Now that the City of Vancouver is moving ahead with allowing chickens in backyards, I thought it would be fun to revisit the chapter on chickens from my last book. My book was published in 2003. It’s amazing to see how much has changed and how far we’ve come! And […] Read More
I used to work with the BC branch of Evergreen. A national group that focuses on greening school grounds, preserving and restoring nature in the city. I helped to promote their Lawn and Garden Smart Program. Basically a garden consultation service where a horticultural adviser makes a house call, takes […] Read More
I have moved around a lot. From time to time I have been homeless – “ but only in the sense that I was in transition, had not yet rented an apartment and was bouncing from friend to friend, sleeping on a couch here, a floor there. Still it was […] Read More
Jane Jacobs, the much loved and lauded urban planner and community activist died in 2006. Jacobs believed that in order to truly know your own city, “you have to get out and walk”. In her honour, a group of friends and colleagues from Toronto organized the first Jane’s Walk in […] Read More
Last year I took part in Bike the Blossoms, an event put on for the past two years by Slow Food Vancouver and the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival. There were 2000 cyclists on the streets of Vancouver that day. We ruled the road. I have never felt so safe in […] Read More
I’m offering my course over one weekend now. Eating is a political act. Find out how the food on your plate can affect a farmer half a world away. Through field trips, guest speakers, classroom presentations and discussions, students will explore the entire food system from tabletop to ground and […] Read More
I interviewed several “middle path” farmers for my new book. Middle path to me means, farming as naturally as possible. Vista D’Oro Farm in Langley, BC is one of them; they are organic, but not certified. They grow heirloom tomatoes, some herbs in their little greenhouse and a variety of […] Read More
I have been editing the fruit chapter of my book. It looks at the politics of fruit through the banana lens. The banana is perhaps the most political fruit of all with a long line of corporate imperialists peeling off the profits. But the banana industry cannot lay claim to […] Read More
I’ve been off sugar since January. Trying to tame my sweet tooth. But when I simply must have chocolate, I do allow this one decadent treat. In a large mug, put a teaspoon of rich high end cocoa (I get mine from Chocolate Arts), a packet of stevia (a natural […] Read More
Last summer I ran into Ward Teulon – “ the City Farm Boy at my neighbourhood farmers’ market. Ward has 13 gardens scattered throughout the city, mostly in people’s backyards. One of his most productive sites is on the podium level of Freesia, a high rise development in the heart […] Read More