Plusses For Taking Busses

There Are Plusses For Taking The Busses. Winning a BCTransit bus pass for a 30-day trial period created a doorway to a brave new world. That personal pledge at the April Earth Day event, when I acquired the card, was a serious undertaking. Firstly, how was I to lug home groceries? That was quickly solved by discovering that most markets do home deliveries. What about heavy bags of my beloved chicken manure and ocean soil? That was a set back as the stores don’t load manures into the same trucks that haul food. Relying on a friend that was going downtown quickly solved that problem. Attending my many meetings, especially evening events, was tricky as the last busses depart the Community Centre at 915pm. My appreciation for the trials of a Quadra Islander deepened. My fall-back position was to use the car for meeting.The plusses outweigh the strategic planning that goes into taking a simple bus ride. The frustrations that are a daily part of using public transportation are the same things that make taking the bus actually pleasant. The act of sharing space with a stranger, maybe having a bit of a chat with passengers or the driver, connects us to our community in a broader way. Despite having to use my car several times during the month when my “strategic” plans collapsed, I still contributed greatly to the carbon footprint reduction. $130 which equates to two tanks of gas was saved by not having to fill up. The monthly bus pass, at $35 for seniors is a bonus. I just can’t pass up a good pass so I’m renewing my card for the month of June!

A Group of Food Garden Fanatics including agricultural plan supporters and city hall staffers visited a most unusual farm last week. Hans Rhenisch and his wife Dorothy moved from the Okanogan to land near the old UBC farm and have spent the last four years transforming it into a model site. Essentially they practice a form of agriculture which is comparable to the permaculture system. After the surface weeds are cleared and the top soil gently loosened seeds are sown on the surface and covered over with a topping of finely ground bark mulch, sand and aged animal manure. The land is not deeply cultivated and as Rhenisch, a retired plant pathologist, explained to us, “Digging down into the soil disturbs the micro organisms. They become disconnected from each other. It is like a symphony orchestra. It does not work in harmony when you change the players around.“ Standing there surrounded by strong, healthy insect free vegetables and fruit trees was certainly a confirmation of his system. He referred us to the book “One Straw Revolution” by M. Fukuoka. Rhenisch’s farm is an adaptation of the ancient Asian farming system and is a most inspiring place to visit.

WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T GROW FOOD?

Who Says You Can’t grow food on a north facing balcony? City staffer, Diana Bell has defied the naysayers by producing a wonderful array of veggies grown in pots on her South Dogwood Street condo. Her eclectic array of containers includes Tyee spinach, Bright Lights swiss chard, Butter Crunch lettuce, and Red Leaf romaine. Her herb pots produce spearmint and chives. Cages are used to support zucchinis, cucumbers and Sweet 100 tomatoes. At the peak of daylight hours her balcony only gets reflected light and direct sun around the side of the building from about 6pm until sunset. Diana says the tomatoes which normally ripen in 60 days take double that time before harvesting. “The taste is incredible despite the long wait”, exclaims this enthusiastic gardener. She also grows edible violas. “They look so beautiful scattered amongst the greens and they really perk up a plain garden salad”, she adds.

Being Inspired By Directions On Cooking Dandelions in a local cookbook I headed out along a canyon trail in search of fresh leaves and buds. They aren’t hard to find, just make sure they are growing well back from the trail or roadside to avoid contamination from vehicle fumes. The directions for cooking these tasty leaves can be found on Page 31 of the Quadra Island Cookery ll book. The recipe is so basic, just a bit of oil or butter in the pan, grilled onions and a pinch of salt and a squirt of lemon juice. Just a simple idea but this dish is brimming with nutritive value.

The Earth Day Film Presentation at the Tidemark Theatre was so inspiring that it has caused me to take revolutionary action regarding my reliance on my humble Honda CRV. I won a bus pass door prize to be used during the month of May. Someone nearby remarked “You could give the pass away to someone who really needs it”. “Well wait a moment,” I thought to myself, “maybe it’s really me who needs to change my driving habits. Well you can see where this discussion was headed. Listening to the film presenters profound change of life style as they reevaluated their wastefulness motivated me to take a personal “No Driving” pledge for the month of May. As I have a midmonth appointment in Victoria I will exempt myself for that one trip but other than that I’ll be either cycling of taking the bus to town. As two fill ups with gas in a month cost between $100 - 130 the earth will not only be benefiting by my lighter footprint but so will my wallet.

