A different kind of crop circle: Community celebrates harvest of local, organic produce

by Jim Moodie  

SHEGUIANDAH-Visitors to Loonsong Garden, Manitoulin's first Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) project located near Sheguiandah, are greeted with an unusual sight: a whorl of colourful crops planted in concentric circles.  

"It was really just for fun and aesthetics," says Heather Thoma, explaining that when she and farming partner Paul Salanki began planting their one-acre organic garden in the spring, laying down one 50-foot row after another became a tad monotonous. So the farmers decided "to balance it out a bit."  

The circular plot may not have yielded better crops than the ones found in the more conventional, neighbouring rows (at least, the couple has no scientific evidence), but it has certainly caught people's attention-not only because of its shape, but also the variety of the plants it contains. Each ring consists of a different species: green beans, carrots, beets, white cabbage, lettuce, oregano. At its centre, like some sort of lush, splashy saturn, is a cluster of yellow sunflowers.  

"Almost everyone who has come to the garden has commented on the circle," notes Ms. Thoma, musing that the artistic touch "creates a welcoming mood, and shows right away that the growers care about what they're doing."  

The circle is also, however, an apt metaphor for the way the community garden functions. In adhering to organic farming principles, and growing everything from open-pollinated seed, Ms. Thoma and Mr. Salanki are sticking close to the natural cycles of the soil, the sun, the seasons. In providing food locally to a group of share members, each of whom has both a financial and emotional investment in the garden, they're creating a logical, sustainable loop. And they're creating a social circle to boot.  

Since the garden first began to yield produce back in June, Wednesdays have been the weekly "pick-up day" for the 20 share members who signed on for the growing season, paying $375 each (which amounts to less than $20 a week). On such days, Ms. Thoma and Mr. Salanki are up early, harvesting whatever is ready to be harvested that week, keeping lettuces crisp in water and loading up cabbages and melons and tomatoes in baskets, then weighing the produce on an oldfashioned scale draped from an old swingset and parceling out shares in recycled plastic bags.  

Share members arrive anytime between 4 and 7 pm. Inevitably, some will overlap with others. Those who haven't met before are introduced and connections are formed. Some people bring their children; others bring their dogs. The mood is festive and easygoing, with slices of watermelon passed around.  

Keith Harfield, or "Farmer Keith," as young Emilie Edwards calls him, generally sits nearby in the shade, grinning and chatting with everyone who comes by. He's not directly involved in the Loonsong Garden-he has his own cow-calf operation to worry about-but it's his land on which the garden is situated, and he shares many of the same farming principles as Mr. Salanki and Ms. Thoma, as does his son Nicholas, a university student who has made a summer job for himself as an organic market gardener.  

Market gardening was the original focus of Mr. Salanki and Ms. Thoma as well. "We had a market garden last year and took our produce to Gore Bay, but we realized that if we were going to make a living at this, we would have to do other things as well," says Ms. Thoma.  

The two continue to supply some produce to the local farmers' market in Mindemoya, as well as to Garden's Gate Restaurant in Tehkummah. "We don't see the CSA as something to do instead of that, but something that complements it," stresses Ms. Thoma.  

The idea of a CSA is not a new one, even if it is relatively new to Northern Ontario and totally new to Manitoulin. Mr. Salanki participated in a CSA in Niagara several years ago as a share member, and both he and Ms. Thoma were involved in one in New York State, where they lived prior to moving to Manitoulin. Most CSAs, they say, are patterned after a community farm that developed in Massachusetts in the early 1980s.  

The general idea, says Ms. Thoma, is to "create a stronger link between growers and consumers, as well as to provide farmers with some support at the beginning of the growing season." Share members assume some of the risk, notes the farmer, "because you don't know what the season will be like. But it seems like everyone takes on an adventurous spirit, and this summer the participants seem to have been really pleased."  

As with any growing season, there were some weather variables to deal with. This year's spring was exceptionally late and wet, and was followed by a cold and dry summer, both of which affected the yield of many of the vegetables. But September was warmer than expected and there were no untimely killer frosts or crop-flattening tornados or rampaging bears (the couple's solar-powered electric fence may have helped on that latter account).  

Every CSA is slightly different. Some require members to work in the garden, or help sell produce to the general public. Ms. Thoma and Mr. Salanki opted to keep their operation focussed squarely on the 20 share members, but not require any of them to put in time in the garden, although all were welcome to volunteer, and many did.

