Fresh from Victoria

We are happy to add fresh, local fruits and vegetables from Saanich Organics to our growing selection of locally sourced food.

Saanich Organics is a community of farmers from small, certified organic farms throughout Greater Victoria who work together.

Robin Tunnicliffe of Feisty Field Organic Farm, Rachel Fisher of Three Oaks Farm, and Heather Stretch of Northbrook Farm are the owners of the business and they work with several other farmers in and around greater Victoria area. These local farmers co-operate and support each other in many ways, and through Saanich Organics they get as much fresh, delicious, healthy, local, certified organic produce as possible on to tables in and around Victoria.

This week, we have green leaf lettuce, long English cucumbers, and orange bell peppers from Saanich. This coming week, we plan to bring in a few different items, and we look forward to enjoying more fresh food grown right here on Vancouver Island throughout the summer!

At Green Earth Organics, we have a continuing commitment to provide you with fresh organic food that comes from local growers and suppliers here on the Island. Stay tuned as we will continue to have more and more locally sourced food as we continue to grow and as the local growing season begins.

Please feel free to provide feedback as to what you might like to see available each week. Your input is important and will help us to provide you with the best possible service. We can be reached by email at info@greenearthorganics.com or by phone at 250-704-0660.

Yours in Organic Living,
Aaron Purser
Owner, Green Earth Organics Victoria

PRONATUR, Peru

About the Co-op:

Date established: 1998
Number of members: 1,670
Products: Coffee, Bananas, Mangoes
Organic Production: 100%

About the Bananas:

Varieties: Cavendish
Harvest season: Year-round
Export season: Year-round
Annual production: 3 containers/week

PRONATUR was established in 1998 when 21 coffee-producing groups with 304 growers scattered in the Alto Maye valley on the eastern slopes of the Peruvian Andes united. The name PRONATUR is an abbreviation for "Promoter of Natural Agriculture". Since its inception, the group has been dedicated to sustainable organic agriculture in this area of highland rainforest. The cooperative strives to reduce forest degradation by eliminating the wide-spread use of slash-and-burn agriculture and respecting primary and old-growth forest. They have introduced education programs for growers that emphasize quality and ecological sustainability, as well as various other programs that benefit growers and their communities.

PRONATUR quickly expanded to include nearby regions and other products like bananas, mangoes, squash, and other exotic fruit.

PRONATUR has used its revenues to invest in:

Environmental benefits: PRONATUR runs extensive grower education adn agricultural research programs that promote sustainable agricultural methods.

Quality Improvement: PRONATUR also trains members in quality improvement, and many of the sustainable farming methods members use also result in better quality products.

Education: The organization has constructed four preschools for grower communities and has implemented nutritional programs in area schools.

Community development: PRONATUR has aided women's commitees in starting organic vegetable gardening, aimed at complementing and improving the nutritional value of their accustomed daily diet. The co-op also supports community health programs.

From Our Newsletter : Meet the Harkers: Harkers Fruit Ranch in Cawston

Chances are you’ve been enjoying delicious our delicious organic apples from Bruce and Kathy Harker.

The Harkers and a handful of neighbouring organic farms were some of the first in the area Similkameen Valley to turn to organics. And the Similkameen Valley is now the Organic Capital of Canada with about 80 certified organic orchardists, ground-croppers and vineyards.

The Similkameen Valley parallels the US border, a few miles to the south, in the heart of the high mountains of the Cascades. Higher than most other growing areas in Cascadia, the area is a true desert, with over 20 types of cactus, and one of the lowest precipitation values in Canada at between 5 and 8 inches a year. It is farmable solely because of abundant groundwater. In fact the majority of farmers operate in a growing area just a mile or two wide and less than 20 miles long.

Bruce and Kathy Harker are conservation partners with The Land Conservancy. They are involved in restoring native vegetation and protecting their part of this incredible valley. Their farm and their legacy is a testimonial to the benefits and success of sustainable agriculture, and the power of community.

High school sweethearts at 16, and married at 22, Bruce and Kathy studied and worked in Vancouver, until they moved to Cawston to work the land that Bruce's father and grandfather had worked.

Fourth generation Harker's are now busy harvesting heirloom tomatoes, hot peppers, specialty squash and bins and bins of apples and pears. The Harker's coordinate the packing and handling of tree fruit for up to a dozen other area farmers.