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Food sustainability top of mind at Campbellton Days celebration in Campbell River

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Gardners sold their produce at the Campbellton Community Garden as part of the Campbellton Days celebration on B.C. day. Photo by Jocelyn Doll/Campbell River Mirror.

Food security was top of mind at last weekend’s Campbellton Days celebration.

Morgan Ostler, former city councillor and local activist, spoke to the small crowd on the topic at the Campbellton Community Garden on B.C. day.

“Think of the opportunities if we all get together…now that we have a grassroots association that really cares,” she said.

Ostler grew up on Vancouver Island on a farm. They had two milk cows and an orchard and they were able to sustain themselves. But the older she got the less and less people gardened and the more they became dependent on imported food.

By 2008 Ostler figures 99 per cent of food was brought in by semi-trucks and only one per cent was locally produced.

“One winter back in that period, the highway had been cut off and the old highway was cut off, and I think it was because of snow and the highway was closed for three days and in that three days the shelves in Campbell River were empty,” Ostler remembered.

That was when she decided to do something to change that. With Ostler leading the way, the city formed an agricultural advisory committee.

“We got $70,000 from the British Columbia Agricultural Department,” she said. “We were able to retain an agrologist.”

The soil specialist sampled soil on the agricultural land reserves in the municipality and determined that it was as rich in nutrients as the delta. In other words, there is lots of potential for growing food in the area.

“This kind of movement is what is going to bring about the change in our dependency on having food shipped in,” Ostler said.

She is still working on the idea of mass production, but in the meantime she is encouraging people to garden in their backyards.

“Just starting with a pot on the deck with a few herbs in it is the beginning of getting the bug to provide some of your own food,” she said.

The Campbellton Neighbourhood Association is taking steps towards food sustainability with their community garden.

“One of the main things we are doing today is we had produce sales from the garden, the first time we’ve had sales from here and we are thinking we might do it once a month and in high season maybe even once a week,” said John Twigg, vice-president of the association.


 

@CRmirror_JDoll
jocelyn.doll@campbellrivermirror.com

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Rich Hagensen sang at the Campbellton Days celebration in the Campbellton Community Garden on B.C. day. Photo by Jocelyn Doll/Campbell River Mirror
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Joanne Banks sang at the Campbellton Days celebration at the Campbellton Community Garden on B.C. Day. Photo by Jocelyn Doll/Campbell River Mirror