 Those who did had the additional pleasure of consuming food that they'd physically (however briefly they'd hoed or weeded or planted) helped to create. Those who didn't still felt connected to the food they ended up putting on their table, as they had a stake in the garden and had visited the site and gotten to know the growers. All of which amounted to a much more meaningful experience than simply yanking a package off a shelf and tossing it in a grocery cart.  

It's difficult to find a complaint among those who took part in the CSA, unless you count overabundance. As share member Jane Hubbard put it, "It was a bit challenging because you had to figure out what to do with all this great stuff." Frowning apologetically, she admitted to "freezing a few things."  

Of course sticking a few things in a freezer is nothing new for most of us, but it does approach a crime when the food you are receiving has been pulled from the earth that very day, crackling with freshness and nutrition. Most supermarket food, even the organic food found in grocery stores, has lost much of its zip and nutritional value by the time you consume it. As Mr. Salanki notes, "You can buy organic lettuce from California, but it will be 12 days from the harvest before you get it."  

Supermarkets do stock organic food from more proximate locales, but from where, exactly, you rarely know. And the organic label is no guarantee that the food won't be processed, Mr. Salanki points out.  

His philosophy, like that of Ms. Thoma's, is that growing organic is just one part of a wider approach to healthy, sustainable living. They eschew pesticides and herbicides, and want their food to be as natural and nutritious as possible, but "there are broader social and ecological issues that we want to take into consideration as well. We want to support local and regional food systems."  

Providing food locally vastly decreases the energy consumed in the transporting and processing of food items, the two point out, and fosters a sense of pride and community among those who participate in programs like the CSA (not to mention provides work for the growers).  

And then there's the personal touch a CSA affords. As the two wrote in a flyer they distributed last winter to gauge interest in the initiative, "In a CSA program, the grower knows who he/she is growing for, and can take the shared preferences of the group into consideration when making crop choices, and has more resources (both time and economic) to focus on the growing and harvesting of quality food." As well, "The share member knows the source of his/her food and can be assured of its quality and freshness."  

Ms. Hubbard certainly appreciated this aspect of the CSA. "It's wonderful to know where the vegetables are coming from and to know they're grown organically and with a lot of care," she says.  

For share member Jim Murray, it's the "sustainability of their type of agriculture" that strikes him as most impressive. He notes that rather than truck water to the garden, the farmers have been pumping it from a springfed pond, and powering their pump with a solar panel. "It's so exquisite and such a powerful statement," he says. "Instead of burning fuel, you've got photons pushing a pump from a pond."  

For Joanne Young and Robert Wilger, who live in Kitchener and cottage on Lake Kagawong, the produce reaped at Loonsong Garden is unequalled in quality. "We've taken part in share programs in Kitchener and eat organic food all the time, but this one is as good as any we've come across," says Mr. Wilger. "Better actually," adds Ms. Young, "because it's grown in fresh air instead of polluted southern Ontario air."  

A CSA, if the version spearheaded by Ms. Thoma and Mr. Salanki is any indication, also offers a remarkable variety of veggies. Familiar standbys like tomatoes and carrots have been part of the harvest, but share members have also opened up their recycled plastic bags to discover such exotic items as kohlrabi, climbing Italian flat beans and patty pan squash (which looks something like a spaceship from a sci fi B-movie).  

And that's just a brief sample. Ms. Thoma recently added up all the varieties of plants the two have grown over the summer, and came up with a rather startling figure: 101. Imagine: 101 different types of plants, all in a garden smaller than your average soccer field, and tended by just two people. This figure includes 15 varieties of tomatoes, five types of lettuce, and eight versions of beans. Try to find that in a bag of frozen mixed vegetables.  

As Thanksgiving approaches, and the growing season winds down (the last Loonsong Garden harvest is the Wednesday following the Thanksgiving weekend), those who have participated in the Island's first CSA seem all the more appreciative of the cornucopia that has come their way.  

Next summer Ms. Thoma and Mr. Salanki plan to expand the project to include 30 share members. "Most people from this year have said they'll do it again, and we think we can handle another 10 members, although we might need to have one of those people helping us regularly in the garden in exchange for their share," Ms. Thoma says. Those interested in next season's CSA may contact the couple after Thanksgiving in Kagawong, at 282-0358.  

Meanwhile, it's time for current share members to enjoy the final installments of this year's harvest, break out the pickling and preserving jars, and get ready for the end-of-season potluck dinner the farmers plan to host in late October.

