villagevibe March 2007 : News and views from the heart of Fernwood SECURITY
ISSUE
Photo: Veronique da Silva
FOOD
Chowing down on climate change >> by Julia Adam
F
ood is a basic necessity for our survival, a reason to bring people together, intrinsically connected to climate change, and available free of charge right here in Fernwood. Our neighbourhood has a public access green space that is a leader in practical and local responses to climate change, and it provides food for us all. Spring Ridge Commons (located at Chambers Street and Gladstone Avenue) has gone through many changes over the past 120 years. It began as the site of Spring Ridge School, Victoria’s first elementary schoolhouse. Then, for many years it was a vacant gravel causeway, a passive landscape with little to offer the community. In 1999, work began to transform Spring Ridge Commons into an organic food forest, designed as a human produced ecosystem, which mirrors the ecological processes of the natural environment. Last June a resolution was passed at the Fernwood Community Association (FCA) Annual General Meeting that “places the FCA on
record supporting the Spring Ridge Commons as a freely accessible permaculture garden.” With other similar projects – like Bamfield Commons in Esquimalt – starting to emerge in the area, Spring Ridge Commons is a leading example of transforming a passive urban space into a public-access food forest. It is a local example of practically applying sustainable growing practices, while acting as a leader in local solutions to climate change. Go Fernwood! But what does a Fernwood food forest have to do with climate change? The drastic weather patterns occurring in California offer a clear example of how vulnerable we are to the impacts of climate change. So much of our food comes from off the island (California, Florida, South Africa, Mexico, etc.) that we cannot continue chowing down without seriously considering the impact this is having on our planet. The 1500 km process from seed to plate that much of our food goes through and the industrial, non-organic
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The karma of food >> by Mara Moon Karma is the sum total of all that an individual has done, is doing, and will do. The effects of all deeds actively create past, present, and future experiences, thus making one responsible for one’s own life, and the pain and joy that it brings to others. Nourishing our bodies with food is a necessary life sustaining process. We make choices regarding what we feed our bodies every day. Or do we? I’ve come to question who actually controls what, when, how, and why we eat? If we have unknowingly given this power
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in this issue Rescuing food, reducing hunger Page 2 Feature: Creating a food community Page 4
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editorial :
Breaking bread together
Some hae meat and canna eat, And some would eat that want it; But we hae meat, and we can eat, Sae let the Lord be thankit. The Selkirk Grace, penned in the 1790s by the Scots’ bard, Robbie Burns, is a precious vestige of my childhood that remains amazingly relevant to my life today. Though I rarely think meat when I think food these days, the sentiment that we are fortunate in our relative abundance is a fitting place to begin any discussion about food. It’s a sentiment that is reflected in many of the food sustainability initiatives featured in this special issue of the Village Vibe. The Good Food Box Program, Food not Bombs, and the Community Food Project are all expressions
of our appreciation of just how fortunate we are. Knowing our good fortune, we seek to share it. For me, the other fundamental fact about food is that food and family, friends, and community are inextricably linked. When we ‘break bread’, we do it best in company. Reading about these initiatives, I was struck by the deep sense of community that underlies all of them. It is the spirit of the edible food garden of Spring Ridge Commons, the Sharing Backyards Program, and the Pocket Market Program. Even choosing to garden in a sustainable manner, as our Garden Gleanings
Food Sustainability, like climate change, is on the minds of many these days. It’s part of a package, our connection to the planet and our connection to each other. While it is now being recognized at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels, Fernwood, with its own initiatives and its close ties to others like Lifecycles Project and the Compost Education Centre (to name a few) has long been on the cutting edge of this issue. Clearly, people in our neighbourhood are strongly committed to and are taking action on food sustainability. And … we sense that we could do more. In that spirit, Fernwood NRG will host a luncheon gathering on ‘Food Sustainability in Fernwood’ on Saturday, March 31, 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, at 1240 Gladstone. Come and break bread with your neighbours and share your concerns, your passions, and your visions.
It’s part of a package, our connection to the planet and our connection to each other.
declaration of principles and values We are committed to creating a socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable neighbourhood; We are committed to ensuring neighbourhood control or ownership of neighbourhood institutions and assets; We are committed to using our resources prudently and to becoming financially self-reliant; We are committed to the creation and support of neighbourhood employment; We are committed to engaging the dreams, resources, and talents of our neighbours and to fostering new links between them; We are committed to taking action in response to neighbourhood issues, ideas, and initiatives; We are committed to governing our organization and serving our neighbourhood democratically with a maximum of openness, inclusivity and kindness; We are committed to developing the skills, capacity, self-worth, and excellence of our neighbours and ourselves; We are committed to focusing on the future while preserving our neighbourhood’s heritage and diversity; We are committed to creating neighbourhood places that are vibrant, beautiful, healthy, and alive; and, most of all, We are committed to having fun!
contributor advocates, reflects concern about the impact of our actions on others and on the Earth. Geoff Johnson’s work is an eloquent expression of that.
