We are happy to confirm that Vancity Credit Union has generously provided funding for Southern Gulf Islands Food Producers to share and learn more about Soil Health and Regenerative Agriculture Systems. This is with help from Kwantlen Polytechnic University soil scientists. This program will include full-length field days on each island, as well as Food […]
Read More 2021-22 Healthy Soils & Regenerative Agriculture ProgramHot off the digital presses… the Co-op’s fall newsletter with lots of activity and educational updates… 2021 GIFC Fall Newsletter
Read More Co-op’s Fall, 2021 Newsletter!For more 2021 Seed Saving action, see the October 5 Pender Island Seed Saving Workshop (including equipment) described on the page and poster BELOW. See also NEW WORKSHOP VIDEOS on our main Seed Saving page…
Read More October, 2021 Seed Saving WorkshopDespite covid but with appropriate precautions, the Co-op is still active with Co-op Tables for joint selling and various new projects! You can see the 2021 UPDATES on the page below and join in… https://gulfislandsfoodco-op.org/gulfislandsco-op/
Read More July, 2021 New Co-op Services & ProjectsMAY, 2021: See HERE for updated SEED SAVING news. Hi Everyone – Where did January go??? Happy (belated) New Year!! I am feeling so pumped at having just delved into some online seed catalogues, yahoo! Its always such a hopeful time of year! Here’s some items top of mind for me, that you might be interested […]
Read More Spring, 2021 Seed Saving Education, Pender Seed Library Launch, plus Mayne & Galiano…Dear folks of Pender, Mayne, Galiano and Saturna, When the pandemic first hit, the GULF ISLANDS FOOD CO-OP used our remaining grant funds for direct support to island and Tsawout food banks plus Saturna food bags, meals for vulnerable people programs, and to help island food producers buy some supplies to keep going. Now we continue to […]
Read More August, 2020: New Co-op Programs to support you!Warm greetings to our 72 Gulf Islands Food Co-op Members, plus other contacts! We’ve spent the past year doing our utmost to support Food Producers and local food security on Pender, Galiano, Saturna and Mayne, and in the traditional Coast Salish territories where we are grateful to be. This includes special Co-op supports during covid […]
Read More May, 2020 Co-op virtual AGM Invite, Past Year ProjectsDear communities of Galiano, Saturna, Mayne and Pender, The Co-op was just swinging into February activities, and then the COVID-19 pandemic brought many things to a halt. However, we were not deterred from trying our best to be useful. Thanks greatly to some remainders of our 2019-2020 Vancity and CRD project funding, here are the responses […]
Read More April, 2020: Food Co-op COVID Services & UpdateFrom Co-op Coordinator Nancy Klein (February 21, 2020): Good day to all our valued members and supporters of the Gulf Islands Food Co-op (GIFC), Dare I say that spring is in the air? Many local food producers on the unceded traditional Coast Salish First Nations’ territories of Pender, Mayne, Saturna and Galiano Islands have already […]
Read More Feb, 2020: Update on new Co-op Projects to Support You!SEPTEMBER, 2019: The Food Co-op has now begun offering the first of the NEW SERVICES BELOW. Thanks to Vancity, CRD, and Community Works funding, we are paying islanders to work on the following: (1) CO-OP TABLES for joint selling at island Saturday Markets, for producers who don’t need their own table each week (successfully initiated on Galiano and Mayne this […]
Read More September, 2019 – Co-op Services now initiated…The Gulf Islands Food Co-op (GIFC) is a non-profit co-operative, focused on supporting the food producers, food groups, eaters, and local food resilience of the islands of Pender, Mayne, Galiano, and Saturna (see attached Summary). By offering free or low-cost services to island food producers of all types and sizes (commercial and non-commercial, non-Indigenous and […]
Read More June, 2019 – New Co-op Funding for Projects to serve Producers!Greetings, to the 29 initial Members of the Gulf Islands Food Co-op, more Members to come, and any other interested folks of the Southern Gulf Islands… the beautiful traditional territories of our Coast Salish W̱SÁNEĆ Indigenous neighbours. We warmly invite you all to a… CO-OP INTER-ISLAND VIDEO MEETING SUNDAY, February 9, 2019, from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm (or longer if desired) Hosted from the lovely […]
Read More February 9, 2019 Co-op INTER-ISLAND VIDEO MEETING (Members+)Dear Island Food Producers and Eaters, We are very happy to confirm that as of yesterday (September 27, 2018), the non-profit GULF ISLANDS FOOD CO-OP was officially incorporated! MISSION & PROCESS: The primary mission is to support our incredible Southern Gulf Islands (SGI) Food Producers, from Pender, Mayne, Saturna and Galiano. This includes commercial, non-commercial, plus value-added producers. These food producers will always be the majority […]
Read More Gulf Islands Food Co-op INCORPORATED, practical help & education to come…The next Pender Permaculture Gathering will be with Mark and Mariko Benson SUNDAY APRIL 15th, 2018 (3 pm tour and discussion, 5 pm potluck and outdoor fire) 6612 Harbour Hill Drive (please park on the outer street section of Harbour Hill Drive, and then walk down Gardom Lane to reach the above address) Mark and Mariko […]
Read More Pender PERMACULTURE Gathering (April 15, 2018)Dear Southern Gulf Islands Food Producers and Food Groups, We’ve now had lively meetings on Pender, Galiano, Mayne and Saturna about a potential co-op, with more to come (in March, 2018). You can see the Gulf Islands FOOD CO-OP proposal for details. BIG QUESTION: What do you need most as a food producer, that a CO-OP could potentially […]
