I woke up the other morning, peeped out of my tent and saw dew on my car windshield; it had been a cool evening on one of my last camping trips of the year. It was also another sign that it was close to the end of harvest.
Camping was so much fun! It was a monumental birthday celebration for my dear friend Jackie, who ran around the evening in a princess crown and purple-feathered boa. There were twenty of us, some from Whistler, Salt Spring Island, Maple Ridge, Kelowna, Merritt and Williams Lake. One thing that was so cool was the unique homemade food dishes and local wine brought from various areas. It made me think of the usual camping foods and how our food has evolved. The Caesar Salad was made with fresh spinach instead of romaine; the potato salad had an avocado dressing which made it bright green and no hot dogs here, local salmon was on the BBQ. To top it off was a thin chocolate-layered torte made by master baker, Jana from Salt Spring Island who beat the cream by hand and decorated the cake on the tailgate of a pick-up truck. "Gettin' 'er done", Nicola Valley style!
Looking at the wine labels sitting out on the table I noticed BC wine from various regions, a bottle of homemade and scotch and soda for the birthday girl. This was a small gathering, but a good indication of what might be happening around the province… homemade, fresh and local.Inside this issue, we bring you more fun photos of seasonal events and how growers are bringing people to their farms showing how, “BC does it up!”
Take a moment to read our new columnists; BCFGA President Fred Steele who shares his view in “Seeds of Growth” and Barbara Ashton on preparing for new hires, while longtime columnist Mike Cooper relates a giraffe and good customer service. There is more inside on water woes, kiwis, organics and sustainability.
Enjoy the Magazine!