Rescuing food, reducing hunger >> by Tracy James Standing on the freight dock at a warehouse that handles 700,000 pounds of food a day for Vancouver Island, Jennifer Hawes realized she was looking at a tremendous opportunity. She saw a substantial volume of healthy food that was destined for the landfill, the casualty of accidental freight damage, mislabeling, or overproduction. A long career in the non-profit sector meant Jennifer knew much about the hunger problem in Victoria, and the Community Food Project that she has run since 2004 out of ColdStar Freight Systems was born. Food rescue and redistribution is one small piece of the puzzle we call food security, ensuring that everyone has access to healthy, nutritious, safe and culturally acceptable food. As the Toronto-based food organization Second Harvest puts it, “There is enough food for everyone to have what she or he needs. The problem is distribution.” And redistribution is exactly what happens at two innovative Victoria-based programs – one championed by a community-minded private business, the other an enterprising program of one of the regions prominent food security non-profit organizations. Working with their clients – the food producers themselves – ColdStar gets permission to divert healthy, safe food that would be otherwise dumped into the landfill into the Community Food Project instead. This food is delivered to eight Neighbourhood Houses in Victoria, including to the Fernwood community centre, for use in their programming. The community agencies turn this rescued food into 1500-2000 healthy meals and 2000 healthy snacks to children and families in Victoria every month. The savings to the Neighbourhood Houses amounts to more than $60,000 a year, money that goes a long way to supporting valued programs in our communities. Equally impressive is the contribution that food rescue and redistribution makes to diverting a portion of the 340,000 tonnes of food waste that gets sent to Hartland Landfill annually, thereby cutting harmful greenhouse gases. Across Victoria over the past nine years, the Fruit Tree Project has harvested over 100,000 pounds of surplus fruit from private trees that would otherwise go to waste. Operated by Lifecycles, the project employs a coordinator and a team of over 80 volunteers who pick fruit starting in early summer with cherries and lasting well into
Page 2 | News and views from the heart of Fernwood | March 2007
Photo: Susi Porter-Bopp
November with late-harvest apples. Each year, one third of the fruit is distributed to food banks, community kitchens and other organizations, and one third of the harvest is divided between volunteers and homeowners. The remaining third is turned into juice or other valueadded products, produced through partnerships with socially-minded local businesses. Sale of these products supports the Fruit Tree Project’s operating costs and has the added benefit of creating local employment. The Fruit Tree Project also collaborates with organizations like Fernwood NRG to plant fruit trees and educate fruit tree owners about local food production. The theme of corporate social responsibility surfaces as Jennifer Hawes talks about the joys and challenges of rescuing and redistributing food in the tough business of food production. “You have to find the right person who believes in what you do,” she says when asked to identify the key to the success of the Community Food Project. The project garnered Coldstar an ‘Ethics in Action Award’ two years ago. While Jennifer admits there have been more than a few hurdles and mindsets to change about the “dump versus donate” issue, she is committed to food redistribution. That is especially true now that B.C. has legislation that encourages food donations and lifts many previous liability barriers. “It can be so hard to make ends meet in Victoria” and “if we all just give a little bit of what we do best, we could solve the hunger problem,” Jennifer says. Employees of the Lifecycles Fruit Tree Project add, “What began with the idea of connecting people with fruit has become a project about connecting people with people.” The passion for sharing continues to grow. To volunteer your fruit tree, your time, or simply find out how you can get involved in food rescue and redistribution in Victoria, please contact the Village Vibe.
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views from the street :
What is your favourite
Views photos: Veronique da Silva
comfort food?
Eric Bannerman
Boumedienne ‘Ali’ Hanni
Cindy Powley
I just love food and eating in general, so its tough for me to say one specific thing is my comfort food. Still, I’ll go with good chocolate. Chocolate with nuts and caramel! If I needed comfort, I would sit down and eat a lot of it, slowly. I would savor it!
Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Asparagus! If I came home after a bad day, would I whip myself up this combination? Absolutely! It would remind me of when I was a child. I would feast on it and then I would take a nap, remote control in hand, under a blanket!
A Roast Beef dinner with all the trimmings; Yorkshire pudding, roasted potatoes, broccoli and carrots and lots of gravy. The works! Actually, I would like to come home after a long day and have that dinner waiting for me. And my children to clean up after the meal!
