In this issue:

• 2011 Annual General Meeting:                                  Welcome to our New Board Members!
• Seed Literacy Project Begins
• New Mural at Warmland Community Gardens by Bernadette McCormack
• 2011 Wild Food Walks - List of Dates
• Ceres Edible Landscapes: E.M.- Effective Microorganisms
  
• Cold Frames & Reclaimed Windows Still Available!
• Kinsmen Community Garden: Wish List
  
• Sustainable Living Centre: The Climate Challenge
  
• Community Events & Garden Spaces/Rental Suites

While they sat and shared in wonderful community food including fresh greens from Dragonfly Farm, farm eggs, spring onions and homemade salads, Cowichan Green Community members old and new, enjoyed a presentation by Spring Gillard, Feeding Ourselves - How do we fare? Following the presentation, the board meeting kicked into full swing with lively discussion and comments from our members. CGC also held a Silent Auction and was thrilled to have raised over $700 for our organization. Thank you to all of our generous Silent Auction prize donors. It was truly a win-win affair! We are also pleased to welcome our new board for 2011. Please check out: http://cowichangreencommunity.org/content/board

Seed Literacy Project Begins!

Did you know that in Canada, three-quarters of all the crop varieties that existed before the 20th century are extinct? And, of the remaining quarter, only 10 percent are available commercially from Canadian seed companies (the remainder being held by gardeners and families). Over 64% of the commercially held seeds are offered by only one company; if those varieties are dropped, the seeds may be lost.

With funding in whole in or in part through the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Development Agreement, CGC has embarked on a new campaign to bring awareness to the issue of seed-saving. This project will include an informational campaign, as well as workshops for the general public, and the creation of a Cowichan Valley Seed-Savers Database.

We are pleased to welcome our Seed Literacy Campaign team: Current CGC staffer, Heather Kaye, who has a background in seed-saving and has also helped establish the Metis Horitcultural and Heritage Society in Manitoba and associated growers network to conserve seed varieties indigenous to the Red River Region; Vanessa Goodall, new to CGC, has just recently completed an internship with Navdanya, a network of seed keepers, organic producers and food security activists in India. Located at Navdanya's seed conservation farm, she saved seeds and coordinated a school gardening and seed saving program; Emily Doyle-Yamaguchi, returning to CGC after 5 months of cycling and traveling in South East Asia, where she found more varieties of bananas than you can count on your fingers and toes. Having access to so many different kinds of fruit was not only a culinary treat for Emily, but served as a good reminder of the important role that seed diversity plays in our lives, both for the future of our food supply and our taste-buds! And, Debra Cebula, also new to CGC, previously involved in Sustainable Resource Management and a self-proclaimed bio-phylliac, who firmly believes in the need to to tap into our natural resources in the Valley to show everyone that the benefits of sustainable also include taking care of our seeds.

If you have a story to share about your favorite heritage variety or know of a local Valley gardener saving seeds in your area, let us know. We are compiling as much information as we can to paint a better picture of our Valley's own seed heritage.
Please email heather [at] cowichangreencommunity [dot] org">heather [at] cowichangreencommunity [dot] org

New Mural at Warmland Gardens by Bernadette McCormack

If you have time to drive down Beverly Street, be sure to check out the new mural that is being painted (on the back of the green house) at the Warmland Community Gardens. Painted by renowned local artist, Bernadette McCormack, this mural is one of those final touches that CGC has been excited about since the construction of the Warmland Gardens. We are looking forward to its completion for this will be a beautiful addition to an already amazing project. Way to paint Bernadette! It already looks awesome! When this mural is complete, we will have photos to share with everyone.

Looking for a way to add beneficial micro-organisms that will help get rid of nasty pests and diseases in your garden? Perhaps without having the mess of making your own compost tea?  We have the answer! This week we are brewing up a new batch of E.M and we are presently taking orders. The batch will be ready in 6 weeks.

The activated EM sold at the CGC is enriched with liquid kelp, fish fertilizer and other key ingredients. This solution is not only a soil ammender and conditioner, but it is also rich with all of the essential nutrients and trace minerals that plants need to flourish. Interested to know the background behind E.M? Check out our website at www.cowichangreencommunity.org
(Reserve your own 1 litre bottle of E.M for $12 plus HST).

Cold Frames and Reclaimed Windows Available!

