Horses, grains and scythes…oh my

Three farm families are at the forefront of a community supported agriculture (CSA) movement in the Kootenay region of B.C. dubbed as the “Local Grain Revolution” by Jon Steinman of the syndicated radio program – Deconstructing Dinner.  Matt Lowe (right) was one of the key drivers in the development of this grain CSA. After participating in an eat local challenge, Matt recognized one staple food – bread – was missing from his local foodshed. A meeting was called and the idea to form a CSA was formed. The CSA decided to produce local spelt, oats and wheat and the CSA immediately received overwhelming support from eaters, bakers, millers and farmers. The demand for locally produced grains was obvious and three farm families stepped up to put the seeds in the ground. Our journey through interior B.C. brought us from farm to fork – that is from the homes of each of the farmers involved to the urban centre (Nelson) where the grain will ultimately be eaten.

We landed in Creston, B.C. at about 10:30 am on Tuesday morning and headed straight to the farm of Drew and Jo-anne Gillias located in the flats of the Creston Valley. Drew and his daughter were out in the yard and greeted us as we spewed out of our packed car. The Gillias family has been farming this 40 acre parcel of land for about 10 years. Trained as a heavy mechanic, Drew’s interest in farming was grounded in a passion for growing food and a desire to become more self-sufficient as a family. The grain that the Gillias family is growing for the CSA was located at the back of the farm. Drew described how he hand seeded one of the 5 acre plots and I began to imagine a time in the future where it may make more economical sense to park the tractor and use human or horse labor on the farm to grow food. We have certainly felt the impact of rising petroleum costs along our road trip. Despite having a relatively fuel efficient car, the extra 700 pounds of people and equipment in our car quickly increased our fuel consumption and the costs were particularly painful as gas prices continue to escalate. I can only imagine the stress that farmers on the prairies must be feeling as the price of a barrel of oil continues to rise. While the Gillias family cannot claim to be independent of a fossil fuel farm economy, they have certainly made progress in decreasing their dependence. Before we left, Drew taught us how to mow grass or crops with a Scythe – obviously a skill that takes some time to develop. Luckily, we departed with all of our limbs still attached and a few swaths of grass behind us.

After Drew described how to get to our next location, we hopped back in the car and drove to the farm of Carol and Keith Huscroft. Upon stepping out of the car we made our way past a mother duck and her ducklings. The team of ducks taking up residence at the Huscroft farm had the run of the place. Keith and Carol greeted us and immediately brought out a plate of nachos, salsa, apple juice and iced tea. After we had finished the interview, Carol magically produced a spread of sandwich fixings – mostly homemade/canned – and to top it all of a key lime pie! Yet another example of the generosity we received along the way. Carol is a caterer, an excellent cook and the proof was in the pie – delicious. The Huscrofts were one of the pioneer families in the Creston area and Keith is a 5th generation farmer. Keith has been farming his whole life and operates a small wood milling business on the side. Despite the appearance of living a simple life, Keith’s understanding of his place in food, agriculture and society was complex. His politics are sharp and are manifested in the way his family lives and farms. Keith and Carol worked hard to raise their children and farm on their own terms. Most of the work on-farm is done using horses and, with each passing month, the Huscrofts park the tractor for a greater portion of the year. Their motivation is decreased dependence on external inputs. Indeed, very little (if any) fertilizers or chemicals have ever been used on the Huscroft farm. Keith currently has 5 acres of grain sewn for the CSA. He laughed that large-scale grain farmers might scoff at this scale. But keith countered that this is project is in a pilot phase and will grow in the coming years. Although 5 acres is small by conventional-industrial standards where profit margins are slim on a per-acre basis, Keith suggested that his low-input form of agriculture allows a family to survive on less land. Besides, the Huscrofts assert that they live a modest lifestyle and thrive on their land base. I wasn’t about to argue with Keith (he could probably crush me with one hand) – they have been on the land for 5 generations growing food and eating pie. Again, the proof is in the pie.

Roy Lawrence’s farm is located on the U.S. border and, like the other two farms we visited today, is set in an awe-inspiring setting. Roy farms about 15 acres of crop land and has been using conventional practices his whole life. A full-time farmer, he and his family have always earned their livelihood primarily off of the land. This is an impressive feat in an agricultural climate where a great number of farm families rely on off-farm income to subsidize the farm operation. We walked up and down the four or five different parcels of land that Roy had dedicated to produce grain for the CSA. As we strolled along, Roy explained how he has always believed in maintaining diversity on his farm to ensure that downturns in one portion of his operation were buoyed by prosperity in another. Hay, cattle and grain have been the three staples on the Lawrence farm but when BSE hit in 2003, trouble in the cattle industry and persistently low commodity prices precipitated hard times for most mixed farmers. Yet, Roy persisted and is now exploring diversification in terms of marketing through the CSA model. This new relationship with an urban contingent of eaters has brought Roy a welcomed opportunity to shift some of his production out of the industrial model into “natural” production. Crops grown for the CSA will not be required to be certified organic but will be grown without the use of chemicals, industrial fertilizers or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). In the short-term, the majority of Roy’s production will remain in conventional production but he sees his involvement in the CSA as a turning point for his farm. Roy has never felt good about using chemical pesticides and, regardless of the success of the CSA, plans to transition the rest of his farm to natural production in the near future (if he can figure out how to control the wild oats!). At the same time Roy has high hopes for the CSA model and says that, while many of the larger farmers in the area paid little notice to the small CSA movement in the beginning, they are now starting to figuratively “look over the fence” to see what the commotion is all about.

We arrived in Nelson late on Tuesday night and tracked down Matt Lowe who had offered us a place to stay while we were in town. A roof and running water was very much appreciated, not to mention the opportunity to hang out with Matt and his roommate John. We spoke with both Matt and Jon Steinman about the future direction of the CSA. Both discussed the challenges of the CSA model when upscaling to involve more growers and eaters. They anticipate that the model will evolve as interest and participation grows – perhaps morphing into a cooperative in the future. In this pilot year, the CSA has involved a local baker who has bought up 20 of the 200 shares in the CSA. Matt and Jon both expect that, in the future, this will become a hybrid community-business supported agriculture initiative with an increased commitment from socially conscious businesses in the region.

We spent much of our two days visiting with Matt, Jon and John before we took off and made our way up through the Kootenays and into Banff. Our time in the mountains was coming to a close and, as beautiful as the landscape has been and the people kind, I was keen to get my feet back onto the prairies.

Again, thanks to John and Matt for the place to stay, to Jon Steinman for touring us around and to Drew, Keith, Carol and Roy for the kind hospitality and conversation.