With just one quick visit to the grocery store, it is easy to see that industrial agriculture has largely replaced the local production and distribution of our food. That said, some people have managed to hang onto traditional, localized food production and support for their efforts is on the rise in North America. Like numerous other communities across the country, Revelstoke is experiencing a resurgence of interest in growing its own food.
Jim and Adele Graham raise almost 200 cows on the shores of the Columbia River.
The other morning I topped my bowl of cereal with the most flavourful, and probably the healthiest array of wild foods there are: wild berries. Harvested from Revelstoke’s backyard, I have been feasting on strawberries, black and red raspberries, blueberries, Saskatoon berries, and huckleberries.
A friend, who lives near Southside Market, shared his apprehensions about getting his garden prepped for this year. “There’s a lot of pressure in that zone to get your backyard to perform! No wimpy gardens allowed in Little Italy,” he said with a laugh. I’ve heard that part of town referred to as “Little Italy” in reference to the Italian heritage of people living there. Recently, I had the chance to explore one of the backyards in this area, which showcased the reverence for fresh food inherent to Italian culture.
The Times Review welcomes a new column series entitled Growing in Revelstoke by Hailey Ross. Hailey Ross writes Growing in Revelstoke on behalf of the North Columbia Environmental Society in partnership with the United Church. The column contributes to a joint project aimed at increasing the sustainable production of local food and intergenerational knowledge sharing.
The Natural Choice Green Business Award: The snow in town has finally melted, days are getting longer, and the warm sun has coaxed us into our yards to tend to our lawns and gardens. Here in Revelstoke, there is no question that people take pride in their yard, and that our perceptions on what constitutes a healthy lawn and garden are changing. The folks at Kelly’s Bobcat are well aware of this, and as such, have set their sights on leading the charge towards chemical-free landscaping.
On average, Canadians dump seven kilograms of textile waste per person into landfills each year. While textile waste accounts for only five percent of landfill waste, the majority of this is clothing, and 80 per cent of it still wearable. To give an idea of the volumes we are looking at, one researcher explained that if we gathered all the textiles thrown into Canadian landfills over one year, they could be piled into a solid structure as large as the Toronto’s Rogers Centre stadium.
