Please enjoy the Winter issue of The Cultivator – TLC’s newsletter to share resources with our agricultural community.

For previous issues please visit The Cultivator page.

TLC volunteers donated over 400 hours to create this working green house at Abkhazi Garden. Thanks to Dennis Robinson, Dick Bullard, and Ken Beswick
for all their efforts.

Stop by Abkhazi Gardens, 1964 Fairfield Road, and enjoy a walk through the garden or lunch at the restaurant. The garden is open 7 days a week from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. while the restaurant is open 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. for breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch Thursday to Sunday and 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. for tea and desserts Thursday to Sunday. Call 250-598-8096 for more information.

Wildwood Ecoforest, Cedar – July 13 – 15, 2012

Visit this unique property and get a sense of Merv Wilkinson life at Wildwood forest on the edge of Quennell Lake.

The main focus of this holiday will be on repairing the old wood shed next to Merv’s house. There will be a few other options to choose from as well (gardening around Merv’s house, trail maintenance, blackberry removal etc.).

We will also have the opportunity to explore the forest and look at the thought and work that has gone to make this forest the unique and special place it is.

Work Tasks:

We will be repairing the wood shed on the Wildwood property. We may also have time to do some gardening around the main house, trail maintenance and removal of invasive plant species throughout the property.

All required tools and materials will be provided, however, if you have a tool belt, hammers, loppers, pruners, clippers, or weed removal tools that you may prefer to use, please bring them. Gloves would be helpful too.

Holiday Itinerary

Friday, July 13:
4 – 6 p.m.: Arrive, set up tents, organize the campsite, enjoy dinner and orientation.

Saturday, July 14:
8 a.m.: Breakfast
9 a.m.: Work begins
12 p.m.: Lunch
1:30 – 4 p.m.: Property tour and description of stewardship philosophy and practices
7 p.m.: Dinner

Sunday, July 15:
8 a.m.: Breakfast
9 a.m.: Begin work
1 p.m.: Finish work and break up camp

Base Camp:

One of the clearings in the woods will serve as our campsite. We will be camping and cooking outdoors for the duration of the holiday. There is a rustic outhouse.

Arrival Details: Friday, July 13

Participants are responsible for their own transportation to Wildwood, arriving between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Departure Details: Sunday, July 15

Departure from Wildwood will be Sunday after lunch around 2 p.m.

Evening Activities: Evening activities are usually informal, and may include swimming, berry picking (if ripe), bocce or other games, puzzles and group music. If you play an easily portable instrument, bring it along. If you have a favourite game you would like to share with the group, feel free to bring it with you.

Non-Member Cost: 215 + HST

Member Cost: 200 + HST

Book Your Holiday Today!

Two cancellations for medical reasons prompted Ron to offer two spots for a great adventure and relaxation in the sun at a good discount to TLC Members for an already well priced product. If a TLC Member commits by Saturday there is a 5% savings on the in country package and if you’re a farmer and TLC Member (not necessarily part of CPP) then a farmer friendly 10% discount will be applied on in country total cost as outlined per Varalaya or CubaVivaCan websites ($1299 minus your discount).

Also note participants can longer linger in Cuba by adjusting their Victoria departure or return dates from the present tour air dates and simply pay a $50 ticket change fee and ticket price differential if applicable. The round trip air fee component of the tour is now less than $900 all taxes in.

Ron’s tours are much about Canadian Cuban connections linking AgriCULTURE and sharing tools and practices that help the world of small farmers who actually produce the bulk of the world’s food supply. With over 30 trips to Cuba and holding a farm there with 2010 Alternative Nobel Prize winner for Grassroots Environmental Activism Humberto Rios Labrada. For more information including video please visit the CubaVivaCan website.

Interested parties may contact Ron directly at rpither@gulfislands.com or by phone at (250) 539-0089. Book direct with accredited Travel Service Provider P&G Travel by calling toll free 1-877-586-8747 through Saturday.

West Coast Seeds in Vancouver has generously donated seeds to TLC in support of TLC’s Native Pollinator Enhancement Project. Thanks to West Coast Seeds for their efforts to protect native pollinators.

For more information on the project including choosing flowers, recognizing habitat and information on dangerous pesticides, please visit our Pollinator Enhancement Project page or our Bringing Back the Bees page.

Learn about aboriginal experiences and understandings in protecting heritage resources - both tangible and intangible.

