I don’t own a cell phone, which makes me a bit of a freak in this day and age. I remember travelling on a bus in Guatemala and saw a peasant woman pull a cell phone out of the band of her skirt. It’s not just because I don’t want […] Read More
When I was in Tofino recently, I wanted to find out how they had resolved their water storage problem. Back in 2006, they famously ran out of water at the height of tourist season. The town of around 1,600 Tofitians swells to about 6,000 during the summer months, a time […] Read More
I just published my latest book on-line with Smashwords: Something’s Rotten in Compost City, A Primer on the Politics of Food. It’s been a long time coming. In some ways this book picks up where my last book left off. It’s an account of my life after leaving City Farmer, […] Read More
I’ve been exploring composting options for the Kits Community Centre commercial kitchen. We checked out the White Dragon in action at Trafalgar’s Bistro. It was impressive! This automated system cooks organic matter in twelve to twenty-four hours. I was skeptical, but when I saw the finished product, I was amazed. […] Read More
I suppose it is fitting that in the year I choose Middle Path as my theme, that I find myself at Middle Beach Lodge on a very middle-aged birthday. I am at a crossroads, it feels more like a whole new book, than a new chapter. And so here I […] Read More
Many years ago I delivered a worm bin to a cousin of mine who lives in Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island. I don’t think the worms survived the first winter. I’m heading there this week and will be blogging about the community’s sustainability efforts. I have already […] Read More
The first time I called Garry and Wendy Lowe at the appointed interview hour, there was no answer. That’s because cell phone service was down – the only phone service they have. In fact, there are no wires anywhere near their home, they are way off the grid in the […] Read More
I did a large batch of fermented pickles this year – large for me. In the twenty jars, I had only one botch. Thankfully it was the smallest jar. You can tell by the gunk at the top, when I open it, it will smell throw-uppy. Since I’ve been taking […] Read More
We have been touring the Olympic Village with design manager Roger Bayley for four years now in the SFU Applications course, part of a certificate in Sustainable Community Development. We were crawling around in the bellies of buildings looking at the green infrastructure long before the athletes moved in. Last […] Read More
My mom was complaining about the tomatoes she picked this summer at an organic farm in the Okanagan. The farm used to be conventional, but converted in the last few years. It wasn’t just the higher prices that bothered her, she said the skins were tough and the fruit was […] Read More