Farmer

After a long break Jonathan and Darren are back from a busy summer and ready to start interviewing again.  A new event “Farm Fresh Soup Fest” is coming to the Comox Valley. This food competition being hosted at the Black Creek Community Centre with the help of Lush Valley is sure to be a hit. With 10 local chefs using locally sourced ingredients to create masterful soups for 150 lucky guest. In this episode we talk with Jessie Gill marketing and event coordinator for the Black Creek Community centre and learn about the event. We also learn about some of our favourite soup and what goes into a great soup.

Today we bring back two of our very first guests on the podcast: Lia and BrianMcCormick.  We always like catching up with our old neighbours, and this episode is no exception. The Clever Crow duo run a farm filled with ducks and chickens; a store featuring the ever popular and locally produced hand harvested salts; cooking classes; and soon a commercial kitchen. 

   With the new year upon us Darren and Jonathan spend time discussing 2017 and the events surrounding it. This is a chance for the two to reminisce about the previous year. From farming to food banks, they discuss all the interesting events and people they had the fortune of meeting. Darren and Jonathan also spend some time planning for upcoming food challenges, topics, and their ability to interview and learn more in the upcoming year. Feel free to join with us.

Allain Lepine from 'Island of Eden Farms' joins Chef Jonathan and Darren tonight to talk about their use of hydroponics to grow local greens and veggies. Starting their farm within a 2.5m x 2.5m x 12m space, they make great use of newer farming techniques, such as vertical and horizontal farming. With the ablility to produce fresh greens year long, and no need of pesticides or herbicides. Listen in to learn more!   

Lucky us! Tonight, we get to talk to Eduardo Uranga and Thierry Vrain (and Ivan Loubier) of the CCAC - The Community Created Agricultural Co-op. An ambitious venture - they aim to acquire agricultural land to grow pesticide and antibiotic free foods for 300 families. Listen in and see just how far they've come, how well planned and sourced this project is, and how you can still get involved before it's too late! 

  It’s fruit picking time again. This time we have a chance to talk with James McKerricher of Lush Valley to find out what’s happening with their fruit picking program and other programs with Lush Valley. www.lushvalley.org Phone: 250-331-0152  Email: admin@lushvalley.org Mail: PO Box 20008, Courtenay, BC V9N 0A7  

Chef Jonathan Frazier and Darren Howlett sit down with Chanchal Cabrera of Innisfree Farm. Chanchal brings us up to speed on all of the changes that have happened at the farm since the last time we checked in with Innisfree Farm. Most notably, the change to 'Innisfrfee Farm and Botanical Garden'. This is an exciting time for the Chanchal, Thierry and the farm, as this designation does not come lightly or easily. Listen in as she explains all they have had to do and want to do with the beautiful space that is Innisfree, including the upcoming Herb Gathering, daily tours of the gardens, apprenticeship programs, harvests, and more.

Well the survey may be over now, but if you're interested in urban agriculture listen to us catch up with Andrea Cupelli (LUSH Valley Program Coordinator) and James McKerricher (Urban Agriculture enthusiast and LUSH Valley Board Member) to discuss some of the rewards of growing food in the city, and why they want to increase it here in our community. To Contact  Phone: 250-331-0152 Email: admin@lushvalley.org On Facebook: @lushvalleyfood On Twitter: @lushvalleyfood On Instagram: @lushvalley www.lushvalley.org  

Chef Jonathan Frazier and Darren Howlett  are joined again by Kira Kotilla and Mariette Sluyter of Merville Organics, to discuss CSAs, or Community Supported Agriculture. You may have heard of these programs, where fresh produce shows up at your house weekly through the growing season. What you may not know is how beneficial these programs are to local farms - new or established, small or large, nearly every farm benefits from such programs. You can see it as pre-paying for the best quality locally grown food at it's peak, and the farm your supporting sees it as micro-financing and sustainable crop management. Listen in to hear more about this engaging topic...     

+ Finally after a long wait: Flavour - The North Vancouver Island Picnic! We were lucky to have Darren walk the grounds of Flavour while recording interviews with many exibitors and guest to find out who they were, what they brought and why they were there. Please enjoy, we sure did.