Moderated by Briony Penn, TLC’s Vice Chair, this session explored the important links between livelihood, spiritual connection and ownership of land. In Fiji, over 300 Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMA) have been set up by local communities to manage near shore areas.  The communities have a desire to improve livelihood and the areas are being actively looked after. The Fijian system of Vanua, which has the belief that people without a land are like a people without a soul, ensures the areas are managed sustainably. In effort to reintroduce relationships to biodiversity on Rotuma Island, forest habitat programs, bird watch programs, and reef profiling are being set up.

In Taiwan only 2% of the population is indigenous aborigines and they are facing similar economic and social challenges to aboriginal people around the world. Bulaobulao is an intentional community set up by 7 families on 24 acres where they not only live on the land but also offer tourist walks, tours and meals.  This has provided employment for the families and a revival of culture for the community.

In Canada, the Tsawout First Nations are working with the regional government and local conservation groups to revive the sensitive plants of a place called TIXEN (Cordova Spit). Fencing, new signage, and education have all helped to protect the plants and animals so important to the Tsawout First Nations and us all. Education of their youth, festivals, ceremonies, and language are also a critical part of this process.

Liz Welliver (Maryland, USA), Joe Young (United Kingdom), Abhinav Khanal (Nepal) from Lester B. Pearson College meet with Dame Fiona Reynolds, Director General of the National Trust for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and Bill Turner, TLC's Executive Director.

Engaging the Public in Special Places – Summary of Dame Fiona Reynolds’ Talk on Thurs, October 13, 2011.

Our core purpose is to look after these wonderful places for ourselves and for future generations. This should give us confidence to enter the debate on climate change.

The National Trust of England, Wales and Northern Ireland  has just enrolled its 4 millionth member, which I hope will be encouraging to smaller trusts. We have done this not only through our core job of looking after places, but through people. Strategies for engaging people is the golden circle that will get us through these challenging times. The most important job we do is to inspire people to want to be part of our movement. 

People are looking for the simple pleasures of life, that don’t cost a lot but provide lasting memories. This is what we offer to the world.

We return to our founders and what their words tell us to do in 2011. This takes us to new ways of connecting with people. The National Trust is taking their historic houses, bringing them back to life and removing barriers to people engaging with their history.

We measure our success based on how enjoyable people’s visits are. People are encouraged to picnic on the lawn and sit on the furniture. We are giving people a sense of meaning and contemporary relevance while enjoying their history glory.  If you come to the Trust it is time well spent. 

There is immediate benefit of contact with nature, yet as a society we have become more disconnected. A child is more likely to be admitted to hospital from falling out of bed than falling out of a tree.

Two out of three children play outside less than once a week. We are promoting outdoor activity in a safe and welcoming environment.

We are also reconnecting people with food. In a study done 26% of people under the 30 thought that bacon came from sheep. The National Trust is promoting grow your own food initiatives through allotment, supporting local farmers, community orchards, and beehives. There is even a virtual farm called My farm http://www.my-farm.org.uk where you can join an online farming community to make decisions about how the farm is managed.

The National Trust is also playing a part in climate change by installing solar panels on roofs, converting great estates from fossil fuel to wood burning. The National Trust is retrofitting entire villages of heritage houses to become more energy efficient and is involved in managing land for best carbon sequestration, giving the opportunity to put more land into sustainable land management practices.

The National Trust has had to learn to be a campaigning organization again like their founders did in 1895. Today, challenges have been around the sale of public forests and the restructuring of planning system. NT engaged the whole organization to demonstrate to the government how wrong the sole focus on growth was in redeveloping the UK planning system. 150,000 people have signed the NT petition.

The only solution is to engage people in the kind of future they want. Everybody should feel they have a stake in what is beautiful in their environment and a voice in how it is shaped in the future.

We have got a big challenge with both long-term and short-term challenge yet we are not set apart in our own cocoon. We offer experience and a sense of mission relevant to people everywhere. The next generation wants to be part of the management of these beautiful places. This is about heritage and nature coming together and building people’s support and enthusiasm that turns into the confidence we all have that these places will remain for everyone forever.

TLC’s Beginners Mushroom Identification Workshop will introduce you to the fungal kingdom. Learn about some of the easy to identify mushrooms and taste a few as well. In some years mushrooms fruit abundantly and can add interest and delight to your autumn walks and meals.

This 3 hour workshop takes place in the woods at Wildwood forest from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The cost per TLC member is $40.00 plus HST, while non-members pay $44.44 plus HST.