WHAT COULD BE NICER

“What Could Be nicer than fresh spinach, lettuce and greens early in the spring?” That line caught my attention as I perused the latest edition of the local garden club newsletter. Sally Watson, a dynamic member of that growing organization, is reminding us all to start planting our spring vegetables patch. She goes on to say, “This is the time of year that gardeners get restless and the easiest “fix” is to have something growing on a window sill in our houses ready to go outdoors when the soil warms to the correct temperature for the vegetables in question.” That is 10 degrees for the early starters. Sally goes on to explain that “experienced island gardeners will tell you that it simply isn’t worth putting vegetable plants or seeds out in the garden too early - nothing will happen until that rush of warm spring air arrives to warm the soil and start everything growing. This does not preclude starting things off indoors so that you are well ahead when the warmth arrives. As the days get longer this gets easier and easier”.

Sally tells us that she already has a pot of garlic 9 inches high in her kitchen window growing great guns and her spouse, Malcolm, has small cauliflower and broccoli plants “resting” in the greenhouse waiting for the warmth to arrive, as well as lettuces in the cold frame and onions in the garden that have overwintered and will take off early.

One of the great benefits of belonging to our garden club is that those of us who are eager to learn more about the secrets of growing food benefit by listening to “the masters” and then sharing what we learn with others. I am experimenting, for the first time, with overwintering vegetables. The onions and garlic which were planted in the late summer are thriving despite snow and lashing rain. The broad beans, planted in October have really taken a beating due to some severe wind and snow storms. The plants are almost two feet tall and are tied to sturdy stakes. After a severe temperature drop they wilt totally yet once the air warms they rally once more. I am looking forward to the beans ripening in late spring as they are rich in nutrients and will make an interesting substitute for the tinned garbanzos used in my family’s favourite hummus recipe. A slow walk around the mucky garden after each storm is a great way of cheering oneself up and sustaining that important sense of anticipation.

HANDS IN DIRT EXPERIENCE

Breaking New Ground for a hands-in-dirt experience is the start of an interesting collaboration between North Island College and the city’s Land Use Dept. The joint project, Backyard Gardening and Small-Scale Agriculture, begins in mid-May and includes four sessions. It is exciting to hear that Kira DeSorcey will be the instructor. She is a former Timberline student and the inspiration behind the Edible Courtyard garden which has become a learning centre for students at the school interested in food production.

The course is designed to attract first time gardeners who are interested in healthy eating as well as those who are taking it a step further and want to learn about the small scale farming business. Kira is a horticulture technician, permaculture designer and the garden manager at BlueJay Lake Farm on Cortes Island. She currently does edible landscape design and particularly enjoys creating community and school gardens.

What make this course so special is that it includes hands-on learning in the campus garden as well as visits with local growers and info on the city’s plans to encourage and attract new farmers. I’m planning to enroll in the course and I hope to see many Urban Gardener readers joining me in this new venture. The fee is $95 and to book space please call the North Island College office.

Worms In A Tub farming is an easy way to raise those lively Red Wrigglers whose mission in life is to convert your kitchen waste into rich brown compost. There are tubs designed especially for raising worms but they can be costly. A local lady who recently retired from the business of growing worms has a few tubs for sale at the very reasonable price of $55 each. That includes the instructions on how to set up your worm farm. Her contact number is 923-8431.

ARE WE GUILTY OF GULPING

Are We Guilty of gulping down our meals in order to get on with the next activity… or do we savour our food slowly while enjoying each mouthful?

My friend Lesia revisited France this past summer and returned exclaiming that the French still have such reverence for food. As they settle down at the table the first few minutes are spent contemplating the presentation and asking such questions as where the cheese was produced or what herbs were used in the preparation of the appetizer Only then are the utensils lifted and the tasting begun. This is not about food snobbery but shows a profound respect for the whole process of planning and consuming meals. On the other hand my food writer friends tell me that the French are entrenched in a fossilized style of culinary arts. A new generation is rising that has created a reform movement called Le Fooding. This younger generation is fiercely challenging the snobbery surrounding French food while still embracing the idea of food as a pleasure, something to discuss and enjoy.

So here we are on the other side of the pond where many of us select our foods with a totally different criteria. We may ask “Is the recipe simple?” “Can we cook it in less than 30 minutes?” These are valid questions and we all ask them, especially those families where parents are working and time is a precious commodity. Perhaps our dining habits just need a bit of tweaking. There is nothing more pleasant than having all family members sit down to the meal at the same time. It creates a sense of celebration and is likely the best opportunity that busy people have to develop the idea of family togetherness. It is also an opportunity to discuss the ingredients used in preparing the meal, encourage the discussion of these flavours and help youngsters to appreciate the production of food. If you were raised in a family where the art of slow eating was entrenched then you received a precious gift. It is never too late to adjust one’s eating habits and pass the gift along to others.