CGC still has one well-constructed cold frame left for purchase! ($95.00 + HST)

If you would rather build your own, we are still offering salvaged windows, perfect for cold frame or greenhouse construction. These wood framed windows were removed from the Vancouver City Hall as part of their building retrofit, and have been donated to CGC to be used for fundraising and food growing purposes. Windows are being stored in Sahtlam. To have a look, or pick up some up, please contact:  john [at] cowichangreencommunity [dot] org">john [at] cowichangreencommunity [dot] org. Suggested donation: $5 for small quantities. Bulk options also available.

Kinsmen Community Gardens
Wish List: Annuals, Perennials, Herbs & Raspberry Canes

Many thanks to Tom Devereaux who has been working hard to improve the Kinsmen Community Gardens. He has been working hard planting edible herbs and beautiful perennials to enhance the circular garden in the heart of the mandala garden beds. You are awesome Tom! We appreciate every thing you have done to help us keep our gardens beautiful and it already looks so much better! Also, many thanks to Laurel Circle who has recently donated plenty of fennel and lovage for the Kinsmen Community Garden. We truly appreciate your donations!

Important:
For those gardeners who are diligent weed pullers- Great Job- but, please be certain that these weeds get taken to the compost bins (If they haven't already gone to seed). The Municipality of North Cowichan has asked that all Kinsmen gardeners clear their weed piles away from the pathways. Please be mindful that the Municipality has to maintain the lawns and sprinklers on a regular basis. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated.

Wish List for Kinsmen Community Garden:

• Annuals or Perennials
• Herbs
• Raspberry Canes
• Rhubarb Cuttings

Our ongoing vision is to create a beautiful centerpiece made up of flowers and herbs for the whole community to enjoy. One of our hard-working gardeners, Kevin Williams, has been busy building posts for raspberries near the shed. These extra elements in the garden will also help attract more pollinators and truly give back to the community at large. Please contact amanda [at] cowichangreencommunity [dot] org, phone 250.748.8506 or drop off any contributions to 181 Station St.

A little extra:
Feed your rose bushes or flowering plants some banana peels. Bananas are high in potassium and will help your garden plants thrive. An easy way to avoid worrying about gnats and other pests with the banana peels is to put them in a blender with a bit of water and liquefy. Pour this mixture around the plant then lightly mix with the soil on the surface. Doing this will help the banana to breakdown faster making it more available to plant quicker. Cheers to healthy plants!

Sustainable Living Centre:
The Climate Challenge

   

Community Events:

Cobble Hill Thursday Farmers Market from 2pm-7pm:  Buy some locally grown, fresh fruits and veggies every Thursday from 2pm- 7pm @ the Cobble Hill Hall Field. For all inquiries call: 250.510.8343 or email: islanderstrading [at] yahoo [dot] ca">islanderstrading [at] yahoo [dot] ca

Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre Fundraiser:
We would like to invite you to our Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre Beer and Burger Dinner and Silent Auction Event on July 17th from 5pm to 8pm at the Cow Bay Pub.
Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at:
Cowichan Land Trust Office, #6-55 Station Street, 250-746-0227 or Volume One Bookstore, 149 Kenneth Street, 250-748-1533 or Cowichan Bay Kayak and Outfitters, 1765 Cowichan Bay Road, 250-748-2333

Earthen Built and Mossy Banks Farm Upcoming Workshops: Freshwater Shrimp Aquaculture, Solar Hot Showers, Cob Building, Natural Homesteading, Animal Rearing. Please visit www.earthenbuilt.com for upcoming dates, info, or to sign up for their online newsletter.

Wanted: Plastic poly (clear or black) for renovating an older barn. Please email amanda [at] cowichangreencommunity [dot] org">amanda [at] cowichangreencommunity [dot] org if you have any materials you would like to donate.

Reflections Holistic Retreat Spa: Massage, praylaya, reiki-lom, acupressure, sound healing, lastone therapy, prenatal massage, yoga, Psych-K, transformational dance. Check out  www.reflectionsholisticretreat.com for more info or call Christy @ 250.737.1800

Maple Groove Farm now has a steady supply of free-range, GMO-free eggs available from organically raised Rhode Island x chickens.  We recently added 16 new birds to our flock, and are regularly collecting enough eggs to feed our family and yours.  At just $4/dozen these are significantly less expensive than similar, non-GMO free eggs from the supermarket. Contact Maple Groove Farm @ 250-597-3050.

Hope Farm has two tubing benders for loaning out to local growers wanting to make covered growing areas.  We have one 4' low tunnel bender and one high tunnel bender. Please contact Michael Burdge at mike [at] hopefarm [dot] ca or 250.510.2111.