For peace: food not bombs >> by Morgan Obendorfer Pass by the intersection at Pandora and Vancouver Street on any given Sunday afternoon at 3:00pm and you are bound to observe a small congregation of people sharing hot vegetarian meals. The food is prepared by volunteers affiliated with a worldwide grassroots movement called Food Not Bombs. In our modern world there is in fact enough food for everyone, yet according to the United Nations World Food Programme a child dies from malnutrition approximately every eight seconds. Every day more than 800 million people know what it is to go to bed hungry. Food Not Bombs works to end hunger by recovering food that would otherwise be thrown out and preparing fresh, hot vegetarian meals. The meals are distributed in outside public spaces to anyone who wants them. Since its inception in 1980, when the first group was formed in Cambridge, Massachusetts by antinuclear activists, Food Not Bombs has actively gained momentum. It has now spread throughout the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. Food Not Bombs is often the first to provide food and supplies to the survivors of natural disasters and terrorist attacks such as the Asian Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, and the September 11th World Trade Center attacks. The organization has no formal leaders and strives to include everyone in decision-making. Each group is selfgoverning and functions independently. The groups
Serving Our Community 1020 Hillside Avenue Phone: 250 360 2023 rob.fleming.mla@leg.bc.ca
Rob Fleming, MLA Victoria - Hillside
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bohemian buzz
are bound by a dedication to nonviolent social change through selfless service and peaceful direct action. Think for a moment about all the healthy food that goes to waste every day in this city from supermarkets, restaurants, and food distributors. Consider the amount of food that rots in locked dumpsters, never satisfying anyone’s appetite. Now, imagine all this food gathered in one place. On any given day, the mountain of food would be enormous. It would be far too much to be distributed by a handful of volunteers. Yet every little morsel of food that reaches a hungry mouth makes a tremendous impact. I have spoken with many people who have confirmed that in our city it is possible to eat three fully organic meals per day solely on food scavenged from the dumpsters of various wholesale food distributors. Clearly, we have a tremendous amount of wasted resources. Meanwhile, around the planet tens of thousands are starving. Another point to contemplate: how much money is spent each day on the weapons of war? Certainly we could feed the entire population of the world many times over should we decide to throw down our arms. In my view, most people don’t consider the magnitude of our current state of imbalance. It seems larger than life, something so insurmountable as to feel defeated before we begin to take action. Yet when we begin to act, it soon becomes apparent how much we can actually do to make a positive impact. The Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore said, “I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and found that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy!” May all the Earth’s children be fed!
Café hosts live music >> by Kasper Let’s face it, the delicious hot coffee, charmingly warm baristas, cool paintings, and eco-friendly geo-thermal heating at the new Cornerstone Café at Fernwood and Gladstone is already plenty to entice you in the door. But now there’s one more reason to stop by … live music. As of January 26th, the Cornerstone officially became Victoria’s newest acoustic music venue. Every Friday features a local or touring musician to entertain you, free of charge. And every Saturday is the Bohemian Open Stage, open to musicians, poets, comedians, and performance artists of all kinds. Buzz Review So far, the café has hosted such talented Fernwood artists as: acoustic latin guitarists Los Gringos Locos, angsty alt-country duo David Chenery and Chelsea Wakelyn, edgy folk singer-songwriter Shade Tree, and engaging songstress SianElen. Other special guests have included: acoustic gypsy jazz trio Twango, dynamic young singer-songwriter Nate Ripley, jazz-infused progressive folk rock artist Mike Luno, and Island Music Awards Female Songwriter of the Year, Melisa Devost. Buzz Preview Don’t miss the exciting shows that are coming up in March: March 2–Toronto’s Tom Glenne and Victoria’s Steve Sturgess, March 9–Victoria’s Jay Dunphy & Hayden Kee, March 16–Victoria’s Darlene Hixson, March 23–Caroline Spence, March 30–Toronto’s Kyra & Tully. Shows Fridays and Saturdays begin at 8:00pm and run until 10:45pm. If you are a performer and would like to be considered for a Friday night showcase, e-mail james@fernwoodneighbourhood.ca. If you are a musician, poet, comedian, or just want to come out and watch, the Saturday open stage is a lot of fun and is quickly gaining popularity. With such high calibre performers bringing their craft to the café, the Cornerstone is sure to become, over the next few months, one of the hottest acoustic music venues in town. Hope to see you there!
March 2007 | www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca | Page 3
feature : >> by Susan Tychie
A
long time ago I was traveling in Greece. After a wild bus ride on narrow mountain road, I ended up in a very tiny village – a village too small to have a hotel or B&B. I waited for hours in the central square while my Greek friend arranged a place to stay the night. The locals gathered at dusk and a shepherd held up a side of lamb for all to view. Though I couldn’t understand the language I could see what was happening. The shepherd would point to part of the meat and someone would shout out a response. They would go forward and take their cut of meat. This continued until there was only the shepherd’s portion left. At the time I thought, “Ah this is how they do without refrigeration.” Thinking back, I now see, “Ah, this is a community sharing food.” Knowing who grows your food, knowing it is fresh and nutritious and that it is available to all. Food security! While I could not see this exact scenario occurring in the Fernwood Square outside the Belfry, I can envision a market place filled with fresh local food: a farmers’ table piled high with local fruit and vegetables; a community table overflowing with the surplus local fruit from home gardens and vegetables from allotment gardens; wild food from the Fernwood Commons with information on how to use your own backyard wild food; jams, pickles and relish from small processors using the local harvest! Wooden spoons, pottery bowls from your local artisans! A food economy not hooked into agribusiness, international trade or the conventional food systems. Gathering food and community to support and nurture each other and to have fun! FoodRoots Distributors Co-op (www.footroots.ca) will be bringing local farm products to Fernwood’s Tuesday market this spring; currently the local produce from Fernwood’s urban farms sells out within the first half-hour. FoodRoots provides educational resources around food and agriculture issues, and helps you create community and food security in your own neighbourhood. FoodRoots
Commons
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growing methods are key contributors to climate change. Consider how much of what you eat is not grown locally. How does it get here? Is the food organic? Fernwood was responding to climate change long before the sense of public urgency recently sprung up. Spring Ridge Commons is full of over 40 species of organic plants and trees within walking distance of your house. An informative map and display board is being introduced to help us all make better use of the Commons. Soon, you will be able to visit Spring Ridge Commons and have a series of pictures with information
Creating a food
gathers naturally grown fruit and vegetables from local farms and mainland organic producers, and distributes the food through small scale community focused markets we call ‘Pocket Markets’. The Vic West Pocket Market has been running since August 2005 and is open during the winter in the Vic West Y. (Check it out on Wednesday 3:00pm to 7:00pm inside the Y at 521 Craigflower). FoodRoots also operates weekly Pocket Markets at UVic and Camosun Lansdowne.
