Later, I chatted with one of the other gardeners, discussing what we thought we could get to grow this year. (As newbie gardeners both, we  know it’s not necessarily what you plant!)

The last thing on our minds was tropical fruit. I mean, even experienced farmers wouldn’t waste time on plants that don’t naturally grow here. Would they?

Well, apparently yes.

Bob Duncan in North Saanich is doing just that, and having great success at that. I’ve often thought that having a 100% local diet is impossible because there are just too many things that have become staples in my diet that would need to be supplemented from around the globe, lemons being one. Looks like Bob has that all under control. See the  story in the Globe & Mail.

With over 300 tree types to choose from, the 100% 100 mile diet just got a little more likely:

• 200 apple tree varieties
• Over 80 other fruit trees, including: pears, plums, peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries, figs, grapes, kiwi, quince and medlar (I don’t even know what that is)
• Over 30 citrus varieties
• Over 15 varieties of hardy sub-tropicals, including: pomegranates, persimmons, loquats, feijoa, jujubes, and olives

Now, if he can figure out a way to grow coffee and the occasional banana, we’re all set.

“Sixty years ago, the sight of workers harvesting hops in the fall was commonplace in BC, especially in the Fraser Valley, where as many as 4,000 seasonal labourers were needed to pick more than 1,600 acres that were under cultivation when the industry peaked in the late 1940s.

But today on the Saanich Peninsula, a dozen years after a prolonged price slump drove the province’s once-thriving hops industry to extinction, a fresh crop of locally grown hops is an exceedingly rare commodity.

Phillips is one of a growing number of BC microbrewers who, driven by record-high prices and unstable supplies in recent years, are seeking partnerships with local farmers to grow the essential beer-making herb on contract.”

Read the rest of the article at Granville Magazine Online.

The Fruit Tree Project links people who have surplus produce in their yards with others who have the willingness and ability to harvest it, and then supplies that fruit to people and community groups without access to fresh produce. Volunteers harvest fruit from private trees that would otherwise go to waste.

Fresh cherries, plums, apples, pears and other fruit (or sometimes vegetables) are then distributed through Community Centers and Food Banks, and shared among volunteer pickers, tree owners and the Fruit Tree Project. Produce is generally picked from July through October.

To schedule your tree for harvesting, simply fill in the online form.

Have questions? Contact Danielle Stevenson, Project Coordinator

Have you participated in the Fruit Tree Project? Leave a comment.

I’m a fiend for cilantro, but it’s one of those herbs that evokes a strong reaction from everyone — they either love it or hate it. Not sure what to expect, I took it home and used it as the base for one of my über delicious, healthy pizzas (Lebanese flat bread, paste/pesto, browned ground Italian sausage, shredded zucchini, diced sweet peppers, other finely chopped veggies, a dusting of parmesan, a dusting of feta, warmed in the oven till the cheese melts).

Delicious! Not only did I use it as the pizza base, I drizzled it all over the topping once the pizza came out of the oven. It is now a regular grocery list item and I simply cannot get enough!

Don’t kid yourself, this is not low fat, but it IS made from all natural ingredients and Golda’s is a local success story, based in Mill Bay, British Columbia. Find a store that carries it near you.

Oh, and if the ones you love hate cilantro, tell them it’s coriander pesto. You won’t be lying and they just might thank you.

Have you tried this product? Add your feedback, post a comment…

Fresh Oyster Platter

Festivals allow communities to show off their proud wares, celebrate the area’s bounty, and even educate neighbouring communities (read: the world) about how they spend their time the rest of the year. Tofino, BC will be doing just that with their 12th Annual Clayoquot Oyster Festival.

Running from Thursday, November 20, 2008 and wrapping up on Saturday, November 22 with the sold out Oyster Gala, the festival is a celebration of the abundance and beauty of the sea. Over 50,000 gallons of Pacific Oysters (Crassiostrea gigas) are harvested from the Clayoquot Sound waters every year, with most, if not all, of them produced in oyster farms. And, by the sounds of it, a good amount of these oysters are to be consumed during the celebration. Yum.

The festival kicks off with the Oyster and Bubbles White Party at the Long Beach Lodge, followed by two more fun-filled days of farm tours, educational seminars, oyster tasting menus with parings of wine at the Wickanninish Inn and sake at the Shelter Restaurant, with the Mermaid’s Ball on Friday evening.

If you’ll be in the Tofino area, here’s your chance to see what folks in that area been up to this year.