4 minute read
Don't Be Tarrified, Build Local Food Security
BY NIKKI TOXOPEUS
A friend recently coined the word “tarrified”: the experience of fear, loathing, dread and general angst linked to the prospect of a needless, pointless, no-win tariff war with our largest trading partner. This was a stark reminder that our food supply is at the mercy of all sorts of external forces — not only tariffs but also supply chains, shipping costs and adverse weather throughout the world. It is easy to feel powerless, but it is better to act and support local food security. We can learn what is needed from those working in this field. Yellow Point Ecological Society will be hosting more food security talks by local growers.
You can also choose to get your hands dirty and volunteer at the Kiwi Cove Food Bank Garden for the 2025 growing season. Join our pre-season garden meeting at the Kiwi Cove Lodge on Tuesday, April 8, at 10 a.m., or just come down and help.
The Kiwi Cove Food Bank Garden produces roughly 4,500 pounds of fresh organic produce yearly for the Ladysmith Food Bank, and they support us with funding and grant applications. We focus on the basic needs of the food bank but also plant cover crops to improve the soil health and flowers to attract the pollinators. So, the garden is a beautiful space that thrives because of all that our amazing community provides.
The Kiwi Cove Lodge, on Brenton Page Road, allows us to use a fenced area on their property and provides water and other resources. Their neighbour also shares her land and water with us. We amend the soil with the manure donated by Silvermaple Holsteins and the compost that we make in the garden.
Our regular seed supplier, West Coast Seeds, has donated over 200 varieties of seeds. This year, Holden Lake Farm and Garden is providing soil, water, and space in their heated greenhouses to grow our seedlings. We will start seedlings this month and start direct seeding and transplanting when the plots are prepared and warm enough. Our planting layout is pinned to the shed door for guidance, but a plan is just the starting point. When we get donations from Dinter Nursery, as we do every year, we make room for them in the garden and distribute the excess to food bank clients who have gardens.
We garden on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from around 9:30 a.m. until coffee break. We gather under the apple tree by our shed, enjoy the coffee and snacks, share news and try to solve the problems of the world (or the garden!). We then return to work and weigh and pack the fresh organic harvest for Sue Anderson to deliver to the food bank, or we continue with other gardening tasks. Everyone can find work that suits them — harvesting, bundling, watering, washing, composting, weeding, sowing, thinning, raking or maintenance projects.
Bill Tilland, our fearless coordinator, sends out regular emails on the plans for the week and any special events coming up. One event we are looking forward to this year is a visit from Jake Thornburn, from Earth Craft Farm in Yellow Point. He has offered a workshop at the garden to show us how to broadfork and seed our no-till beds.
All are welcome, and we are very thankful for the amazing support we get from the community.
To be added to the Kiwi Cove Garden email list, contact Bill Tilland at tillandb@gmail.com, or call 250-924-5269. To be added to the Yellow Point Ecological Society email list for upcoming talks, contact yellowpoint2020@gmail.com.
