three days, three ways
We rounded up some of our favourite Salt Spring activities and grouped them by region. Happy exploring!
Flowers For the People
Claire Jutras from Earth Candy Farm explains how local farmer florists have come together to form a flower collective and bring Salt Spring Island blooms to market.
Treat Yourself to Locally Made Ice Pops
Launched in spring 2020, Mavericks delivers some unexpected ice pop combinations, and uses seasonal ingredients from local Island farms whenever possible.
Olive Grove Gardening on the Edge
The Olive Farm is Canada’s first and only commercial olive grove, where 3,000 olive trees sprawl across a 72-acre property under the watchful face of Mount Maxwell, surrounded by neighbouring vineyards, bathed in sun and fanned by the salty ocean breeze funneling up from Fulford Harbour.
Plant Trees for Bees Like Your Life Depends On It
Tara Galpin of The Salty Hive and Milo Stuart of Rainwalk Design + Nursery are doing their part to ensure honey bee survival with their Trees for Bees program. “As a beekeeper on Salt Spring Island, we have to feed colonies a lot of sugar water, and this is not a sustainable practice.”
Gotta Get a Goat
For Jessica Beck and her family, backyard hobby farming has grown to encompass a paddling of Welsh Harlequin ducks, a brood of mixed hens and a friendly drove of Nigerian Dwarf goats. They’ve been surprised and delighted with the addition of the goats, which joined the family last summer, due to their charming personalities and hilarious companionship.
Food for Thought: Saving Seeds with Marsha Goldberg
Gardening is an essential part of community food security, and the success of your garden starts with the humble but mighty seed. Local seeds proven to thrive in this ecosystem will yield the best results, and luckily Salt Spring is home to seed farmer Marsha Goldberg of Eagleridge Farm, who is passionate about sharing her expertise with gardeners.
Food for Thought: Healing Herbs with Lesley Crystal
Local herbalist Lesley Crystal is passionate about healing plants, and introduced us to the miraculous healer Plantain which is currently abundant across the island.
Craving North End Farm Cinnamon Buns
Rob and Sally Dailly’s farm stand off North End Road is a joy to visit, stocked with coolers of meat, various local preserves, racks of veggies and tons of baked goods. The cinnamon buns are baked fresh on Saturdays and Sundays and you need to show up early (before 11am) in order to snag one before they sell out.
Food for Thought: Backyard Foraging with Lisa Apfelbaum
Salt Spring is known for its abundant farms, but there is also plenty of wild food to be found on the island. Back in March, local permaculturist and chef Lisa Apfelbaum started up a #wildfoodwednesdays series on social media to help SSI families supplement their food security through wild crafting (the practice of harvesting plants from their natural habitats for food or medicinal purposes).
Summer “Boochtails” with Salt Spring Island Kombucha
Cocktails made with kombucha? Yes please! Lea Weir, founder at Salt Spring Island Kombucha, has introduced us to “boochtails,” cocktails that are both delicious to drink and will nip that hangover in the bud. “Imagine having the hangover cause and the hangover cure in one glass!” So, if an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure… how many boochtails can we drink?
Salt of the Earth: Bullock Lake Farm with Molly Wilson
Bullock Lake Farm is owned by Zack Hemstreet and Molly Wilson. They are a CSA-focused farm, with over 100 families in their program this season. Their 24 acres are fairly evenly divided between produce and flowers, and for good reason - not only are they growing delicious food for those 100 families and beyond, but their stunning weekly bouquets are a hot commodity on the island!
Salty Hospitality Delivers a Love for Mexican Cooking
Deb Peña is a Salt Spring Island cook, originally from Mexico City and Puerto Vallarta. Deb now calls Salt Spring Island home with her wife, Miranda, where they run Salty Hospitality. Salty Hospitality is an event planning, catering, and rental company, with a new (exciting!) arm to their business: taco delivery kits.
Navigating the Labyrinth at Garry Oaks Estate Winery
Garry Oaks is an estate winery on Salt Spring Island, run by Nalini Samuel. Since taking over the winery in 2016, Nalini has introduced the Labyrinth estate blends label, where stories from Greek mythology are at the fore. Be sure to join their new wine club, launching this July!
Salt of the Earth: The Garden with Jane Squier
The Garden is a three-acre farm where a 6,000 square foot greenhouse is home to a variety of organic sub-tropical fruit and other exotic plants. Owner Jane Squier experiments with sustainable growing techniques and is often sought after for speaking engagements and workshops on horticultural methodology.
Farm Stands During the Pandemic
Farm stands have been an incredible answer to buying and selling food during this pandemic. Just ask chef Haidee Hart, whose work plans came to halt when the world was hit with Covid-19. Instead of sitting back, Haidee focused all her attention on getting her food stand up and running. From treats to homemade cheeses, sauces, and soups, every corner of Haidee’s stand is filled with delicious ingredients and goods.