the forefront of changing city lawns into gardens. www.vancouversun.com/life/Mayor+wants+convert+North+Vancouver+lawns+into+gardens+fruits+vegetables/3816483/story.html
Perhaps it’s just the small town big thinkers that can’t catch up. Or perhaps it’s specific individuals that have nothing better to do then to complain.
Personally, I’m going to support Mr. Bekker and have already talked to him about what he may have for me in the upcoming months. His operation is still relatively small and he has a loyal following that would probably be pretty pissed if I waltzed in and scooped all the vegetables. So I sent an email out to a few other farmers I met over the summer and here we go. Progress.
I will post the names of the farms and farmers along with what they’re hoping to have and when as soon as I have all the info. In the meantime though, check out this website for farms near you. ( www.islandfarmfresh.com/farms.htm ) or maybe ( www.vancouverislandlocalfood.com/?p=767 )
Remember, this isn’t some massive conglomerate with endless supplies. These are a few good people growing some exceptional product. The important thing to remember is that these people are all around us trying to squeak out a living, trying to compete with the cheap gear from everywhere else. Look around and you’ll find them, they’re waiting at farmers markets ( www.bcfarmersmarket.org ) at road-side stands and always at their farms. And if you have a bit of extra time, try growing your own. It can’t hurt, just don’t tell anyone.
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