You may recall, last year I wrote about Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Programs, in which people invest working capital in a local farm, share the inherent risks involved in farming and, in return, receive a season's supply of fresh, often-organic, sustainablyproduced food.
It's a great idea, but, obviously, the upfront investment and full-season commitment of participating in a CSA Program is not for everyone, hence Richmond's Weekly Vegetable Basket Program is a great alternative. It allows people to make a connection with their farmers and have the flexibility of choosing basket sizes and contents throughout the season.
On the Farm Vegetables is a small farm on Shell Road owned by Collin Hutchinson and Josh Pineo. Their Weekly Vegetable Basket Program, which begins around the third week of June, is only one of several ways in which people can buy organically grown vegetables. The pair also operate their own CSA Program, and will be selling their produce on-site twice a week to coincide with the weekly CSA and Vegetable Basket pick-up days, as well as on Saturdays at the River District Farmer's Market in Southeast Vancouver.
I made a visit to the farm last week and had the pleasure of chatting with Collin about the farm. I did not have the opportunity to meet Josh that day, but when I expressed
interest in finding out more about their lovely urban farm, he passionately offered his reflections: "We bought our vegetables and meats at supermarkets for years without really knowing
the specifics of how the food was produced. After watching several documentaries on the industrial production methods of large-scale commercial farming, we decided that the best thing to do is create an alternative. As such, we have taken the word "organic" to mean that nothing we use is devastating to any of the organisms in the area to which it is applied. There are no chemicals in bottles or powders in bags, other than crushed lime, which regulates the pH level in the soil; whole milk to slow down powdery mildew; and bottles of worm tea produced by our own composter.
We employ a 55-gallon, red-wiggler worm composter as the main source of watersoluble fertilizer and as a major component to the seed starter soil mix. Ground coffee and farm waste, specifically the non-edible leaves from the brassica family are what the worms eat. They consume half their body weight each day in moderate temperatures. We also use open composters and closed
composters.
We use a mix of milk and water applied with a backpack sprayer to deter powdery mildew from the summer and winter squash and cucumbers. We also sometimes use baking soda or vinegar for other imbalances in the farm. It is our belief that we are sharing this land with many other creatures and if we lose 10 cabbages to insects or cut worm, we plant 10 more cabbages next time. The insects are like wolves, they attack the weak and are therefore telling us something about the plants. Perhaps the soil is low on nutrients needed for the plants in that area.
The only other chemical additive we
employ is a tea mixture we produce by gathering the lawn clippings from our yard and bundling them up in a sheer cloth. We bind the cloth creating a large 'tea bag.' This tea bag ferments in a 55-gallon barrel full of water for several days. The fermentation releases the nitrogen in the grass and makes an excellent liquid support for plants during intense growth periods.
The ultimate in insect control are the chickens. After a harvest the chickens have at the area. They diminish insect, worm, larvae and seed numbers in the areas they graze. We care for our chickens very much. Happy chickens lay happy eggs and they deserve the best life we can give them. Moreover, the farm and the bounty it produces are simply beautiful. That is why we include flowers with each of our baskets. Not only is it vital to provide sustainable, tasty and nutritious vegetables and eggs, it is our hope that people will expect and accept no less from their other food suppliers."
On the Farm Vegetables is located at 11451 Shell Road and all the information about their Weekly Vegetable Basket Program, their CSA Program, their onsite market, and participation in local farmer's markets can be found on their website: onthefarmvegetables.com.
See you On the Farm. Dora Ho is a culinary arts instructor at McNair Secondary
