Family farms are the solution to many modern, food-related issues:

Food Quality:
Many modern diseases never existed when we used unprocessed, FARM-FRESH FOODS in our diet. The fresh foods we have consumed for at least 30,000 years on every continent on the planet are, by far, nutritionally superior to food processed by modern methods.

Fair Pricing:
By cutting out the middlemen, farmers earn a much better income and consumers pay
FAIR PRICES that are equivalent to buying at an organic market. By connecting to your local farm
you secure nutrient-dense, quality food for stable prices.

Landcare:
Good, organic-based farming and local buying of fresh food heal our environment.
Family farming puts the care of the land back into the hands of the community.

Food Security:
Community Supported Agriculture and family farms protect the food supply of our community, city, and country, regardless of global economic forces.

Better Animal Husbandry:
We can protect our farm animals from harm, ensure them a dignified life and benefit from the superior foods that well-loved, well-tended animals give us.

Saving Family Farms:
Farmers deserve dignity. By supporting our local farmers, we free them from unfair corporate conditions to pursue higher quality of care for our animals, our land and our food.

Simplicity:
Community-based agriculture replaces bureaucracy with transparency, alienation with connection.
G.F.B.R.A.S. is a community solution that facilitates community agriculture, connects members and consumers, while managing community-based agriculture initiatives across the Kootenay/Boundary.

We want to help you:
find farm-fresh food •
build a CSA in the region •
find farming solutions that pay •
help market your products •
institute a stress-free slaughter system •
and build a community co-operative of members,
animals and farmers that is self-sustaining.

Our valley once produced 350 rail cars of food a year.

Can history repeat itself? We know it can!

Dear Seed Savers

I'm sure many of you have already started some seeds for this growing season, blissful Spring!

Here is an update on what's happening with the Boundary Seed Bank. We now have a small collection of open pollinated and Heritage Seeds, many of which have been grown in the Valley for up to 18 years! I have just done viability testing on them to make sure they will grow when planted! I have been in contact with Dan Jason of the Salt Spring Seed Sancutary, who has generously offered to donate some seeds to us.

So now, we are ready to grow them out for Seed. We are planning to distribute the seeds to volunteer plant custodians (that means you!) on Wednesday April 22nd (Earth Day) from 5pm - 7pm in City Park. We have room 8 of Selkirk College booked as a backup in case of inclement weather.

After the Seed Distribution, at 7pm in Room 8, we will be showing a 20 minute video on a projector screen, about the historical roots of seed growing in Grand Forks!

This event will NOT be a Seed Share, it will be dedicated to giving out Seeds and a Seed Savers Checklist to everyone who is willing and able to participate.

However we would love to accept heritage seed donations > you must know the origin and variety of the seed you are donating. We can't accept seeds that are simply labeled "kale" etc.

So, here's your chance to actually get your hands dirty, this is what all the meetings have been about > growing out these precious plants to save the seeds in our community seed bank.

If you are interested in making a commitment to be a Plant Custodian for the Boundary Seed Bank, read on!

Guidelines for Plant Custodians:

1) Grow it naturally. You are growing "organically" on "organic" land > basically land that has not had any conventional/chemical fertilisers, herbicides or insecticides added to it in the last 10 years. Don't get too worried about the definition of "organic" this doesn't mean you have to be certified, but following basic principles of organic agriculture.

Check out Kootenay Mountain Grown for a wealth of information on this topic! http://www.klasociety.org/index_files/Kootenay_Mountain_Grown.htm

2) Know your neighbours! Are they growing organically too? If not, there is a risk of contamination. Perhaps you have access to land that

3) Do your research! When choosing the plants you want to grow for seed, you'll need to know the potential of cross pollination, and then protect your seed plants by creating cages with fine screen. Also know what your neighbours are growing, and any wild plants in your area.

Go to www.seedsanctuary.com and go to articles for very detailed and plant specific information on cross pollination, seed saving techniques, and more. A number of excellent books have been written on these topics as well. the GFBRAS forum has some good info too. http://www.gfbras.ca/forum/ > Boundary Seed Bank

4) Keep basic records throughout the growing season. Attached is a one page Seed Saver's Checklist, sent to us by Dan Jason. It will be important to maintain a record for consistency's sake, and so that we can share the seeds and information with our community! We will have this checklist printed out at the event to accompany the seeds.

Our work will start small but grow with time. Let's do this!

Please pass this email on to anyone who you think would be interested.

Looking forward to seeing you next Wednesday in the park...to plant seeds for our future...

blessings,

Anisah

 

 

 

 Local Co-op project moves forward!

On Friday March 6ththere was a presentation to fully inform the community on how Cooperatives work– how they build and sustain community, and how they build a strong local economy.
George Alkalay is the founder of Northfield Ventures Ltd., a consulting firm providing advice and assistance to a wide range of agricultural and rural co-operatives and community-based enterprises, primarily in the food-processing and biofuel sector.  Since 1996 Northfield Ventures has assisted co-ops and other enterprises with business and strategic planning, project management, securing appropriate financing, community investment, and obtaining government regulatory approvals and funding. He has worked to establish farm supply co-ops, chicken, pork, and emu-processing co-ops; ginseng and apple marketing co-ops to goat and sheep milk cheese manufacturing co-ops.  Most recently, he has spent the past several years getting Integrated Grain Processors Co-op (www.igpc.ca) off the ground as their business advisor and project manager.  IGPC is a 150 million litre ethanol co-op owned by nearly 900 farmer and community members.  He lives in Snowball, Ontario.
The Agricultural Co-op Development Initiative of the Canadian Cooperatives Association supported this presentation. They brought Mr. Alkalay here to help the Grand Forks and Boundary Regional Agricultural Society in its development of a meat and produce –local food cooperative. 
Thanks to Selkirk College and Community Futures Boundary for their support to make this community presentation happen. Thank you to the community at large for your support and making this event a success.

As many of our projects will greatly effect the future of the Kootenay Boundary for years to come we invite ALL to partake and give comment on our forum. Only working as a community will we secure the future we want!