“One must be very suspicious of anyone who does not eat garlic.”
The Roman proverb is among some of the folklore concerning garlic which has been shrouded in myths, fables and superstitions throughout its history.
Today garlic is used by herbalists for a wide variety of illnesses and by cooks who want to kick their food up a notch.
For Al Valenti of Pacific Northwest Garlic in Coombs, producing garlic is a passion that has grown into a budding business. It has taken Valenti many years to build up his crop and now his little farm in Coombs has a big harvest of garlic and the farmer who has been cultivating his crop over the past six years hopes his garlic bulbs will once again impress the judges at the Coombs Fall Fair August 13 and 14.
Al Valenti won first prize in the garlic category at last year’s fair and the blue ribbon he received for his impressive heads of garlic hangs proudly in his kitchen.
“I was surprised when I won” exclaimed Valenti who admitted it was his son’s idea to submit an entry.
Valenti specializes in growing the Red Russian variety of garlic which he said grows well in our climate and has many great attributes.
“It really tastes the best and it stores well because it retains its oil and moisture.”
“We’ve kept it for up to eight months.”
He does add that if you want your garlic to keep it should be stored in a dry dark and well ventilated place.
“Banana boxes with holes work really well,” suggested Valenti.
The five-acre parcel at the corner of Grafton and Station Roads where Valenti tends to his crops provides just the right amount of sunshine and water for growing the Red Russian bulbs according to Valenti but he admits there’s much more to it than sun and rain.
“They take a lot of care to grow. They eat a lot of soil and every year you have to add more nutrients.”
While the farm is not certified organic Velenti said they are a fertilizer free farm.
“We only use organic compost. We let piles of manure and compost mature and every year we add a dump truck load to each garden.”
With the deadline looming for entries into this year’s fruit and vegetable competition Valenti is confident his garlic can take top honours again. He said he will let his son choose the bulbs to be judged because he selected the winners last year.
“I will let my son pick … to me they are all nice.”
The Nanaimo Horticultural Society will be sending two judges to evaluate this year’s entries in the horticultural competition. They will be looking for uniformity of shape, size and colour.
Fair manager Janet Boley said the judges use certain standards of perfection for fruit and vegetables and only the best of the best win.
“There should be no defects or signs of disease. If you put two on a plate they should be the same size and colour,” she said.
The deadline for submissions into the competition is 5 p.m. Wednesday, August 10. Any entries after that will be charged a late fee. Information on the Coombs Fair can be found at www.coombsfair.com
You can purchase some of Valenti’s award winning garlic at the Errington Farmers Market or right from the farm located at the corner of Grafton Road and Station Road in Coombs.
— Brenda Gough is a regular News contributor. She lives in Errington.