Potato Wedges are divine! If your youngsters are old enough to help with chopping foods this is a great way to involve them in the fun of meal preparation. It is also a slick way to use up odds and ends in the fridge. Take two pounds of white or sweet potatoes, a half cup of olive oil, some salt and fresh garlic. Try thyme, sage or rosemary for extra flavour. Wedge-cut the potatoes and toss them in with the herbs and the oil. Roast uncovered in a 400 degree oven for 40 min. or less if you are using yams or sweet potatoes. There’s a bonus if you have organic potatoes as it isn’t necessary to peel them. An over ripe tomato or a bit of dried up cheese lurking in the back of the fridge can greatly add to the taste. Beware! One can get addicted very easily to potato wedges.

CHIFFONADING IS QUITE POSH SOUNDING

Chiffonading is a posh sounding description for a very simple leafy vegetable dish. “Chiffon” is French for “rag” and is a cooking technique in which herbs or leafy greens such as spinach, beet leaves, basil or kale are cut into long thin strips. This is accomplished by stacking leaves, rolling them tightly, then cutting across the rolled leaves with a sharp knife, producing fine ribbons. Cut out the stems first if they look tough. I did a column on chiffonading almost two years ago, not that I used that particular word at the time to describe the process. However people continue to stop me in the street and ask for the kale recipe and I love to share the steps that convert the nutrient rich kale into a delicious addition to your meals.

So…here we go. In a heavy frying pan melt a tablespoon of oil and a knob of butter in medium heat. Toss in a small spoonful of grated ginger and the same amount of chopped garlic. Then add a tablespoon of water. I often add a pinch of sugar if the leaves are coarse. Mix the greens well with the other ingredients and use a heavy lid on the pan. After three or four minutes, on medium heat, pop the lid and the kale should turn intensely deep green and be ready to serve. It will make a delicious addition to your plate as well as a visual treat.

In September, as mentioned in the past column, I visited Powell River in order to experience the annual Edible Garden contest. I picked up two new ideas from a contestant in Lund, which is north of town. He had cleared a small garden site out of a deeply forested area and was successfully producing a variety of food stuffs and fruit. He told me one of his secrets for growing great grub was to feed the plants horsetail tea. Now that interested me was I am so enamoured with the new famous chicken dung tea. He claims that because horsetail has such deep roots it draws up nutrients from the earth that are not available to shallow rooted plants. To prepare the tea he harvests armfuls of the plant and chops it into smaller lengths. It is then left to soak in a large barrel for a couple of weeks while it gradually turns to a deep green brew. He then siphons the liquid out of the barrel and uses it in the same way that we traditionally fertilize our plants.

Composting our kitchen waste is a fairly easy process but what to do with the coarse stalks left over from clearing the garden and cleaning out the handing baskets can be a problem. The horsetail farmer made it look easy. He took a big clear plastic sack and tossed in all the garden refuse and small pruned branches. Then he sprinkled in a bit of water, tied the sack up and left it lying on the ground in the direct sun. He claims that by next spring all his scraps will have turned to sod. Now that is a tidy solution and if it works it is actually a brilliant solution! That’s one I must try.

CITY TAKES A QUANTUM LEAP

City Council Took a quantum “Green Leap” into the locally grown food movement last week when councilors officially approved the Agriculture Plan. The steering committee, of which I am a member, formulated the plan and recommendations for a strong agriculture sector to be developed in Campbell River. It was a great moment for our team. A year has passed since we received funding from the Agriculture Foundation to retain a researcher and a soil specialist to assist city staff and our committee to prepare a plan.

Readers of this column were surprised to learn that one third of municipal land is designated ALR (Agricultural Land Reserve). The research has now confirmed that there are specific areas in the community including the Willis Road, Duncan Bay Road and Airport South areas that have high soil values. These are equivalent to rich agricultural lands in the Vancouver delta area. As well, there are very accessible areas for possible commercial greenhouses.

Vancouver Island once produced more than half of the region’s food requirements. In the past 50 years this number has dropped to an average of less than ten per cent. The sad stats for local production show that we produce less than one percent of our food needs in Campbell River. Agriculture is now re-establishing itself on the Island and the Ag. Plan committee’s vision is that Campbell River become more sustainable with the production of local food, grown on it’s own land. This is an exciting time to be setting new directions and looking at new ways to strengthen our economic diversity and become part of the exciting locally grown food movement on Vancouver Island.