This year I was part of two small-scale farming co-ops, one that grew squash and another for potatoes. The squash is just about gone but we're still eating the potatoes. The young lady in today's post was one of the Potatoheads as we took to calling ourselves. Well over two dozen people participated in these projects, sharing the work and the harvests equally. Spud Central was the south field at The Commons.
7 comments:
See, this is what I tell people working outside and growing veg is good and makes you happy, we grow all our own veg organically and have just taken on more land, to do even more....your shot says it all and is a really good advert for growing your own. :-) excellent.
Happy indeed. This woman glows with potato good feeling. Some of my ancestors would have, too, since they were driven to North America in part by a lack of potatoes. I hope to be glowing with good feeling for other reasons later tonight.
A glowing smile,indeed!!
I really wish I could grow a vegetable garden here,but lots of shade in my neighborhood..
I thought squash were a winter vegetable? or may be not if you are covered by snow..
I took the link to The Commons. What an inspiration to be part of! Did you know all this about Gabriola when you moved from Nashville? It seems to be populated by like-minded folk. What percentage of the population are blow-ins like yourself - those who choose a place to live rather than just living where they were born?
Lovely joyous image ...
Hi Julie,
Mrs. Snapper here for a minute...as Snapper's unavailable to answer.
We did not know about The Commons when we bought our place three years ago. In fact, The Commons must've been in its infancy as it's only been around about four years now. When we moved here last year, it was in that place that you might call the hump. It was just about to crest the hill from "a very good idea" to "something amazing and fruitful" (ignore the pun!). You know how you work at something for a long time and don't see much in the way of results and then all of a sudden the hard work transforms the situation? That's kind of what has happened here at The Commons this year. Last year it was still mostly mud and a dream...this year it's a whole new place, but only because the foundation had been laid by a lot of people putting in a lot of hours for the last four years.
I'm not really sure what percentage of the people here come from other places, but it actually seems to be most of them! There aren't a lot of people here that are originally from the island anymore. Part of that is the cost of the ferries and also the increase in housing prices. I think that part of it is also that 25-30 years ago, there wasn't nearly the population here that there is now, so the newcomers outnumber the locals that way too. There are people from all over the world here, but mostly Canadians. Lots of Brits. Not many Americans, but a few of us who think of ourselves as Canadians already!
The Commons is great for everyone, but it has been amazing for Snapper! And not just in the photography area. He too has transformed from a city slicker into a gardener. It's a beautiful thing to see from my perspective. We are still eating things he grew this summer...in his first garden!
Thank you, Mrs Snapper. What you say comes through very warmly on this blog - the transformation from a life lived close to the soil. Provides plenty of food for thought ...
What a fantastic idea! I love co-ops. We have one here in the Walla Walla Valley, and I am very excited about it (it just opened).
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