Author: cfm

There are plenty of resources available to help get you started in growing your own food. The popularity of community gardens has never been greater, with waiting lists measured in years at most gardens in the Lower Mainland. But don’t despair, you can grow food and herbs in containers almost anywhere. Our next Vancity sponsored workshop will show you how.

Rachel Elves, from Burquitlam Community Organic Garden Society and Green Zebra Markets in Vancouver, will lead you through building your own DIY self-watering planter. With this cheap to make and easy to replicate planter, you can leave your plants to self-water for quite a while. This workshop is perfect for those who might not have the time to garden often or possibly want to add to their existing garden without adding to the workload!

Container gardening can be a lot of fun, and educational too. The BC Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation rolled out its Spuds in Tubs program in 2013. Spuds in tubs includes a Teacher Guide with age appropriate learning outcomes. In the 2013/2014 school year over 8,000 BC students participated in the planting, growing, harvesting, and eating of 70,000 pounds of potatoes.

As satisfying as it is to eat local food you’ve just purchased from the farmer’s market, there is nothing better than nurturing your own plants from seeds to your dinner plate. For inspiration you can check out this UK web site for ideas on some of the best yielding plants for container gardening. Another fun resource is this Garden Planning Software where you can drag and drop your veggies to design your own garden.

Confined spaces don’t have to confine the imagination. The Biggest Little Garden in Town is a container garden project that was started by Fraserside Community Services in New Westminster. Using tiered garden boxes and a trellis made from Western Red Cedar, these units are perfect for growing vegetables in small areas. The project provided containers, soil, seeds, and instructions for Fraserside clients. There are now several agreements with other food security organizations that wish to replicate these compact urban oases.

If you want to get started on your container garden, register now for our Small Space Gardening Workshop at Eventbrite. Choose one of two start times, 10:30 or noon on April 19th.

SPOTLIGHT FEATURE SALE the next Sunday that the Port Moody Farmers Market is open, April 12th, make sure to stop by Forstbauer Natural Food Farms because they have a special deal for you. Buy 3lbs of blueberries for $15 instead of $17, or 1lb of blueberries for $5 instead of $6. You can also pre-ordered 5lbs of blueberries for $23  instead of $25 (pre-ordered via email forstbauernaturalfoodfarm@shaw.ca  by April 10th for pickup at the April 12th market).

Blueberries, carrots, and beets OH MY! Forstbauer Natural Food Farms is only about certified organic foods, and those who shop with them get to take advantage of all the benefits. A family business which has grown locally since 1977, you must read about their story here.

Q. You have a family farm and have raised 12 children there. How is it running a family business?
Since 1977 in matsqui ~ we moved to Chilliwack in 1989

Q. What is the main produce that you grow?
All certified organic and certified demeter (bio-dynamic) blueberries, zucchini, beans, carrots, beets, pickling cukes and many other great vegetables

Q. Your family is a pioneer in organic farming. Why did you decided this was important 30 years ago?
Hans was raised on a bio-dynamic farm. We had children and did not want to expose them to the chemicals .

Q. For someone who doesn’t understand, what does it mean when they buy and eat produce that is organic certified?
Food grown on an organic certified farm is grown using cultural, biological and mechanical practices that promote ecological balance and biodiversity.  Synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers are not allowed.  Our farms and bookkeeping is checked regularly to ensure we are following the standards.  The certification bodies are audited regularly to ensure that they have all the checks and balances in place

Q. For someone who has bought and tried your produce, why does it taste so much better than what is bought in grocery stores?
It is local and fresh.  We also grow bio dynamically which is more strict than organic.  Using chemicals on/in our soil can cause less sugar to be available to the plants.

Q. Why do you think farmers markets are important in the community?
For centuries  people have gathered together to share food.  At farmers markets people build community and meet their neighbours.  In today’s world many people do not have gardens and their only connection to food is a grocery store.  At farmers markets people learn that farmers are real people just like them.  They have families and the same challenges as every one else

Q. What is your most popular produce? What do customers ask for the most?
Our carrots.  They are super sweet ~~ after a school farm tour i often receive calls from parents to see if our farm is the one that has the candy cane sweet carrots.  Also our northland blueberries.