Hospital to "stay the course"

by Richard MacKenzie

LITTLE CURRENT-The first board meeting of the Manitoulin Health Centre (MHC) following the Ministry of Health's regulation requiring all hospitals to balance their budgets, resulted in a catch phrase the board said reflects their reaction and plan for the future."We are going to stay the course," said CEO Jim Van Camp.

Mr. Van Camp said the board realizes this approach will not put the hospital in the required standing being mandated by the ministry. He said the board can see no programs which could be sacrificed to create the savings needed to balance their budget.

"It is our million dollar problem," Mr. Van Camp said, creating a second catch phrase which is not only easy to remember but also, according to Mr. Van Camp, close to reflecting the actual figure the board would have to overcome to balance their budget.

It is a regulation that the board may wilfully disregard but one where it believes it has no choice. "All our programs are essential and necessary we do basic primary care," Mr. Van Camp said.

Mr. Van Camp said the hospital has always maintained a cost efficient structure and shows due diligence with regards to expenditures. He added the hospital has done its part to raise revenue for certain projects and has always provided a budget which accurately reflects costs.

The problem the board sees is that the Ministry of Health fails to recognize the hospital as a two-site operation when allocating for operating costs. The lack of recognition stretches the funds needed to maintain both the Little Current and Mindemoya sites too thinly, making a balance budget impossible.

Chair of the board for the MHC, Ivan Edwards said the lack of recognition is especially surprising given another decision by the Ministry of Health only last month. Mr. Edwards pointed out the hospital was recognized as a two-site operation when the ministry handed out capital grants and awarded the MHC $235,062. It is an obvious inconsistency Mr. Edwards would like to hear explained.

The stance of the local health centre will be made clear to the Ministry of Health shortly. The hospital is expected to submit an accountability agreement to the ministry by October 15, where they would be expected to lay out a plan to balance their budget. The board expects the deficit should draw the ministry's attention.

Mr. Van Camp said one result could be the ministry sending inspectors, at the cost of the hospital, down to access the situation and, if they find you are not in accordance for sufficient reasons, there would be significant repercussions.

Mr. Van Camp and the board would welcome a confrontation on some levels. They believe getting to the bottom of the two-site recognition problem will solve the budget question and allow them to function under the new mandate.

Until then, for the benefit of those the patients the hospital serves, they will "stay the course."   

by Jim Moodie

MINDEMOYA-While many families will be putting lavish spreads of turkey and all the trimmings on their tables this weekend, others will be scouring the cupboards for any sort of decent food to eat.

"The need for food just seems to become greater and greater," says Cathy Size of the Manitoulin Help Centre food bank. "It's unbelievable how many people are coming in for food hampers."

Thanksgiving may traditionally be a time to rejoice and enjoy the harvest, but it's also a time of year when many people are feeling the pinch. "Summer employees have been laid off, and with the hydro and oil prices going up, people can't make ends meet, so they skimp on food," says Ms. Size.

She says that in the seven years that she's been purchasing food for the food bank, "I'm buying more now than ever. Now I buy as much food in a month as used to last for three months."

The Help Centre volunteer notes that "Christmas is when we get the biggest pile of food donated," but Thanksgiving is an equally appropriate and important time to support the food bank.

The staff of Central Manitoulin Public School (CMPS) did just that last Friday, contributing $250 towards the purchasing of food. In presenting the cheque to Manitoulin Family Resources board member Ruth Farquhar, who accepted the money on behalf of the food bank, CMPS principal Tracey Chapman explained that "every Friday we have a dress down day, where the staff pay a loonie, and then we give the money as a charitable donation." It was decided that the current kitty could help provide "some extra food (in the hampers) for Thanksgiving."

The Island Foodland store in Mindemoya has also been doing its part to help the food bank, encouraging shoppers to purchase pre-packed bags of food that are then delivered to the Help Centre. The bags come in two sizes, one for $4.99 and a larger one for $9.99, and contain items that have been requested by the food bank.

Alternatively, shoppers can pick up individual items in the store and donate these to the food bank as they pay for their groceries at the till. Throughout the store, items that the food bank and Foodland staff have decided are suitable ones to donate are identified with cards reading, "Pick Me-I'm a Food Bank Favourite."

Ramona Jaggard, administrative assistant with Island Foodland, has been spearheading the store's food drive, working in conjunction with Ms. Size to determine what food items to include in the bags and flag on the shelves. "Anything you can buy you can give," she stresses. "These are just suggestions."