Why is it so important to support organic growing practices?
> A food-secure community is based on a strong sustainable food system that ensures access to nutritious foods for its members. > The economy in our community is also supported when we purchase locally. Food dollars stay in the area. > Farmers are recognized and valued members of the community. > Neighbours are encouraged to grow food crops and form buying groups. > Community members share knowledge of food production, preparation and preserving. > Opportunities are created for distributing local food within the community.
Sustainable food is grown naturally in our local region. It is grown in a way that enhances the soil. Productive soil is an extremely important resource. Organic farming sets a high value on nurturing the soil to produce consecutive crops. It is our future food!
As you can see, there are many advantages to choosing local food. When comparing cost, remember to factor in the cost to the Earth and the increased nutritional value of fresh foods.
But naturally grown food is more nutritious because of the good soil. Seed is chosen for its ability to prosper in the local climate and for its taste. Genetic diversity in seeds is encouraged. As our environment heats up, the chance for successful future crops is enhanced by this bio diversity. In contrast, seeds from agribusiness are chosen for their longer shelf life and consistency in sizing and appearance. The variety of any type of vegetables you find in the conventional supermarket is therefore extremely limited.
Farmers are not valued in the early twenty-first century. They do not receive a reasonable financial return for their efforts on our behalf and are left to farm as a ‘lifestyle’ not a livelihood. There is therefore not a lot of local production compared to 50 years ago (before industrial agriculture). We want cheap food and lots of it. We are used to this scenario and expect all types of food to be available all year.
Sustainable food is grown without the use of pesticides and herbicides, limiting chemical residues on your food and in the local ecosystem.
Why is local so important? > Local food is fresher, more nutritious, and more sustainable because it does not travel great distances. > Imported food carries with it the transportation cost to the environment of its CO2 emissions. This cost is not included in the price you pay at the supermarket.
about each plant and tree and know what, how, and when to harvest the food. Spring Ridge Commons has played a quieter role in Fernwood in recent months, and is headed towards an exciting spring and summer with volunteer work parties, school workshops, and plentiful harvesting opportunities. With the new addition of the display board to the Commons, there are so many new opportunities to learn about the plants and trees that compose the landscape, and how we can interact with this incredible space. There are people all over the world in office chairs and on the ground trying to deal with the daunting task of initiating practical solutions to climate
Page 4 | News and views from the heart of Fernwood | March 2007
Why is local food hard to find?
The large-scale industrial food system cannot interface easily with small producers. The large companies require delivery of huge quantities of product to distribute to their retail outlets. Small producers find very little space in this system. Until recently, there has been no one in our region working solely on the distribution of regional foods. Meeting farmers at markets and knowing who is growing your food is the best. However, farmers cannot be at markets in every community, every day of the week. FoodRoots Distributors Co-op is working to recreate the middle ground in our local food distribution system. Working with farmers, processors, and retail members,
change. With seven years under its belt, Spring Ridge Commons is ahead of its game and producing more food and environmental education than ever before. Check out the display board at the site, join in on work parties, or take time to visit the Commons and reap the benefits of its plentiful food production. Harvest at the Commons in March > Black Bamboo – harvest shoots when 5cm in diameter, 8 cm above ground > Miners Lettuce – harvested for soups and teas > Rosemary – harvest all year, flowers March-October > Willow stocks > Witch hazel – branches or twigs harvested for bark
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community FoodRoots will undertake crop planning with farmers, provide delivery and storage facilities, and work to maximize our local food production by distributing local foods to communities through Pocket Markets and by providing produce for small scale food processors. Farmers growing for the markets are encouraged to attend during the season. If farmers do attend a market, FoodRoots works with the farmers and offers products that compliment what the farmers bring to sell.
Photos: Susan Tychie
FoodRoots connects city folk to the farm and to sustainability issues through Sustainable Feasts, held the first Saturday of each month. The Sustainable Feast is a celebration of local food and is a great place to meet other people interested in food, agriculture, and sustainability issues. FoodRoots also undertakes education efforts at the markets.
What can you do? > Help kick start the market in Fernwood Square. Make it a place where you meet your neighbours to celebrate food and community. > Buy local products wherever you can. From Moss Street and James Bay Market, FoodRoots Pocket Markets or box programs like Saanich Organics (818-5807) and Share Organics (www. shareorganics.bc.ca), and Fernwood NRG’s own Good Food Box Program > Ask at your supermarket where the food is coming from and what they mean by local. > Refuse to buy blueberries from Argentina in January. Indulge yourself in Island blueberries in August! Freeze a few bags for a winter treat. > Support your local farmers by seeing the true value of what they do and buying their produce at a fair price.