Q. How do you see organic farming changing and growing in the future?
Every year there are more young people wanting to reconnect with farming. I see the younger generations moving back to the land as a way of securing food for the future.  These young people care about our environment and the food they eat so they are farming  using organic methods.   I believe more mainstream farmers will move to organic as they want to be more sustainable.  We are already seeing mainstream farmers looking at the organic industry for answers to some of their production problems.

I, personally, did not grow up on a farm.  We raised our children on the farm and they have a respect for life and community that i am very proud of.  I am now watching our grandchildren show pride in the food we grow.  It is rewarding that they care and brag that we are organic farmers,  they take part in the farming and marketing.   We empower them to be a part of the farm business giving them responsibilities.

Local Blogger, Jamie from Styling the Inside wrote all about her experience shopping the market with her family. She shared it on her site, and now we’re sharing it here, it’s just too good not to.

Do you like to support local businesses, farmers and vendors? Shop for organic, local produce, and reduce carbon footprint? Well, I do. Which is why, on Sunday, our family and my friend’s son,  paid a visit to the Port Moody Farmers Market!

It was a partly cloudy day, and we made it just before the rain. When we arrived, the first stand that caught our eye was the  Cravings kettle corn! Our feet lead us directly to the stand where we were kindly asked if we wanted to try some. Naturally, all of us were eager for a taste, and after a few bites… we couldn’t resist. Needless to say, we bought a large bag! As we walked around checking out the rest of the stands, our mouths were full of popcorn. It was sooo good!!!

The next stand we stopped at was a stand with pies, and desserts. We all tasted a piece of cookie, and then my lack of resistance kicked in once again and… I bought the kids a giant oatmeal, chocolate chip one. I’m a sucker for those taste tests, I tell ya. I really wanted to buy a pie, but because this was only the second stand we looked at, I wanted to have a look at my other options before buying the giant pie. But man, the apple pie looked delicious. I love warm apple pie and vanilla ice-cream. O.k, I need to stop writing about it. I’m craving pie now.

As we walked around the stands, taste testing, and browsing everything the market has to offer, live music was being played.  In addition, Participaction was situated directly in the middle of the market, with a ton of outdoor play equipment for the kids to enjoy, which included hula hoops, skip ropes, balls, and best of all, two child-sized wheel chairs, for the children to practice cruising around on. My youngest daughter, did not want to get off!

Perhaps, our breakfast wasn’t large enough that morning before we left the house, because we seriously tasted everything! Tea, desserts, jams, humus, salsa,  chips and even…vodka! Yes, I had a taste of vodka!

The girls were drawn to a hair accessory stand because the table was scattered with beautiful  handmade hair bands, clips, and accessories in all sorts of lovely colors. Both my girls purchased  a set of clips, and my friend’s son, browsed the table, thoughtfully thinking of the girls in his life that might like the clips (someone’s going to be a lady’s man).

Before we left, we let the kids play in the outdoor area with all the play equipment one last time.  While I watched them, I gobbled up kettle corn, while my daughter hollered, ” Don’t eat it all!”  And,  on our way out, I remembered why I came…to grab a bit of fresh produce. So, I grabbed two heads of fresh, local organic kale (I love using kale in my daily green smoothies) and we were off.

All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed the Port Moody Farmers Market and we can’t wait to go back! The next time we go, the girls would love to try one of the workshops, like the Mason Bee Jar one that was going on while were there.

Do you have a local farmers market you enjoy going too? I’m so happy we’ve discovered ours!

//Two heads of Kale from Langley Organic Growers, Kettle Corn from Cravings Kettle Corn, Humus from Bobali, fresh Salsa from Lupita, Smoked Cumin Powder from Amazing Foods, Sugar Free Jam from JJ’s Country Cookin’, and a Ukranian pastry from Solodko! We also bought a cookie, (but the evidence is gone) , and the girls got pretty handmade hair clips.//

Local Blogger, Tairalyn from Little Miss Mama wrote all about our Mason Bee workshop that her husband Sammy and daughter Sofia attended. See all about their experience, including great tips about making your very own Mason Bee House and the best way to find a forever home in your yard for them:

This past Sunday was epic, because I said so! Now with me working Friday and Saturday our Sundays are extra special, it’s our time as a family to connect, explore, have fun but most importantly, be together. This last Sunday we hit our local Farmers Market, the Port Moody Winter’s Farmers Market, and not only shopped our list of weekly necessities, but also got our craft on. Sammy and Sofia were registered in a Mason Bee Workshop that was put out by the Farmer’s Market and hosted by Dr. Veronica Wahl, from the Institute of Urban Ecology at Douglas College, where she taught them all about Mason Bee’s, including walking them through making a Mason Bee House. We left the market that day with not only our usual, freshly baked pretzels from Gesundheit Bakery, Popcorn from Cravings Kettle Corn, and Tuna from Wild West Coast Seafoods, but we also left with 10 new buzzing family members via Backyard Bird.

Here are some of the main points that Dr. Veronica Wahl taught us about Mason Bee Homes:

1. Hang your mason bee home against a wall in a sunny location that has morning light
2. Placing it about 5′ to 6′ off the ground; eye level is best
3. Timing is everything; choose a warm sunny day with little wind, and place your cocoons out on the nest in early March

I found that her site, unibug, is a great resource for anything and everything Mason Bees, including year round care. We’re so excited to get started however we put our grand release on hold just another week. We chose to keep our cocoons in the fridge for another week, we will hit the nursery next weekend and find some appropriate plants that we know they can feed off of and be confident they will have what they need near. We really hope we can encourage them to stick around, coming back to stay in our little home we made for them all year round. It will help so greatly not only in our beautiful garden but the overall health of our neighborhood eco-system.

Here are the few basics steps they did to make our Mason Bee House:

1. Find a 2 liter pop bottle or milk carton and paint the outside {providing shade to the interior}
2. Roll brown ink-less paper on a #2 pencil and wrap with white tape
3. Make 25 to 50 tubes and elastic band them together is a cluster
4. Cover the one end with paper to block out the light and put them inside the carton

EXCITED to update you via Instagram on how these 10 little bees manage in their new accommodations. I’m sure with the service we are planning to provide, it will be just fine. Stay tuned!

If it needs flavor, I’m pretty certain The Salt Dispensary has a salt for that. More specifically over 35 kinds of smoked and flavored salts, meat rubs, 8 kinds of salted caramels and a variety of specialty smoked condiments. We’re feeling pretty lucky that they’ve given us their time to answer some of our questions.

Q. Why smoked salts, what’s the passion behind it?
We were looking for something to replace working for someone else and when we found out about everything you can do with salt and how very few people were taking advantage of it we knew we had found something to pursue and share at the markets.

Q. You have so many different and exotic salt blends, how do you come up with the different flavors?
Some are traditional from different areas and some are experiments. Customer requests for things they either think up or can’t find also play a role. The farm markets are a great place to get direct feedback from customers and ideas for product development.

Q. What would you say to someone about using your salt blends who has only ever used regular salt?
Try it you will be amazed at the flavor experience you can have with just a little of a good quality flavored or smoked sea salt. People are amazed when they try them.

Q. What reaction do you get from a first time smoked salt user?
Usually it’s WOW, people can be speechless and amazed. There are some people who do not enjoy smoked flavors but its usually a smile and a flood of ideas about what they want to try it on.

Q. What is your favorite blend of salt?
It depends on what I’m eating, I really like applewood smoke on tomatoes right now. The Spicy ones are great as well. The new Hickory Garlic is a great combo I’m trying on lots of things.

Q. What’s one of the most popular ways to use your smoked salts, and what’s one of the most creative ways to use your salts?
Many people think of meat immediately for smokes but they work well on sweet things like Ice Cream also. A couple of grains in coffee can really change it also. Spicy salt on fruit is something new for me that some cultures do and is quite good.

Q. What goes into making a smoked, flavored salt blend?
It’s cold smoked until it’s perfect, usually the flavor blends are about getting a nice texture in the end, that’s usually the challenge.

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THIS WEEKS INSTAGRAM WINNER

Thank you to everyone who played along in this week’s Instagram giveaway for a chance to win a $10 credit to the Port Moody Farmers Market. This weeks winner is Kelly Krol. Congratulations and please send an e-mail to admin@makebakegrow.com to claim your prize. Another giveaway will go live on our Instagram account starting Monday, come back and play along for your next chance at winning!