News & Events

Written by our Guiding Elder, Shiela Dobie Speaker: Rupert Adams This event was a collaboration between the Salt Spring Seed Sanctuary Society , Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust, and Island Natural Growers . On Sunday, February 22, over 30 people gathered at the Farmers Institute to learn about and explore the rich complexities, threats, and new directions for our community seed system. Many of us “save seeds” from our gardens and farms. This increases our resilience in loca

Meet Melanie Furman, the creatrix behind Culturalive! Fermented foods. In this conversation with the Farmland Trust, we explore the world of fermentation, microbial diversity, and the quiet revolution happening in our kitchens. Drawing from traditional food practices and her own personal health journey, Melanie shares how fermented foods like sauerkraut can support gut health, resilience, and a deeper relationship with the living systems that sustain us. In an upcoming works

Spring is often painted as a season of renewal: buds appear, soil warms, and hope blooms with the first lettuce seedlings. But for many farmers and growers, this time of year also brings deep pressure. Between unpredictable weather swings and the push to prepare for another demanding season, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Growing can also be isolating and stressful, with mental health challenges woven into the rhythm of sowing and harvest. Recognizing this reality, three supp

We had the best kind of day at Stowel Lake Farm with Hwiemtun Fred Roland — hands busy, stories flowing, and lots of laughter in between. As part of the Root to Bloom Learning Centre, a group of a dozen people gathered to learn how to make elk hide hand drums in the Cowichan tradition. Participants discovered that stretching deer hide over a cedar ring is both an art ... and a workout! There was tugging, adjusting, re-tugging, and a fair amount of good-natured teasing ov