meet the mama

We are a young couple living in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (zone 7 for those gardeners out there). We work nine to five like the rest of the world, but afterwork and on weekends we are urban farmers; we are slowly turning our standard sized city lot into an edible eden. When we started this, neither of us were master gardeners by any stretch of the imagination, and we think that’s important for you to know. Anyone can do this. We are, however, curious and aren’t afraid of a little hard work as long as there’s cold beer involved and the promise of amazing toasted tomato sandwiches at the end of the summer.

Both of our childhoods include memories of growing and eating our own food – me in my mum’s backyard garden and my fiance on his family’s farm in eastern Canada. Guided by a love and respect for the food traditions of our grandmothers, that have almost been forgotten, we are working to once again include them in our lives in a meaningful way. Advised by family recipes, calls home to mom and memories of watching our grammas roll pie crust, we are slowly learning and relearning how to feed ourselves and gain some independence from a food industry that does not respect our health, the environment or the farmers on whose backs and heartbreak it’s empire is built.

We are not militant in our endeavor. Although we live in the city that gave birth to the 100 mile diet, we are not interested in subsisting on foraged wild greens or pledging to a life without coffee, sugar or chocolate. We applaud the people who have made that choice and are thrilled that there are fantastic restaurants in Vancouver where we can eat and be comfortable in the knowledge of where the food came from. But what we are seeking is balance and a practical solution that acknowledges that although we dream – we aren’t there yet and there are going to have to be some compromises along the way.

We want our children to know the warmth of a home that smells of fresh baked bread, to have the knowledge and skills to feed themselves and their families, to know that food comes from the ground – not the supermarket, and to know the sheer simple pleasure that comes from watching the miracle of a tiny seed grow into something that has the ability to nourish both their bodies and their souls.

16 thoughts on “meet the mama”

iafarmwife May 9, 2010 at 5:51 pm

Fascinating blog…. I like your ideas, and certainly agree that everyone should grow a garden, and be more knowledgeable about where their food comes from. But,I must politely disagree with your analysis of modern farms. When you use the term “factory farm,” you are slurring hard-working individuals who produce food for the world, namely my family, community, and neighbors in rural Iowa. My family uses modern technology to produce meat and grain, and we find it a very honest, and rewarding lifestyle. Have you ever visited a confinement farm personally? If not, please seek out a local farmer’s organization to see if you can’t find a farmer willing to show you a modern operation. It sounds like you have done a lot of homework on alternative production methods…. but not so much on modern methods… please, I invite you to read my blog and learn more about today’s farmers from a real farmer instead of profit-motivated movie producers.

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Sweet Little Nothings by Emiliana February 16, 2012 at 8:04 pm

I am absolutely inspired by your blog!!! Here soon I’ll be moving into a tiny apartment and going to be starting my own urban garden. As of right now I live with my parents who own their own beekeeping business. I’m somewhat familiar with farming but this will be my first time trying to grow actual food. Two years ago I lived in an apartment on the outskirts of a busy city and my balcony looked like the Garden of Eden! But it was just flowers, bushes, some herbs, etc. I’ll be keeping up with your blog for more ideas! Keep up the good work!

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The Slow Foods Mama Post authorFebruary 16, 2012 at 9:18 pm

Bees! Oh I’m jealous. Honeybees are going to be our new adventure for this summer. Let me know if you have any tips.

Good luck with your new garden. Feel free to drop me a line if you ever have gardening questions.

stacey

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1. Sweet Little Nothings by Emiliana February 17, 2012 at 11:54 am
  
  My parents are starting a blog about their bee business. As soon as it’s up and running I’ll send the link your way!
2. The Slow Foods Mama Post authorFebruary 17, 2012 at 12:43 pm
  
  Awesome, thanks!

patsquared2 June 13, 2012 at 11:40 am

You’re an organic master gardener…and you signed up for my new blog – http://growsoeasyorganic.com — now I’m a bit nervous. I hope you like what you read and please, please, please, share your comments and criticism. I would love to hear what you really think!

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The Slow Foods Mama Post authorJune 13, 2012 at 5:57 pm

You’re too funny! I’ll tell you the only thing you have to know from our organic master gardening education – compost cures all! Hehe. That pretty much sums it up.

Looking forward to following your blog!

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patsquared2 June 14, 2012 at 2:52 am

Thanks! I’m a little less scared of you now! Planning on posting every Friday. I am a Master Composter in my county…and you are sooooo right. It cures a whole lot of ills.

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Deb Weyrich-Cody September 14, 2012 at 5:57 pm

You know how Grandma always said, “You are what you eat.”?
Guess that works for plants too – GO FIGURE! ; )

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oceannah July 13, 2012 at 7:47 am

Lovely blog, lovely gal!
I’ve nominated your blog for the One Lovely Blogger Award. If you’d like to accept swing by oceannah for details.
*anna

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The Slow Foods Mama Post authorJuly 13, 2012 at 10:02 pm

Thank you, my dear! I’m enjoying our “chats”. Working on my post to pass it on.

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Rob Mahan July 26, 2012 at 5:51 pm

Hi Stacey, I’m Rob, and I found your blog through your recent comment on Cameron’s Growing Grace Farm blog. I have a few years on you guys, and I remember growing up with a huge garden every summer, hauling water to it in big red buckets I could barely lift, and my parents putting up all kinds of vegetables from it for the winter in northern Ohio.

I share your dream of having a small farm someday, and a bustling kitchen full of family, too. I look forward to reading your posts on The Slow Foods Mama!

All the best,
Rob

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The Slow Foods Mama Post authorJuly 26, 2012 at 9:22 pm

Thanks Rob! I always enjoy her blog.
We hope we aren’t far from our farm dream – if we can sell our house in urban Vancouver, we’ll be headed to five acres outside of town. All I can think of since I first laid eyes on it is my son and chickens in the fields and a huge harvest table full of family. Fingers crossed!!

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1. Rob Mahan July 30, 2012 at 9:53 am
  
  I love the visual, and I’ll add my positive thoughts for your dream to come true!