There are two dates for these workshops, so please sign up for one of the following:

Saturday, October 29

Sunday, October 30

Workshops on other days can be arranged for groups by calling Jay at 250-816-1816 or email jrastogi@conservancy.bc.ca.

Mellhina and Ken Thibault, the owners of Casa del Mell Orchards in Osoyoos BC, run their orchard to match their ethics. The orchard is for giving. Mellhina boasts, “when you choose to stay at Casa Del Mell you are welcomed with a bowl of fruit in season from our orchards along with a view that you will long remember”.

Casa Del Mell Orchards yields some of the best fresh fruit in British Columbia. Depending on the season, the orchard is famous for its peaches, plums, pears, cherries, walnuts, gala apples, and apricots. The road-side Casa del Mell fruit-stand is also known as one of the oldest in Osoyoos; the Thibaults continue on the fruit growing tradition—with extra kindness for the environment and the community.

Mellhina and Ken Thibault left behind their life in the city for a life on the orchard—seeking a life they could share with others. Mellhina and Ken Thibault give back to their community greatly—donating thousands of pounds of fruit annually to food banks and social programs around British Columbia. The Thibaults philosophy lines well with TLC’s conservational philosophies, which is why they decided to contribute 10% of their vacation rental to TLC’s initiatives when TLC members stay at the Casa del Mell Orchard. This decision was especially easy since TLC helped to fund the restoration of the Casa del Mell Orchard’s pond through the South Okanagan – Similkameen Stewardship Program. The cleaning of the pond helped to enhance the breeding grounds for the Great Basin Spadefoot frogs, a species at risk, that live on the orchard.

Tourists looking for a socially conscious vacation-holiday are encouraged to come stay at the Casa del Mell Orchard. The vacation rental offers air conditioning, Wifi, a fully equipped kitchen, BBQ, and a queen bed with quality linens. Guests are able to enjoy views of Lake Osoyoos and the surrounding mountains from their private patio, and venture around the lovely orchard landscape. Best of all—guests are supporting sustainable practices which are kind to the earth—and a philosophy to protect and conserve land. Mellhina says: “we are very grateful for the partnership and want to contribute to the good work TLC does”.

To mark the momentous occasion where over 3,000 members of the community stood up “to be the change” they wanted to see in the world and actively participated by volunteering or donating to raising $2.7 Million dollars to protect Madrona Farm, TLC is offering a ticket sharing program as part of Chef Survival this year.

Six local food security and/or conservation minded organizations will be getting involved: Food not Bombs, Food Roots, LifeCycles, Reynolds School Culinary Program, Haliburton Farm, and Victoria Natural History Society. For each ticket sold by a participating organization, 50% will go to back into their programs and services while the other 50% will go directly to TLC’s agricultural programs. On a daily basis, TLC is reminded of how powerful a community can be when we all work together and TLC wouldn’t exist without community support.

Get your tickets today for this culinary arts performance of epic proportions. Watch your favourite chefs participate in a farm-style obstacle course, with haystack hurdles, irrigation pipe crawl, climbing wall, tire obstacle course, and the legendary boat race to condiment island to get their condiment bags. New to the event this year is Adrena LINE and they will be adding a zipline to the course. Then the chefs race around the 27-acre farm to forage for the vegetables to create a masterpiece on survival gear. There is a BBQ meal provided and the chef masterpieces will be auctioned off.  Later in the day the zipline will be open to guests by donation to TLC.

This year’s tickets are $50 per person or $100 for a family of 4. Tickets can be purchased at the Madrona Farm Stand at 4317 Blenkinsop Road, Victoria, Wed to Sat, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. or online at chefsurvivalchallenge.com.

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For more information, please contact:

Chef Survival Challenge IV will take place at Mardona Farm on October 2, 2011 from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. To buy your tickets visit the farm stand Wednesday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. or ChefSurvivalChallenge.com. Proceeds will go towards TLC’s agricultural programs and 25% to Horse Lake Community Farm Co-op.

Many local chefs are stepping up to be the change they wanted to see in the world and are proud to show their love for local food by participating in this annual fundraiser. All ticket proceeds will go to TLC’s farmland conservation program.

This foodie event cannot be missed as it is also marks the one year anniversary of TLC’s protection of Madrona Farm.

