BC Farms & Food

RECIPE

The secret to this pasta and white bean soup is basil pesto, which adds a delicious mellow spice to the mix. Served with crusty parmesan bread, minestrone makes a complete and warming meal.

Serves 8

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On Vancouver Island, small food businesses and eateries are taking part in a culinary awakening. Fresh meats and produce, humane treatment of the land and animals, fewer food miles, direct connections with growers, and superior flavour are all part of Vancouver Island’s Food Renaissance.

At the Village Butcher in Victoria’s Oak Bay neighbourhood, Michael Windle and the eclectic staff of artisan butchers make it their mission to connect local farmers to discerning carnivore customers.
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Just in time for 2014’s batch of new year’s resolutions comes an intriguing report from the British Medical Journal (BMJ) that an apple or more a day—especially for those over age 50— may be as effective at preventing cardiovascular deaths as taking statins. Statins are a widely-used class of drugs that lower cholesterol levels.

Recently, a group of University of Oxford researchers responded to calls for greater use of drugs in primary cardiovascular protection by asking the question: How would the diet advice recommended in the Victorian proverb, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” compare with the proposed increased consumption of statins?
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On small farms across British Columbia, a handful of growers has taken on a vital task to help save the planet’s food system. They are seed savers who plant and safeguard diverse varieties of food crops, herbs and flowers.

By growing and saving the seeds of heirloom and open-pollinated varieties of plants no longer in common use, they are helping preserve plant diversity for future generations of farmers and food consumers.

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Professional seed savers like Marsha Goldberg of Eagleridge Seeds are not only preserving the genetic heritage of our most valuable plants for tomorrow, they are also an invaluable resource for agriculture today. Goldberg’s very active Salt Spring Island farm specializes in producing the seeds of endangered heirloom vegetable, herb and flower varieties.
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Longtime seed savers like Marsha Goldberg of Eagleridge Seeds on Salt Spring Island, have the opportunity to closely observe changes in nature. As climate changes, heritage plants are adapting to new conditions. Here, Marsha Goldberg describes the transformations she’s seen in heirloom Purple Calabash Tomatoes.

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One of the benefits of seed saving is a deep knowledge of the plant life of your region. Marsha Goldberg, owner of Eagleridge Seeds on Salt Spring Island, reminds us that even now we only use a small amount of Nature’s bounty. In this video, she talks about the trouble with monoculture, and tells how the herb Marshmallow could have mitigated Ireland’s great potato famine. This is an example of the value of lesser known food sources as we face climate change.

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The news about blueberries keeps getting better and better. In 2004, USDA researchers revealed that compounds in blueberries lowered cholesterol by stimulating proteins in liver cells that reduce blood fat. Three years later, a Rutgers University study showed that pterostilbene, a compound in blueberries, reduced inflammation and the rate of cell division in the human colon, long believed to be risk factors in bowel cancer. In 2008, scientists at the University of Reading in Great Britain showed that adding blueberries to the diet improved memory and possibly protected against Alzheimer’s disease. Now the British Medical Journal reports that a daily serving of blueberries reduces the risk of diabetes in humans by 26 percent.
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People who want to eat fresh local foods have a new online resource. The Vancouver Island Farms & Food Map is a searchable guide to hundreds of farms in and around Victoria and Vancouver Island.

Island farmers currently produce a wide range of fresh, regional foods, including unique heirloom fruits and vegetables. The public interest in locally grown produce is opening the door to exciting new “local” food possibilities. Responding to the push for fewer food miles, island producers are testing the viability of once exotic foods like quinoa, ginger root and citrus fruits.

Farm Map Regions: Vancouver Island and adjacent Islands

As a part of this growing local foods movement, BC Farms & Food has created the interactive map to connect people with locally harvested foods from the major farming regions around Vancouver Island. Map regions include Victoria, Metchosin, Sooke, the Saanich Peninsula, Cowichan Valley, Cobble Hill, Salt Spring Island, Ladysmith & Cedar, Nanaimo, Gabriola Island, Parksville, Qualicum, Alberni Valley, Comox Valley, Denman & Hornby Islands, and Campbell River. The map is a resource for residents and tourists who want to explore Vancouver Island farms, and for chefs who want to source food locally.
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To honour Canada’s National Organic Week and celebrate the fall harvest, Salt Spring Island features two back-to-back food festivals over the weekend of September 27– 29th, 2013. First off is Sip & Savour Salt Spring— two days of pairing special menus and BC’s best wines at local restaurants. The action begins on Friday night with Wine Makers Dinners where a chef and vintner act as a tag team to explain the hows and whys of the gourmet food and wine they are serving.

For early risers, the fun continues the next morning at Salt Spring’s Saturday Market.
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RECIPE

Cinnamon accentuates the sweetness of fresh pears in these healthy whole grain scones. Serve warm for breakfast, brunch or snacks.

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