Fall Harvest Bounty at Cow-Op

Laura is a market gardener, gardening teacher, and an active member of Cow-op.

Cow-op.ca is an online farmer’s market operated by the Cowichan Co-operative Marketplace. We are a co-operative of 75+ members – all local farms and food businesses in the Cowichan Valley and surrounding regions. Our mission is to support local farms for the future. We are building a system to ensure fresh, local foods can be accessed by Vancouver Islanders year-round. This creates crisis-proof income for our farms and businesses, while providing customers with high-quality foods that don’t cost the earth.

The market “Opens” every Thursday morning, and “Closes” on Monday night. Customers can shop from dozens of vendors by adding items to their cart. When the shop closes, a “Pick List” is emailed to each vendor. They bring their products to the co-op warehouse, where staff pack orders into reusable totes. On Thursdays, those totes leave the warehouse, to be delivered to homes and pickup locations from Victoria to Nanaimo. On Thursday morning, the market “Opens” again for a fresh order period.

When Covid caused closures of markets and restaurants, Cow-op was there. Riding the waves of economic uncertainty, our humble community co-op has now become a crucial sales, marketing and sustainability hub for local businesses who rely on the revenue for their livelihoods.

Customers can order all the finest food that this region has to offer. October is the time to stock up on vegetables, as farms have abundant crops such as Squash, Garlic, Leeks, Carrots - and keep your eyes peeled for potatoes! ;) Roast a chicken from Stocking Creek Farm, and be generous with herbs when seasoning your stuffing: Parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, sage, and savory are available to be harvested fresh.

Good bread is necessary for any Feast, so we’re Thankful that True Grain Bakery supplies Cow-op with a variety of sourdough loaves, baguettes, and buns baked fresh for same-day delivery! For dessert, try a pie from South Island Saskatoons, or make a crumble with apples from Fruit Forest Farm, and pair it with Promise Valley Creamery’s Vanilla Bean yogurt.

Check out shop.cow-op.ca to discover more seasonal treats from our hard-working producers!

Happy Th anksgiving! Th ank you for supporting the farmers that feed our community with abundant harvests each year.

Duncan Offi ce: #101-126 Ingram Street 1-866-609-9998 www.alistairmacgregor.ndp.ca

LOOKING FOR MICROGREENS? We grow plenty of them!

A&S MICROGREENS

t.250-710-6135 www.asmicrogreens.com

Fall Harvest Bounty at Cow Op