At this culinary arts performance of epic proportions, spectators watch their favourite chefs participate in a farm-style obstacle course, with haystack hurdles, irrigation pipe crawl, climbing wall, tire obstacle course, and last but not least the legendary boat race to condiment  island to get their condiment bags. After that each chef is given a Madrona Farm map to pick the vegetables they need to create a masterpiece all on survival cookware. They are only permitted to bring a cooler with a protein and their favourite cutting board, knife, and frying pan.

Meals are then auctioned off, the catered meal for everyone begins, local music will play, and wine and beer gardens will open.

This year’s tickets are $50 per person or $100 for a family of 4. Tickets can be purchased at the Madrona Farm Stand at 4317 Blenkinsop Rd, Victoria, Wed to Sat, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. or online at chefsurvivalchallenge.com.

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For more information, please contact:

Nathalie Chambers
Agricultural Programs
The Land Conservancy of BC
Ph: 250-896-2261
Email: nchambers@conservancy.bc.ca
conservancy.bc.ca

TLC’s campaign to protect Madrona Farm brought a lot of awareness to the issue of food security and the importance of access to local, organic food. The campaign was supported by thousands of people across B.C. and beyond, including many talented local chefs.

Through the Chef Survival Challenge – Quest for the Golden Broccoli, now an annual event, these chefs showed just how far they would go to protect their source of organic produce by racing through an obstacle course, picking their produce from the fields, and then cooking a gourmet meal for auction.  Sean Brennan, Chef and Co-owner of Brasserie L’Ecole, was one of the participating chefs and his restaurant is one of 10 that purchase directly from Madrona Farm.

It has now been just over a year since the successful protection of the farm, and to mark the anniversary Brennan is celebrating by contributing a Be The Change video and furthering his support for TLC. Starting September 1^st his fresh daily menu will feature a Farmland Conservation Meal where $2 from an appetizer and main course will go towards TLC’s work in farmland protection. “It’s our job as chefs to create awareness for the local ingredients we use and to make sure we keep getting them,” says Sean.

Chef Survival Challenge 2010. Photo by Adrian Lam @ Times Colonist

TLC would like to thank Sean for all his support and for turning local food into much more than just a delicious dish.

Don’t miss your chance to see your favourite chefs in action at Chef Survival IV in Victoria on October 2, 2011, 12-6 p.m., gates open at 11 a.m. Tickets are available at chefsurvivalchallenge.com, Madrona Farm vegetable stand, Wed. to Sat., 11-2, or Hemp and Company, 1102 Government St in Victoria.

With Chardonnay Classic 2008
Marinated calamari & seaweed salad (via Mad Dog Crab in Duncan).
Spot Prawns on a bed of shallots
With Chardonnay Zero-Oak 2009
Oysters: dressed or naked.
Scallops & baby spinach
With William Maltman Double Red 2004-2005
Charred Halibut with new potatoes
With Pinot Noir Sparkling 2002
Baked Salmon with garden herbs. Yam. Croque Martina.
Cherries Jubilee.

For more information please contact Godfrey-Brownell Vineywards at bgvineyards@gmail.com or phone 250-715-0504. The dinner will be held at Godfre-Brownell Vineyards located at 4911 Marshall Road, Duncan, B.C. For ticket availability please call Bill at 250-589-8024.

Bees may seem insignificant to the average person’s life—their existence might seem trivial when juggling deadlines, family, and other commitments. However, bees are as important as the air we breathe and the trees that fill our forests. This is why the public should be concerned with the 85% decrease of bee colonies on Vancouver Island.

The loss of habitat due to industrial/urban development and intensive agriculture has affected food sources and nesting sites for bees. Inadequate supplies of pollen and nectar during foraging times from February to November causes malnutrition and in some cases starvation. Also, certain pesticides and insecticides have been known to harm the health of bees. It is our responsibility as citizens to take care of our bees.

Pollination, an instinctual activity of bees, nourishes our environment—and is crucial for human beings, livestock, and wildlife. TLC’s Native Pollination Enhancement Project educates the public and in particular the farming community about how to sustain Vancouver Island’s 400 native bee species and increase their populations.

Through educational presentations and on-farm demonstrations profiling a diversity of approaches to native bee conservation, TLC will put their grant money to good use. In addition to the presentations, TLC will increase their communication materials about bees and pollination—through newsletters, articles, and blog writing.

“We are pleased that Environment Canada and TD Canada Trust see value in our native bee project. The community interest and participation to date has been high, which is a testament of its importance. Protecting native bee populations is our insurance policy to advert a world wide pollinator epidemic which threatens 35% of the crops most prominent in the human diet and 75% of flowering plant. We need every bee we can get,” says Nathalie Chambers, Stewardship Officer at The Land Conservancy.