Along with the typical staples and canned goods, Ms. Jaggard has identified extra treats like "puddings for kids' lunches." She hopes the signs scattered throughout the store will "help people think about this issue, and remind them that we have a food bank and that you can give. You don't realize the need is so great if you don't see it yourself."

She adds that customers can also choose to make a financial donation "by putting a bit extra on their bill."

This is the second year for a Thanksgiving food drive at Island Foodland. Last year, "we got an extra $1,000 at the food bank because of it," notes Ms. Size. The food drive will continue until October 22.

by Matt McHarg.

MANITOULIN--Metal and hardcore combine in the sound of one of Manitoulin's new up-and-coming bands, "TragedyEnds." This young four-piece band hailing out of the Sheguiandah area and Manitowaning consists of Chris Petier on the guitar, Jesse Hartley (Fuzz) playing the drums, Tristan Rice (Stone) on bass and Mat Edward as their singer and screamer. Between the ages of 15 and 20, and only playing together a short time, TragedyEnds has already started to make a name for themselves, with off-Island shows in the coming months and a gig as the opening act at the Littler Current D.I.Y this coming October 8.

How did TragedyEnds form?

(Jesse) Well I was on my way to the local food 'jobber' when I fell into a doorway and there was Mat. He said, "Hey, hey you in the pink, do you want to play in a band?" I said, "I sure do!" The rest is history.

(Chris) I was supposed to come watch them jam one day, but they tricked me somehow and I've been playing with them ever since.

(Tristan) I was just at the right place at the right time.

(Mat) When my old band broke up Jesse and I started jamming, then with a combination of bribes and Jesse's dancing abilities we managed to get Chris in the band. Tristan just kind of fell into the band shortly after.

Where do your influences for writing your music come from?

(Jesse) My influences come from other musicians I play with and some bands I listen to such as "Tool," and also from my super fun job as a dish washer.

(Mat) I would say my influences come from people in my life and the experiences that I have shared with them.

(Chris) I get my influences from jazz and classical tunes, all the regular stuff like that. Also from the greats such as Jimmy Hendrix.

(Tristan) Just music man.

When writing your music, what is the process you guys go through as a band?

(Tristan) We all contribute our thoughts and ideas to each song when we sit around and jam. Usually we start off with a riff that Chris comes up with and work all of our songs from there.

(Chris) I usually sit around for like five hours a day and play my guitar, coming up with song ideas that way.

(Jesse) I just hit stuff.

(Mat) I'll have an idea written down, then when the band starts playing I'll try to fit my idea around the song.

How do you feel about other Island bands?

(Chris) I think they're all pretty good, but my favourite Island band would have to be "Tyme Well Wasted" out of Little Current.

(Tristan) I'm indifferent, I can't really say I spend  much time listening to them. But what I have heard from other Island bands I like.

(Jesse) I love AfterThink! Jared (Nardi), you're my hero!

(Mat) I think there is a huge amount of talent around the Island and no two bands have the same style which I think is great. Also the support that all the bands are giving each other these days is phenomenal.

What are some future hopes that you guys may have for TragedyEnds?

(Tristan) Well, I have always wanted bass strings made of sinew.

(Chris) Just to play good songs man, and getting people moving at shows.

(Jesse) Drum sticks made from beehives.

(Mat) Just to keep having fun and freaking people out at shows.

How do you guys get along as a band?

(Jesse) I hate you all. HAHAHA! No, we all get along really well. I guess we don't really take things to seriously in the band, but we get the job done and have fun doing it.

Who would you say your main audience is?

(Jesse) I would definitely say metal heads.

(Mat) Yeah, definitely metal heads and all the kids out there that love a good oldfashioned freak-out.

What message or meaning do you try to get across to people in your songs?

(Jesse) I guess I would say that we play music because we love music and want to share that love of music with other people. So I just want to tell people it's okay to love any form of music that is out there.... But love ours more.

(Tristan) Just to rock out man!

(Chris) Yeah definitely, "rock out" and have a good time doing it.

(Mat) Don't let people get you down, life is going to throw you unexpected curves that you will have to deal with. Be your own person no matter who you are, and just have fun and freak out whenever you want.

Will there be a TragedyEnds CD or EP out in the near future?

(Chris) Of course.

(Mat) Yeah! Anyone want to give us money to produce it?

(Tristan) Yes, yes we will.

(Jesse) Duh! Our EP should be out this winter.