There is a way to link people who want to grow food but don’t have garden space
> Grow food in your backyard and balcony. Share your harvest with your neighbours. > Have a potluck using food grown in your area. > Share your knowledge of canning and preserving. Come to a FoodRoots Sustainable Feast on March 3rd, 6pm Garry Oak Room, Fairfield Community Place. Tickets for this family friendly event are $25 for adults, half price for under 10 years old and free under 5 years old. Tickets available from Shift in Fernwood Square!
> The initiative, called Sharing Backyards, provides an online map through which people create this kind of partnership. Individuals register, browse a map for a match and then make the contact themselves. Check it out at www.lifecyclesproject.ca.
FoodRoots connects city folk to the farm and to sustainability issues through Sustainable Feasts
Our Office is Open to Serve You Denise Savoie, MP A Voice for Victoria in Ottawa 970 Blanshard Street 363-3600 www.denisesavoie.ca
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Ask about our monthly specials! Call (250) 382-2022 1284 Gladstone Avenue, Victoria, BC V8T 1G6 In Fernwood Square across from the Belfry
Community Office 1084 Fort Street, Victoria P: (250) 952-4211 F: (250) 952-4214 carole.james.mla@leg.bc.ca www.opposition.bc.ca
Carole James, MLA Victoria - Beacon Hill
March 2007 | www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca | Page 5
Photo: Veronique da Silva
garden gleanings :
>> by Margaret Hantiuk Growing veggies, like all plants, is easy as long as you meet their requirements: lots of sun, good soil, good seeds (or plants), and constant care. This is why the city food gardener is now called the ‘urban farmer’– gardening is a commitment. The rewards are many. Your food is wholesome, fresh, inexpensive, and organically gown. You help reduce greenhouse gases because your food is not trucked, flown, or floated to your door. Your children
Growing food is easy
eggplants, tomatoes, potatoes, cukes, squashes, corn, beans, and melons. Herbs run the gamut, from the mints, which can take cool weather to the Mediterranean herbs such as basil, which is tender. All veggies need at least six hours of sun a day to thrive, and the hotties need even more. All vegetables can be grown from seed. But most hotties are best started in your house on the fridge or windowsill if you don’t have a greenhouse. Or you can purchase plants. Beans and squash may be grown from seed. The French say don’t seed the beans till you can sit your bare bottom in the soil and feel it’s warm! Usually this is late May, but do check it out! Planting these southern veggies earlier won’t work unless you have a particularly protected and sunny spot and use little ‘cloches’ (hats sold in garden stores) to protect them from our cool spring nights. On the other hand, the cool weather veggies prefer the cool days and nights and may bolt or wither in hot weather. They should be planted either early (March) or late (early July) for the fall in the coolest part of your yard. Good soil means lots of compost. Compost helps heavy clay soils by improving drainage and sandy soils by
The French say don’t seed the beans till you can sit your bare bottom in the soil and feel it’s warm! get to help and enjoy the wonders of being outdoors and witnessing the miracle of growing plants from seed. I mentally separate veggies into three groups. Cool weather veggies can be grown from early spring through late fall. These include greens, peas, onion and leeks, garlic, fava (broad) beans, and the cabbage family (includes kales, chard, cauliflower and broccoli). Warm weather crops include roots such as carrots, beets, turnips, and grains. Hot weather crops originate in the south and include peppers,
aiding water retention. Good drainage is key. If your soil is heavy or your yard is cool, you may find raising your beds helpful. Different veggies like sandier loam (carrots) and others like richer soil (greens and onions). Some veggies like a little lime added. Others will thrive best in rich soil to which manure added. It’s worth it to do a little research. Good seed means that it shouldn’t be too old. If you have kept it yourself, make sure it’s not moldy. Growing on the west coast is more successful with varieties that prefer
Good food box program gets local
cool nights and moist air. I like the West Coast Seeds (formerly Territorial) and also Salt Spring Seeds. Check around at the garden shops, or talk to your neighbours. Because our summers have been so warm and dry lately, be prepared to water your garden almost daily, depending on how much sun your yard gets and your soil. Don’t plant near large trees or hedges because of the shade factor and invasive roots. Keep your garden weeded and fenced if you have pests (pets, raccoons, deer, etc.) If you watch your garden daily you can pick off some of the bad bugs and if you care for your garden (especially watering) and have good soil, it will be strong enough to withstand most attacks. Please don’t use toxic chemicals, as you will kill good bugs, butterflies, birds and the millions of good bacteria that are in healthy soil. Remember to enjoy your thinnings. Plants need room as they start to grow. Tall plants should be staked and planted at the back, on the north side of your garden. There are many ways to lay out a garden in your yard. When planning remember that gardens don’t have to be planted in straight lines. Many varieties of greens are so pretty that they are now grown among flowers in beds. In medieval gardens, the ‘potage’ or kitchen garden was a mixture of veggies, culinary and medicinal herbs, and berry and fruit trees, all mixed in with flowers. That way, bees pollinated everything (and provided honey) and the fragrant herbs and flowers hid the veggies from many bad bugs. It was convenient and a delight to all senses. If you are going to attempt a garden with a medieval flare put a bench in so you can enjoy it! Salt Spring Seeds www.saltspringseeds.com West Coast Seeds www.westcoastseeds.com Both of these have catalogues and West Coast has very helpful growing advice.
