Kitsilano Farms

Don’t feel out-of-the-loop if you didn’t even know there was a Kitsilano Farms. And don’t be cycling along the well-treed streets of Kits looking for a 5-acre field; this farm is carefully hidden in the backyards of several of the farmer’s neighbours.

The story of Kitsilano Farms is especially dear to our edible hearts. In May 2008, Craig Heighway was working with the admirable Green Zebra organization, and in that role he was invited to edible Vancouver’s launch party. And there, in our very first issue, he read about Ward Teulon, a.k.a. City Farmboy, who was farming small plots in East Vancouver backyards, as well as on the seventh floor roof garden of a Yaletown apartment tower. Craig, whose dream was to be a farmer (he was just waiting for a windfall to buy that acreage out in the valley), had his eureka moment—and the opportunity to talk to Ward, who was also a guest at our party. (We wish you could have been there too; it was a great day.)

A few months later Craig sent us an email saying that Kitsilano Farms was born, and edible Vancouver had changed his life. (How much do we love those emails?!?) Now he’s growing food for his community, selling at farmers’ markets, and running a CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) program. The CSA program is open to new members, so if you want to be one of the lucky people who get a weekly box of his produce, you can sign up at his site.

Inspiration is way more contagious than Swine Flu. One of the neighbours who owns property where Craig farms was recently inspired to design and built a turbo-charged worm composter. So you could say he’s become a worm farmer himself. And worms are critical to building good soil and growing healthy food. Farmers would be lost without them.

More good news for Kits residents: you’re getting a new market this summer. The Urban Farmers’ Market will be operating Thursday evenings at Kitsilano Neighbourhood House.