Read More QUESTION FOR FOOD PRODUCERS – What do you need most from a Co-op?I just saw this on Derek Masselink’s Growing Islands Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/growingislands/ – a post yesterday from Lana Popham, which might mean new funding opportunities for food co-op’s (fingers crossed): “Today was an incredible day! For starters it was the first BC NDP budget in 16 years…and what a budget it was! We covered off […]
Read More New BC Budget – $29 Million more for GrowBC, FeedBC and BuyBCThere’s an upcoming March 24, 2018 class on Pender Island, for how to use Permaculture Principles to design an Edible Food Forest. This is another local food growing class offered by the non-profit Heartwood Folk School, which is the initiating host of the GULF ISLANDS FOOD CO-OP proposal. See below and email us to register […]
Read More Class: Designing an Edible FOOD FOREST (March, 2018)We now have CRD funding for collaborative planning regarding the… Gulf Islands FOOD CO-OP proposal – for Food Producers and Island Sustainability! We invite you to REGISTER to receive updates, and to be listed in the new Gulf Islands FOOD REGISTRY Let’s get to know each other better, and explore greater inter-island co-operation! Email info@gulfislandsfoodco-op.org for more…
Read More GULF ISLANDS FOOD CO-OP proposal – REGISTER to hear more!Join Matthew Vasilev and Katie Selbee at the Twin Island Cider orchard for a demonstration of how to prune both young and old fruit trees, as well as graft new apple trees. Pruning tools and theory will be discussed, followed by a hands-on demonstration in which you will be walked, step-by-step, through the process of restoring a neglected […]
Read More Fruit Tree PRUNING & GRAFTING Class (February, 2018)The Pender Islands Farmers Institute has organized a free, full-day, Farm Water Management Seminar on January 20, 2018. See HERE for more…
Read More FARM WATER MANAGEMENT Seminar (January, 2018)The farmers of the Southern Gulf Islands of Pender, Galiano, Mayne and Saturna work incredibly hard to grow food for our area. In fact, their bounty usually flies out of the local Farmers Markets at high speed, and the biggest challenge seems to be to find ways to grow more food to meet local demand. […]
Read More AQUAPONIC Growing for the Islands? (Vegetables together with Fish)A summer Heartwood Folk School class is coming up… The Amazing Living Soil: Respecting the Inhabitants of Your Soil …with Mark Benson Saturday, June 17, 2017 (10:00 am to Noon) Pender Island Community Hall Email info@heartwoodfolkschool.ca for details. Mark Benson will speak and also invite discussion, about a multitude of fascinating and innovative soil management strategies […]
Read More The Amazing Living SOIL (Class/Discussion)On Saturday, April 15 (11:00 am to 2:00 pm), Master Herbalist Don Ollsin taught a class about important herbs that people can grow and gather (see poster below). It was a beautiful sunny day for learning how to use domesticated and wild herbs to enhance our health. Below is more info about Don – see you […]
Read More HERB GROWING with Master Herbalist WorkshopWould you like to “Bee in Your Garden” with more pollinators around to help you grow food? Then come out for the next Heartwood class on Saturday, March 18 (see HERE for details).
Read More Attracting POLLINATORS to Grow Food WorkshopHeartwood Folk School is now ready to restart in the Fall, beginning with a class on “Building Simple Hoop Greenhouses” (like the one below). See here for more!
Read More Building Hoop GREENHOUSES WorkshopDid you know that sometimes you’re not supposed to wash food before you preserve it? With traditional food fermentation, you’d be washing away the living organisms that preserve the food for you (and make it even healthier too!). See here for June classes on canning, fermenting, and other food preservation methods.
Read More FOOD PRESERVATION ClassesWith the CRD’s January 1, 2015 deadline for “no more kitchen scraps” in the nearest landfill, Heartwood Folk School thinks it’s a key time to offer these two January classes: “Composting Basics” (for homes and small growers) and “Soil & Soil Building – Really Important Tiny Lives”. We have an expert visiting teacher – see […]
Read More Composting & SOIL BUILDING ClassesWe are happy to announce that on Saturday, June 14, 2014, Master Herbalist Don Ollsin of Victoria will be coming to Pender to offer two amazing classes… Top 20 Herbs to Wildcraft/Gather or Grow for our Health, and Creating a Fungi/Mushroom Garden. We invite you to seen these class descriptions, and now here are mushroom garden photos just in! […]
Read More Herbs and MUSHROOM GARDENS WorkshopIn a few weeks, we’re hosting two summer events. Firstly, all interested folk are welcome to attend a Fruit Tree Workshop (see below). This workshop and also a brief, informal Members Meeting are both on Saturday, June 1, downstairs at the Pender Community Hall. Feel free to come by during the Farmers Market. Fruit Tree Workshop (10:30 […]
Read More FRUIT TREE WorkshopThe little chicks below are what you get when you cross an Isa Brown hen with a Barnevelder rooster. Come out to PCT’s January 19, 2013 Poultry Raising Skill-Building Workshop to find out more! (see poster). It’s on a Saturday from noon to 3 pm at the Community Hall, and then people can tour a South Pender poultry […]
Read More POULTRY RAISING WorkshopBelow is our next workshop to support local food growing and food security: * Skill-building workshop on SEED SAVING & SEED BANKS (Saturday, September 29, 2012, noon to 4:00 pm, Community Hall upstairs, free event). This is to follow-up on PCT’s Community Seed Bank initiative. Now we know of over 30 people keen to help, but we need to learn more […]
Read More SEED SAVING & Seed Bank workshopNewsflash: In about 11 days (on February 28 and 29, 2012), 11 young hazelnut trees are coming to the Pender Islands School, and we need your help! These little trees also need your patience, because it’ll be 8 years before they make nuts (not quite like a big box store). This is our School Nut Tree Project, which is […]
Read More HAZELNUT Tree Planting