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>> by Jennifer Freeman The Good Food Box Program offers five different box options. There are three sizes in our regular Fruit and Veggie Boxes: $5.00, $10.00 and $15.00 boxes. These boxes contain mixed fruit and vegetables. There are always staples like potatoes, onions, and carrots, which come from local farms throughout most of the year. Then there are the seasonal local delicacies. Depending on what time of year it is, your box could contain a cabbage, a squash, some broccoli or cauliflower, some beets or parsnips, kiwis, leeks or Brussels sprouts on the stalk. In the summer, we get local tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, and peppers. In June, there are always local strawberries. The $12.00 All Fruit Box contains an assortment of fruit. There is also a $15.00 All Natural/Organic Box. This box contains mixed fruit and vegetables. The local items in this box are usually from non-certified farms and anything from off-island is certified organic. All boxes are excellent deals. To find out more about the Good Food Box Program, how you can make a donation or volunteer your time please contact the Coordinator, Jennifer Freeman, via email: goodfoodbox@fernwooneighbourhood.ca or leave a message at 381-1552 ext. 33. Or check out our website at www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca/goodfoodbox.html
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Page 6 | News and views from the heart of Fernwood | March 2007
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Photo: Veronique da Silva
faces of fernwood : Cornucopia
>> by Susan Salvati If the black cloud of global warming is weighing you down, what you need is to spend some time with Geoff Johnson. With his expertise and passion for permaculture, Geoff is an inspiration to anyone who wants to reduce their carbon footprint by focusing on local food. What is permaculture? It is a holistic system of design that aims to create ecologically sustainable human habitat by accounting for basic needs (such as food, water, shelter, energy, etc) while conserving and recycling resources (such as water, organic matter, etc). Geoff ’s interest in permaculture runs deep. Even in his teens, Geoff had a concern for global climate change. Growing up in the suburbs of Vancouver, Geoff was attracted to Victoria because of its scale. He saw how the bikeability of the city lends itself to a sustainable lifestyle and so he moved here in 1994. Geoff has lived in or near Fernwood ever since. He was also attracted by Victoria’s thriving urban agricultural scene. Geoff took Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria and became more involved with permaculture, which for him is part of “a local solution to the global ecological crisis.” For many years Geoff headed the team of volunteers that created the community permaculture garden on Spring Ridge Commons at the corner of Gladstone and Chambers. One of the key themes of permaculture is the selection of plants for their utility. Plants in a
Karma
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away, how can we now take it back, in light of the dawning awareness of our collective and individual heavy ecological footprints? McDonalds, Kraft, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, and Starbucks, for example, amass billions of dollars each year, ‘feeding’ us toxic, genetically modified, factory farmed, highly processed, over packaged, people-and-planet-exploiting non-food. Advertising seduces and psychologically manipulates us into agreeing to equate buying products with feeling special, entitled, and comfortable, or even just being okay or normal.
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permaculture system allow an individual to grow food closer to home, as close as the backyard! Permaculture also stresses ecological sustainability. Plants are selected for both of these criteria. There are plants that feed and heal us, attract pollinators, and host beneficial insects that eliminate the need for pesticides. Ultimately, the permaculture food garden, or food forest as it is otherwise known, aims to create a perennial poli-culture, an ecology that highlights long-term food bearers. It makes simple ecological sense to grow fruit-bearing trees, shrubs, and vines. To this end, Geoff has created Cornucopia, a permaculture micro-nursery that focuses on useful plants for human habitat. Geoff is a graduate of the LifeCycles Youth Entrepreneur Program, which helps individuals develop small, ecologically sustainable businesses. Through his nursery, Geoff propagates organic plants and sells them at Moss Street Market, transporting them by bike trailer. “All my operations are organic, not certified, but based on organic principals.” Geoff also grows veggie starts for Lifecycles’ school program in addition to selling his plants at the Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre’s annual sale. “One of my biggest limitations is that I can’t sell plants from my house. Thus the bike trailer concept.” Geoff wants the focus of the nursery to be on underutilized, perennial food-bearing plants. He describes how he often hears people say they don’t have time to grow their own food because of family and work responsibilities. Geoff has a solution: “The kind of plants I’m really interested in are easy to establish, lowmaintenance and high-bearing over time.” Eventually, Cornucopia will also offer on-site consultations. Geoff ’s
fernwood marketplace Thank you Fernwood! At February’s Total Plastic Recycling day, over $480.00 was collected in donations! This is well above our average. 20% of your donations each month go directly into Fernwood NRG’s programs. So as you recycle your waste, you are contributing to the neighbourhood. Thank you goes also to the four new volunteers who have committed their time to help out with this important program. With their help, we hope soon to increase the hours of operation of our monthly depot. If you are interested in volunteering, please e-mail Susan at: villagevibe@ fernwoodneighbourhood.ca.
