Links & Resources

Working to support and inspire a thriving local Fernie community, Advocates for Local Living (ALL).

Recognizes that community gardening improves people’s quality of life by providing a catalyst for neighborhood and community development, stimulating social interaction, encouraging self-reliance, beautifying neighborhoods, producing nutritious food, reducing family food budgets, conserving resources and creating opportunities for recreation, exercise, therapy and education. ACGA and its member organizations work to promote and support all aspects of community food and ornamental gardening, urban forestry, preservation and management of open space, and integrated planning and management of developing urban and rural lands.

Circle of Blue is the international network of leading journalists, scientists and communications designers that reports and presents the information necessary to respond to the global freshwater crisis.

Shoemakers, fashion models, computer geeks, politicians, lawyers, teachers, chefs … all city dwellers … all can grow food at home after work in back yards, community gardens or on flat roofs. For the past 30 years, City Farmer has encouraged urban dwellers to pull up a patch of lawn and plant some vegetables, kitchen herbs and fruit. Our message is the same today as it was in 1978 and will be relevant far into the future. This website is a collection of stories about our work at City Farmer here in Vancouver, Canada, and about urban farmers from around the world. City Farmer’s main web site Urban Agriculture Notes (www.cityfarmer.org) has hundreds of pages of information about city farming.

The Columbia Basin Trust supports efforts by the people of the Basin to create a legacy of social, economic and environmental well-being and to achieve greater self-sufficiency for present and future generations.

A national non-profit, member-driven organization with a charter to advocate and advance composting and compost usage. It serves as the central resource and network for the composting industry in Canada and, through its members, contributes to the environmental sustainability of the communities in which they operate.

Deconstructing Dinner reports on current issues throughout the world of food, with a primary focus on local, regional and provincial issues. The show is not restricted to only current affairs, but probes into the processes and actions to which we have all become so accustomed throughout our daily routine, and "deconstructs" them to achieve a more discriminating awareness. With food occupying such a significant element of our lives, understanding the implications of our food choices can create a real sense of empowerment and self-determination. Produced and recorded in the studios of Kootenay Co-op Radio in Nelson, British Columbia, Deconstructing Dinner has been designed to dispense and discuss current food issues.

Growing food in our cities, right where we live, is something that we need to do. Not sometime in the future but right now, before we forget how or the land is put to "better" use by being paved over or built upon. Community gardening and urban agriculture are two ways in which FoodShare is attempting to re-establish this essential and intimate connection with the food we eat. FoodShare tries to take a multifaceted, innovative and long-term approach to hunger and food issues. This means that we're involved in diverse actions: grassroots program delivery, advocacy for social assistance reform, job creation and training, community garden program, nutrition education, farmland preservation and campaigns for comprehensive food labelling are just a few examples of the areas we work in.

GREAT resource for greenhouse installation, parts, automatic venting and 16 years experience installing throughout the area.

The GardenWeb Forums comprise the largest community of gardeners on the Internet. Whether you're a new gardener or an old master, here you will find like-minded people and friendly discussions.

working towards happy sustainability in her home garden in Texas.

Earth friendly gardening in the Kootenays region of British Columbia, Canada.
Sustaining the connection between people and plants.

There are many beautiful gardens in the Kootenays. Unfortunately, not many people have the opportunity to see their fleeting beauty.
Unlike other creations of art they can not be preserved and shown in museums. Our aim is to preserve that beauty in the virtual world and show them to a broader audience.
We want people to understand that beautiful gardens can be cultivated by anybody. That we can create our own miniature "botanical gardens", our little paradises, wherever we live. And that earth friendly gardening can be a source of beauty, health and satisfaction.

LifeCycles is a nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating awareness and initiating action around food, health, and urban sustainability in the Greater Victoria community. We work proactively to promote and create personal, shared and community gardens, research, and educational activities and youth skills development programs. Through partnerships we strengthen individual, community and global health. This predominantly youth driven organization is geared towards education and building community connections through hands-on projects that work towards creating better local and global food security.

Linnaea Farm is a beautiful land trust on Cortes Island, B.C. Situated on the edge of Gunflint Lake, it comprises 315 acres of rich forests, fields, gardens, and orchards. Their Ecological Gardening Program is a residential, 8-month long program focusing on organic gardening and small-scale farming. Linnaea School is a small independent school located on the Linnaea Farm land trust. The school offers programmes for sixty children from kindergarten to grade eight.

By growing veggies in class, kids have fun, get a taste for veggies and grow
to be smart, healthy adults. And, in the process, they are inspired and
empowered by achieving success. The hands-on fun of the growing process -
from planting to harvesting - becomes a life enriching experience.

The BEST gardening or any other activity music!

Fernie's local farmers & artisans market operates from July thru September, Sundays in Rotary Park.

Encourages knowledge, appreciation, responsible use, and conservation of the province’s native plants and habitats.

The Real Food For Real Kids Education Program is dedicated to changing the way Canadian children eat and perceive food. The goal of the Real Food Education Program is to empower children, youth, teachers and parents to become active and responsible participants in the whole life cycle of food.

Start a garden revolution in your community. Learn how to grow your own food, enjoy the taste of food you grow, and maybe even make a profit while you're at it. It all starts with planting the seed. Start in our Seeds section, and check out all of our interactive tools to learn how you can become a Rebel!

This is Canada's Heritage Seed Program for gardeners, the source for information about heritage seeds, seed saving, plant diversity, garden history and your own garden heritage.
Join members, from coast to coast, who collect and share over 2400 varieties of heritage fruits and vegetables through our national Seed Exchange. Membership includes subscription to the quarterly Seeds of Diversity, where you can learn about Canadian gardeners who are making a difference, preserving food biodiversity, documenting Canada's horticultural heritage, and sharing the legacy of the "People's Seeds".

goats are the new chicken.. or so they say

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2010/01/29/Pet-Parade-Goats-the-new-chickens...

here's some great resources if you are considering sharing your home with a goat

http://fiascofarm.com/goats/feeding.htm

The Sowing the Seeds Apprenticeship

This eight month, part time (21 hours/week) apprenticeship offers instruction and daily work experience in small-scale organic farming. In a balanced, hands-on learning approach, participants work alongside staff in the greenhouse, gardens, fields, and orchards, as well as attend talks and workshops, demonstrations, and field trips. The program is designed as an entry point for aspiring growers, educators and agricultural professionals.

Apprentices can come from all backgrounds and are expected to be passionate about pursuing a career in the organic agriculture sector. A certificate of completion will be issued to graduates who satisfy all program requirements. This is a non-credit course . However, UBC students who participate in the program have many opportunities to apply their on-farm experience towards directed studies credits in the Agroecology program.

USC Canada promotes vibrant family farms, strong rural communities, and healthy ecosystems around the world.
With engaged Canadians and partners in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, they support programs, training, and policies that strengthen biodiversity, food sovereignty, and the rights of those at the heart of resilient food systems - women, indigenous peoples, and small-scale farmers.

Another great project from Cornell University which allows users to contribute information, including photos, about the varieties they like to grow.
"Gardeners from all across North America are registering as gardeners and sharing their experience so that others may learn and be inspired. With the explosive interest in growing your own local food your vegetable gardening experience is needed now more than ever. We have nearly 4,000 registered users; gardeners from every US state and nearly all the Canadian provinces.
"The more gardeners we add the more information our library holds and the more valuable it becomes to you. Collectively we make Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners the premiere forum for vegetable gardening success. Choose the right variety for the right location. Be enthused by others to choose a new crop or variety that brings biodiversity to your backyard."