Village Vibe
news and views from the heart of Fernwood
www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca
july 2006
Faces of Fernwood Farmers
by Susan Salvati
There’s a new face on the farm. Over the last year Angela Moran has been working the land at Up From the Ashes City Farm, a magical oasis tucked away behind the bicycle wheel fence on Balmoral, between Cook and Vancouver. The quarter acre farm, inhabited by a family of raccoons and filled with lush vegetation, is in a transition year. Rev, who has cultivated the property for several years, is moving onto another path. Angela’s journey to the farm began at Brock University near Niagara Falls where she earned a degree in Environmental Policy and Sociology, and first heard of permaculture. But what Angela craved upon graduation was a chance to get her hands into the dirt. After two years in the Yukon and some time in Canmore, she spent time as a Woofer on a permaculture farm in Costa Rica. From there, she was accepted into the Ecological Gardening Program at Linnaea Farm on Cortes Island. It was at Linnaea that Angela became attuned to food systems and issues of food security. She emerged with a desire to work toward systemic change, to use
techniques, Angela is learning how to keep the farm emotionally, financially and physically sustainable. Part of that sustainability comes from selling the fruits of her labours. Angela’s greens now emerge in salads at Mole restaurant. These, in addition to beautiful cut flower bouquets and other vegetables, can be found once a month at the Moss Street Market, as well as at Fernwood’s very own Tuesday night Village Market. Angela hopes that Up From the Ashes can demonstrate that her new skills to change commu- "we need to share in the responnities. She moved back to Victoria sibility of growing our food and and heard of Up From the Ashes. take the pressure off of the rural Now, as a participant in the farmers. If I’m growing food in Lifecycles Youth Entrepreneur Fernwood, I want to sell food in Program, Angela spends the Fernwood." This is heartening majority of her time at the farm, news for all those who want to watering her plants in the early increase the level of food security hours of the morning. Since part in our neighbourhood. of Angela’s vision is education, she welcomes volunteers to the Want to Build a Café ... farm Mondays, Wednesdays and meet your neighbours, leave a Fridays from 8:00a.m. to 11:00a.m. and 4:00p.m. to lasting legacy in Fernwood? 7:00p.m. She wants to share her Join Fernwood NRG for knowledge because that is how Cornerstone Work Parties this she learned. And she continues to learn. summer Tuesday nights Where once this learning came (starting July 11) 5:30-9:30 from books, now the farm is her Fernwood and Gladstone teacher. In addition to growing