Advertise Here Your ad could be here! $5.00 for three lines. $1/additional line. Send an email to marketplace@ fernwoodneighbourhood.ca. Ads due the 10th of the month for the following month’s issue.
aim is ultimately to “be supported by Fernwood residents and help empower them to grow their own food.” Geoff ’s approach to dealing with global climate change may seem simplistic, but the bottom line is that trees are what the planet needs right now. Trees are carbon sinks, they prevent erosion and they are important in the hydrological cycle. “When you’re feeling disempowered, go plant a hearty, food-bearing tree somewhere and care
for it,” says Geoff. He describes this action as one that empowers, brings beauty to one’s surrounding and will be a testament of hope for the children of tomorrow. Geoff talks of the view people take of ethnobotany – the relationship between plants and people – as something exotic or far off. In fact, says Geoff, “to make a transition to a more sustainable way of life we need to develop a contemporary ethnobotany.” For Geoff, there’s a whole other dimension to food-bearing plants besides their utility. “There’s a real sense of connection to the Earth when you can forage for food in your backyard or your local food park.” Maybe that connection is what we really need most of all. Geoff Johnson can be reached at respectyouralders@ yahoo.com or 595-6465. He hopes to have a website for Cornucopia up and running this spring including an inventory of the nursery’s plants. In the meantime, watch for him at the Moss Street Market. Geoff is also teaching a workshop entitled “Key Permaculture Plants for our Region” at the Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre on Saturday, March 3rd, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. Call 386-9676.
Often we eat strictly based on habit and merely to gratify our senses. Emotional eating is a vain attempt to fill up our inner emptiness, to counter or displace any fears of our current reality and responsibility towards the future that we are creating through our karma. The average North American household watches 40,000 TV commercials a year, many for fast food, carbonated drinks, grocery products, digestive aids, diet pills, and various other fads. Aside from sleep and work, watching TV is North America’s number one pastime. How does one enlighten oneself about these issues when materialism seems to have won? When I was in elementary school, I remember learning about the four food groups, with emphasis on dairy products and meat. As an adult, it has been a gradual process confronting and opening my eyes to some of the hard realities regarding food issues and the impact on the Earth of our consumerist culture. I give deep thanks for having inspirational friends and mentors who have modeled conscious food habits and awareness. Materialistic consumption on a finite planet is suicide. The Amazon Rainforest is being destroyed to raise cattle. Up to 100,000 species of life become extinct every 24 hours. Forty-three percent of the land in the US is used to raise cattle or grow feed for livestock. A meat diet uses up to fifty times more land than a vegetarian diet and meat’s impact on the environment is second only to automobiles. Much of the ‘food’ available in grocery stores is factory
farmed and genetically modified. It requires processing facilities, packaging and shipping, leaving a trail of waste and pollution. The fossil fuels expended to import and export all this so-called food makes a few rich while fueling the global climate crisis. In Radical Simplicity, author Jim Merkel asks us to imagine we are first in line at a potluck buffet. How much will we take? The potluck spread includes not just food and water, but also the materials needed for shelter, clothing, healthcare, and education. Six billion others wait in line behind us. “If you landed on an island paradise with three friends, the answer of how much to take would be intuitive enough, similar to sitting around a large pizza on Friday night – a no-brainer. But the scale of this buffet is too big to wrap your mind around our plate becomes a shopping cart, becomes a pickup truck – filling our home, attic, basement, garage, and maybe even a rented storage unit with nature transformed into things.” It feels like it would take a huge leap to escape the throngs of our consumerist culture. We rationalize. This is how it is. This is how it’s always been. Why do we feel such a profound resistance to taming our appetites? This is a spiritual, social, psychological, and emotional question we must start asking ourselves. For life on this planet to continue, we must make a very brave journey into a completely new – or perhaps very old – sustainable way of life.
Trees are what the planet needs right now.
March 2007 | www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca | Page 7
what’s on in Fernwood March 2007
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Music, Art, Theatre, and Entertainment Live Music @ The Cornerstone Café Every 2nd Thursday: Poetry Night, 8 – 11pm. Fridays, 8-11pm: Showcases of local and touring performers – March 2: Toronto’s Tom Glenne and Victoria’s Steve Sturgess, March 9: Victoria’s Jay Dunphy and Hayden Kee. March 16: Victoria’s Darlene Hixson. March 23: Victoria’s Caroline Spence. March 30: Toronto’s Kyra & Tully. Saturdays, 8-11pm: Open Stage, hosted by James Kasper. Victoria Bluegrass Assoc. Jam Ongoing Tuesdays Orange Hall, 7:30 – 10:30pm, $2 to play, free to listen. (Last Tuesday of month is open stage/ feature night; cost varies). Live Music at J.K. Do Forno Café in Fernwood Square. free! Call for info: 386-8446. Live Music at Logan’s For listings, www.loganspub.com. Belfry Festival 07 Through March with performances of Skydive: February 27 - March 4; [storm]: March 13 - 17; Bigger than Jesus: March 20- 25; and Belfry 101 Live: March 25, 2007; and culminating in a week of one woman shows by Puente Theatre, The Puente Meli Festival: March 26 - April 1. For more information check: Belfry Online at www.belfry.bc.ca or call the Box Office at 385-6815. Theatre Inconnu Harold Pinter’s The Caretaker: February 21 - March 10. 8 pm. 1923 Fernwood Road. For more information check: www. theatreinconnu.com or call: 360-0234 Our Place Fundraiser St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church 7:30pm, March 14. The 33-voice College of New Jersey Chorale from Ewing, NJ, will perform sacred and secular works. For information, please call 384-5734 Positively Africa Benefit: Shylock 7:30, March 16 & 17, Alix Goolden Hall. Performance by David Berner, directed by Peter Bardon. In support of grassroots AIDS projects in Africa
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Kids & Families Parent & Tot Playgroup Ongoing Tuesdays & Thursdays. FNRG Gym, 9:30am - 11:30am, $1 per family, snacks/crafts/circle time. Rhythm Circle Time Drop-in – 10 Weeks per session Tuesdays 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm in the FNRG Multi-Purpose Room. Free! Mother Goose Pre-register-10 weeks per session. Tuesdays (Call 381-1552 Ext.22 to register and for info) FNRG MultiPurpose Room, 1:00pm - 2:30pm, Songs, rhymes & stories-Free! ($2 for songbook) Community Day Parent Fernwood NRG invites families to come and get involved in Community Day. Our upcoming forecast of events includes; Self Care (Massage, Neuropath, Esthetics), Drum Making, Spring Herb Garden and for Stone Soup...Thai Vegetarian Spring Rolls! MMMMMM! Mondays, 9:30am – 11:30am. FNRG Gym, Free!
