Sharon's Garden

Sharon's Garden in Dodge Cove

By now it’s pretty obvious that we’re into some kind of (modified) 100-mile diet. We’ve recently heard of a local meat cooperative and even a cheese-maker (wonderfully tasty and reasonably priced) in Smithers. So maybe as far as Prince Rupert is concerned it’s going to have to be a 200-mile diet!

Friend Ken, who teaches at the local community college, is planning a “Geography of Food” course. We’ve suggested making some of the classes evening sessions, inviting the community to sit in and featuring PR people who actual grow food. Students could follow up with interviews and maybe put together a handbook on growing food in Prince Rupert.

Who knows, it might be the beginning of the PR 200-mile diet club! Maybe half a dozen families could get together and purchase a gillnetter-load of fish and have a block party cleaning, cutting, freezing and/or canning. Maybe half a dozen families could take turns traveling to Smithers for cheese, meat and farm produce. Maybe half a dozen families….

Several years ago I sketched out an article entitled “Cousin Sharon’s Garden.” As I remembered it, she had three raised-beds, a simple plastic-sheeting 8’ x 12’ greenhouse, half a dozen berry bushes, some raspberry canes, and a clump or three of rhubarb. Quite modest. But there were only her and Rob at home then, and they were away fishing half the summer.

Early Spring garden
in the greenhouse

I remember Sharon saying that raised beds are the key in this rain country. Build them high and half fill with rock before adding back the topsoil (enriched with starfish and seaweed). That way you get good drainage and save your back as well.

Crippen garden

Sharon’s garden was the inspiration for our own raised bed at Crippen Cove, our Digby Island northern home. And much to our delight this year we discovered that young Sean, a second-generation Crippen Cover, is experimenting with a small market garden, selling his produce at the Thursday craft market in Rupert.

raised garden bed in Crippen Cove

Sean’s newly planted garden.

Sean's produce ready for market

path to the greenhouse

Sister Anne and Ron came down from Telkwa for a few days bringing strawberries, local chicken and lamb, and a wonderful box of preserves. They took back fish, crab and shrimp.

The really good news, though, is that niece Margi (Anne’s youngest), who teaches in Osoyoos, has received a grant to enable a “Farm to School Salad Bar” program. The program links a school with several local farms. The farms provide fresh, nutritious food for the school lunch program, and school children visit the farms to learn about composting, greenhousing and growing food in general. What a great idea!

A sad time, Sharon preparing cousin Rob’s boat, Ganhada, for sale.

Cousin Rob is gone now, and greatly missed. But Sharon is busy tending her garden, which seems to have expanded considerably. And we’re busy resurrecting a second raised bed at Crippen Cove.

Sharon's peas

The 100-mile diet seems to naturally begin in your own backyard or balcony. Growing a lot of food may not an option for everyone. But growing some food is a pretty fine thing!

Ebby's tomatoes on the porch stairs