The first educational bee event: The Pollinators Picnic will be held on Sunday, August 21^st at the Nanoose Edibles Farm from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. This event will not only be educational, but also fun for the whole family. The day consists of expert bee and pollination information, a bee hive demonstration, a children and youth “habitat” work station, guided walking tours, a scavenger hunt for kids, and a pot-luck supper. This event fuses fun with information—giving a voice to the silenced bee. TLC is proud to work with Nanoose Edibles, Nanaimo Food Systems, Farm Folk City Folk, and Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere (TBC) on this celebratory event!

Here are some simple tips for bringing the bees back: About 70% of bees nest in the ground, excavating shallow tunnels in patches of exposed soil, and 30% nest in cavities in old trees or plant stems. Therefore, the distance between nest sites and foraging areas should be no more than 1500 m, ideally 600 m to accommodate the diversity of bee sizes. Recognizing and promoting habitats and providing season-long pollen supplies are also key activities for every farm. Setting aside undisturbed areas, adapting cover crops mixes to increase bee forage, allowing certain crops to go to flower before plowing them in and ensuring there is an adequate water source for hydration.

For more information about this project and its upcoming events, please visit TLC’s website at www.conservancy.bc.ca

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For further information: Nathalie Chambers, Stewardship Officer, ph: 250-479-8053, cell: 250-385-9222, email: nchambers@conservancy.bc.ca

Come out to Nanoose Edibles Farm and learn more about TLC’s Pollinator Enhancement Project.

Rimka proudly displays her blackberry collection - one of the invasive species being removed at Eagles Estate.

Rimka Laman, originally from the Netherlands, spends peaceful days volunteering her time gardening and restoring the Eagles Estate Heritage Garden. Recognized for its cultural and historical significance to BC, the Eagles Heritage Garden is a lovely 1.6 acreage located on the southeast shore of Deer Lake in Burnaby B.C.  TLC works alongside the City of Burnaby to maintain and continue the restoration process of the garden. TLC is lucky to have volunteers such as Rimka; her actions define the mission of TLC’s Be the Change Campaign.  By volunteering with TLC, Rimka is administering the change that she wishes to see in the world.

Rimka has volunteered at Eagles Estate Heritage Garden for five years.  After retiring, Rimka was looking for a fulfilling volunteer job; she became interested in the garden because of its undeniable beauty and convenience—her house is a short drive from the location.  Rimka devotes several hours, weekly, to the garden project and is the lead volunteer when it comes to the vegetable garden.  She especially enjoys the peacefulness of the natural environment of the gardens—the calming sounds of the birds on the property make volunteering an almost meditative experience.  She describes being a part of a restoration project as “exciting”—seeing the garden continue to grow and evolve brings hope, and defines the purpose of volunteering for such a project.

Volunteering for TLC has allowed Rimka to ‘live’ her philosophy.  Rimka feels discouraged by the common ‘throw away’ consciousness present today—bulldozing stunning land sites for greedy development is all too common. She states:  “Look at the shopping malls on the weekend – they are always packed even on a beautiful sunny day. It is very sad.”  Rimka resonates with TLC’s conservation philosophy—healing the environment is crucial so that future generations can enjoy nature. Rimka accomplishes the goals of her philosophy every time she sinks her hands into the dirt, connecting to the past history of the garden. 

Before volunteering her time with TLC, Rimka had several careers; she worked in a group home for troubled children, was an assistant for the BC school system, and also worked for the Vancouver Public Library.  Rimka is also a devoted mother—and volunteered her time at the schools where her children attended. Rimka has always been active; enjoying snowshoeing, swimming, hiking, gardening in her vegetable garden, and reading.

Rimka encourages others to volunteer with TLC. She believes volunteering is the perfect way to give back to the community and put environmental values to good use. Rimka’s compassion for nature is inspiring, and should be emulated by future generations.

 “You must be the change you want to see in the world”—Mahatma Gandhi. Please check out a photo slideshow of images of Eagles Estate Heritage Garden over the years.

 Written by Kathryn Moncur

Tickets can be purchased from:

TLC’s Head Office at 301 – 1195 Esquimalt Road, Victoria, or call 250 479 8053.
The Cowichan Land Trust at 6 – 55 Station Street, Duncan or call 250 746 0227.