Terrible gardener, pretty good shopper

By Pieta Woolley, Editor | pieta@prliving.ca

This year, I’m growing rhubarb and spring onions. Let me re-phrase that. This year, the only food that is growing in my garden is there because it’s doing it all on its own. So far, that is rhubarb and spring onions.

Life seems to have reached an apex of busy-ness in my household, and so the garden - which was never my forte - had to give. What I’ve learned over the years though, is that gardening is but one way to be part of qathet’s magnificent, vibrant local food movement. You’ll find other ways to join in throughout this magazine.

Festivals are an inspiring introduction. This year nearly all of qathet’s gorgeous foodie events are back, from beer fest to the Edible Garden Tour and mushroom fest and much more (Page 30).

Swapping produce, plants and seeds is another – and there’s a new, locally-developed web app for that (Page 10.)

Learning about sustainable ocean foods and making good choices about what you eat is another way (Pages 7 and 24).

Shopping might be the least demanding way to click into the movement, although it likely makes the most impact. You can get to know your farmer and buy your meat locally (Page 12), or visit one of qathet’s many farm gates, big and small, that dot the region from Saltery Bay to Lund (Page 15). Or, order a CSA box (Page 22).

Here’s what I excel at: buying delicious prepared food at farmers’ markets. One of my favourite booths is Dump Run Provisions, run by chef Jeffrey Mickelson (Page 28). You can count on Jeffery, and many other qathet chefs, to bring you beautifully prepared ingredients harvested or grown right here. And, most importantly, you can count on Dump Run’s Siberian pelmeni to be absolutely delicious.