Salt Spring Farm Tour

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Saturday, September 29th, 2012
9:00 AM

Saturday, September 29th and Sunday, September 30th, The Tuesday Farmers Market invites visitors to Salt Spring Island to release their inner locovore. Visitors will embark on an ecological, agricultural, gastronomic odyssey through Salt Spring's finest farms & gardens. See famed Salt Spring lamb, acreages shaped by permaculture principals, and Apple Luscious, where the Apple Festival, cancelled this year due to crop failure, is normally held. A dozen farms and market gardens have planned tours, demonstrations, and family fun: see cheesemaking in action, collect seeds from exotic herbs and perennials, and roam through exquisite vegetable and fruit oases in full bloom. Tickets are $25 for both days, $15 for students: kids under 15 by donation. Visit www.saltspringfarmtour.com to purchase, or visit the booth at the Tuesday Farmers Market. Visitors can also register at 'the door' on the day(s) of the tour at the Harbour House Hotel. The Harbour House are sponsoring the tour and will be distributing maps and information for farm tourists throughout the weekend of the 29th and 30th.

The sad turn of events around Harry and Debbie Burton's famed Apple Festival illustrates the stark realities faced by our farmers when weather, pests, or disease conspire. Farm Tour organizers see this as an opportunity to learn, and share ways in which communities like ours can develop a stronger foundation of food security. Initiatives such as community supported agriculture, land trusts, and co-operative development such as the abattoir project of Island Natural Growers will be highlighted.

On the evening of Saturday the 29th, islanders and farm tour participants are invited to an event titled "Farming as though our lives depended on it" at Artspring. Part celebration of the resurgence of interest and passion for locally produced food, part deep think on how we can improve our islands' food foundation, the event will feature a set of beautifully crafted songs by Genie and Juno award-winning songwriter Bill Henderson, followed by a panel discussion with Harry Burton, Michael Ableman, and other eminent growers and experts.

Both events are fundraisers for local and international food security initiatives. At home on Salt Spring, proceeds will feed the Tuesday Farmers Market and Island Natural Growers. Overseas funds will be used to build peach orchards in Lesotho, where Salt Spring Islanders have been building community-to-community links to help families afflicted by HIV/AIDS.

The Artspring event is $24 for the general public, and $12 for farm tour participants. Tickets at Artspring Box Office: 537-2102. We are still welcoming volunteers: contact Jacquie Harkema on 931-6336 to sign up.


CONTACTS:
Harry and Debbie Burton, Apple Luscious: [email protected]
Jacquie Harkema, Salt Spring Tuesday Market: Jacquie Harkema