Permaculture Certificates from the leading minds on sustainability (e.g. seed saving, organic farming, permaculture design, greywater systems, food forestry, regenerative financial systems, food production, natural building, mushroom and mycelium production, business models and ecovillage design) + the highest hands-on to theory ratio of any residential permaculture course on the Canadian west coast + three weeks with the glorious backdrop of Salt Spring Island off the coast of British Columbia? Visit: http://www.permaculturebc.com/permaculture-design-certificate-british-columbia-salt-spring-island for more info!

FoxGlove Farm Presents 2011 Workshops, Retreats & Events: Make your own homestead cheese, build a wood-fire oven, photograph the great outdoors, learn how to graft and prune trees or discover the art of fermentation + many other workshops. Visit http://www.foxglovefarmbc.ca for more info! Contact: programs [at] foxglovefarmsbc [dot] ca or phone: 250.931.5336.

The Cowichan Bio-Diesel Co-op and Cowichan Energy Alternatives Society hosting 2011 Collective Biofuels Conference: August 5th-7th. This is the first time the CBC will be held outside the USA as the conference moves from its last location in Washington DC to Duncan BC!  Featuring key note speaker: Lyle Estill, a founder of Piedmont Biofuels and author of Biodiesel Power and Small is Possible - Life in a Local Economy. His third book, Industrial Evolution; Community Solutions for a Low Carbon Economy, is coming out in May. His talk is "Biodiesel's New Leaf" - success stories and carnage on the road to community scale fuel production. Cowichan Bio-Diesel Co-operative, #2 - 55 Station St.,  Duncan, BC.  V9L 1M2, Tel: 250-748-2694 www.smellbetter.org

Saturday Farmer - Organic Agriculture Internship
Learn about organic food production with Saanich Organics at Northbrook Farm.  Join us for four Saturdays from 10am to 4pm. The mornings will be dedicated to a workshop on a different topic each week. In the afternoon, Saturday Farmers will put their learning into practice and develop hands-on skills while working in the field. No previous experience is necessary and there is no cost, just a passion for gardening and hard work.
Summer Session: August 6, 13, 20, 27
Check out www.saturdayfarmer.com for more details or email Jill: dalton [dot] jill [at] gmail [dot] com

Casual Farm Help Available. Weeding, planting, general farm labour. Contact CGC for more information. 250.748.8506.

Cowichan Green Community has organized its second annual Wild Foods walking series focusing on the Cowichan Valley’s bounty of wild edibles and their ecosystems. Join local wild foods experts, including Chef Bill Jones and The Land Conservancy’s Jay Rastogi, as they share their knowledge of foraging, medicinal plant use, traditional plant uses, wild food preparation and more along six different walking trails throughout the Valley. See our schedule below:

Walk #1 -Thurs. June 30th McAdam Park - Roger Foucher

Walk #2 - Friday, July 8th Eves Park - Genevieve Singleton

Walk #3 - Sat. July 16th Wildwood - Jay Rastogi

Walk #4 - Wed. July 20th Deerholme Farm - Bill Jones

Walk #5 - Fri. July 29th Stoltz Pools - Genevieve Singleton

Walk #6 -Wed. August 10th Mayo Creek Gardens - Ingeborg Woodsworth

All walks depart at 9:30 a.m. and run two to three hours depending on the number of people and the level of interest. The cost is $17 per walk; $15 for CGC members. Sign up for three or more walks and receive a 10% discount. Some walks have limited space so sign up now! To register, please call Heather at 250.748.8506

Yearly Memberships:
2011

For those of you who couldn't make it to our AGM, you may have received a phone call for Membership renewal. Members are the driving force behind everything we do here at Cowichan Green Community. Your support will: create a stronger voice for change in our community; help fund locally-focused programs that make our home a more sustainable place to eat, live, work and play; provide opportunities for community members like yourself to get involved.

Memberships also include: 10% off everything in the Sustainable Living Centre; access to our great selection of books in our Lending Library; discounts on CGC workshops and events; and the opportunity to vote at our AGM.

Register at 181 Station Street or online by clicking here.

Green Volunteer Appreciation:



In no particular order, here is a list of the amazing people we would like to acknowledge with a special thanks for their support. Please note that if we missed your name, you are still  amazing!

Victor and Margit from the Tea Farm, Central Landscaping, Newsleader, Susan Smith, Elaine Nurse, Tom Devereaux, and Laurel Circle!

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