Times ColonistAugust 6, 2009

ALL HAIL KALE — AND HERBS:

Philippe Lucas and Sonya Chandler gather chard, kale and herbs from the city’s demonstration garden outside Victoria City Hall yesterday.

Photograph by: Adrian Lam, Times Colonist

Harvest time began at Victoria City Hall yesterday with two councillors gathering the fruits of the earth from two small planters set in the sidewalk.

Councillors Philippe Lucas and Sonya Chandler cut armfuls of chard, kale and a variety of herbs, such as rosemary and thyme, from the two beds in front of the hall’s Pandora Avenue entrance. All of the harvest was to be donated to Our Place for use in its soup kitchen.

“It goes to show you can grow a substantial amount of food in a small space,” said Chandler, who helped found the Banfield Commons garden in Vic West.

Until about eight weeks ago, the two garden plots housed ornamental flowers. But in the spring, the two councillors won approval to grow food as a demonstration project dubbed the “First Steps Garden.”

Lucas, previously active with the Wark Street Commons garden in the Quadra-Hillside area, said the project demonstrates the ease of growing food in backyards or other small spaces, like allotment gardens.

It’s been estimated that Vancouver Island has about three days supply of food on hand for residents at any one time, he said. But decades ago, the Island supplied 80 per cent of its own food.

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