Youth, Adults & Seniors Indoor Soccer Drop-in Co-ed Adult (18+) – Ongoing Mondays, 8:45 – 9:45pm, $2 per person. Free Internet and Computer Access: Complete your one-time registration and then get online through the Community Access Program. FNRG Community Room, 9:15am to 8:30pm, Monday to Friday. Free! Drop-in Floorhockey Co-ed Adult (18+), all equipment provided. Ongoing Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7:00pm – 9:30pm, and NEW: Saturdays, 2 – 4:30pm. $4, or get a punchcard: $40/11 sessions. No wooden sticks. FNRG Gym. FREE Yoga! (Vinyasa Flow) Tuesdays, 10:30am – 12:00pm, in the FNRG Multi-purpose room. Holistic Health & Healing Healing meditation based on Chinese Five Elements: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, Wood, plus discussion of topics chosen by group. Ongoing Mondays, FNRG, 10:00–11:30am, Free! Falun Gong Peaceful meditation practice. Ongoing Wednesdays, FNRG, 5:00pm – 7:00pm, everyone welcome, Free!
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Fernwood Autumn Glow (55+) Gentle exercise, lunch & activities; Ongoing Fridays, FNRG, 11:00am, $5.50 for lunch. Through Burnout to Balance and Beyond will be presented by Corrine Tench at the Fernwood NRG on March 9th, 2007 from 12 pm to 2 pm a presentation to the Fernwood autumn Glow Seniors luncheon group
Special Events Green Drinks An inclusive gathering of the sustainability minded for refreshments conversation and inspiration. Queen Mother Waterside Café, 407 Swift S. Tuesday, March 13. Youth event at 3:00pm, General event 5:00 – 7:00pm Village Vibe Join us to brainstorm the April VIBE. Thursday, March 22 Cornerstone Café, 7:00 – 9:00 Victoria: Vibrant City, Vibrant Neighborhoods Neighbourhood Workshop Series 2007. Community Connection and Creativity: Land Marks Lecture Series on Public Art: Hear jill p. weaving on community based public art. Glen Anderson, mosaic artist, will demonstrate his community based approach. Wednesday, March 14, 7 pm to 9 pm Cedar Hill Golf Course Clubhouse 1400 Derby Road
Make Yer Neighbourhood Nicer Total Plastics Recycling Day Sat, Mar 10th, Back of FNRG 10am Noon. (2nd Sat of every Month) Recycle clean plastics of all kinds (styrofoam packing, soft plastics, egg cartons, and all hard plastics) plus old electronics. By donation. Food Sustainability in Fernwood Fernwood NRG Luncheon Gathering, Saturday, March 31, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm 1240 Gladstone
For submission guidelines and for more info, go to www.fernwoodneighbourhood. ca/events
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villagevibe Published by Fernwood NRG (Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group) 1240 Gladstone Street Victoria, BC V8T 1G6 T 250.381.1552 F 250.381.1509 villagevibe@fernwood neighbourhood.ca www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca Editor: Lisa Helps Guest Editor: Trish Richards Photographer: Veronique da Silva Contributors: Julia Adam Jennifer Freeman Margaret Hantiuk Tracy James Kasper Mara Moon Morgan Obendorfer Susi Porter-Bopp Trish Richards Susan Salvati Susan Tychie The views expressed in the Village Vibe do not necessarily reflect the views of the Fernwood NRG.
Food security begins at home Learn how by checking out some great workshops offered by the Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre. Composting Basics Workshops Saturdays 11 am-1pm, Free! Workshop Series Saturdays 2 – 4 pm Compost Club Members: Receive your first 6 workshops free! Additional workshops $13.50 Non-members: $15 March 3 Key Permaculture Plants March 17 Cane Fruit Production April 14 Anyone Can Grow Greens April 21 Edible Landscaping May 26 No Dig Veggie Gardening June 9 Planning your Veggie Garden: Part 2 July 7 Waterwise Gardening June 23 Introduction to Cob Building July 14 Building Healthy Soils Sept 22 Seed Saving Oct 13 Rainwater Harvesting Oct 20 Mason Bees Nov 24 Native Plants
TUESDAYS! Beer and Burger – 100% Ground prime rib burger or nutburger and a Pint $7.95 1302 Gladstone
Page 8 | News and views from the heart of Fernwood | March 2007
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