Thursday afternoons are busy at the Sun Creek Farm on Russell Road. The Gibsons Farm Collective brings together farmers and locavores eager to buy local, fresh produce. The day I was there, many people came and went, everyone carefully distancing. I got to chat with some, including Judith Hammill, who showed up with a Backyard Bounty bag from years ago when Dawn Myers, the collective’s founder, farmed in available backyards. Back then, I and other originals signed up to receive fresh vegetables every week in what I believe was the first CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) on the Coast. I was heartened to find out that concept has been evolving all these years.
Along with her husband Paul, Dawn was living her dream to be an organic farmer, believing that the community needs to support farmers in the interest of health and food security.
Judith reminded me, “At some point, Dawn’s father in England scored a bunch of sturdy burlap bags from Tesco. Dawn and Paul painted some greenery designs over the Tesco logo, added the words Backyard Bounty to their design, and gave a bag to each of their customers.”
Other farmers joined them in a collective formed in 2010 and brought their produce to the weekly pick-ups. Dawn and Paul were then renting land at Brookbank Farm, which they eventually bought.
Michelle Butti took over the collective two years ago and along with husband Steve Brewis runs it from her Sun Creek Farm Stand on Russell Road every Thursday afternoon. Open from about mid-March into December, customers can order a range of food.
A well-run operation with 30 to 50 pick-ups weekly, there are often extras available for purchase and an amazing range of honey products (from Kathleen Suddes, about whom I wrote several weeks ago). The building has shelves of neatly lined-up bins ready for pick-up.
Michelle sold at the Roberts Creek Market for five years, but finds this set-up ideal. She herself sells mainly meat from animals she raises, along with vegetables.
Home-baked bread, vegetables, paté and even flowers were being picked up the day I visited. Judith told me she loves the organic vegetables and finds the raw organic peanut butter cups to be a decadent treat. Taking the prize for the most exotic item was blackberry ginger balsamic vinegar vegan cashew cheese!
The website states: “We’re a group of Sunshine Coast farmers and producers working together to bring you the freshest, best-tasting produce around. We know that healthy, sustainably grown food is important, and we do our best to make it as available to our community as possible.”
Michelle is happy to welcome new members – it’s free to join and people can shop whenever is convenient. Contact her through the website at: www.gibsons
farmcollective.com. In these times of unrest, it’s more important than ever to support our local farmers/neighbours!
The June Ephinstone Community Association meeting will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, June 10 at 7:15 p.m. A reminder to ECA members will be sent out shortly, and you can contact the email address at: elphinstonecommunity19@gmail.com to attend. Director Donna McMahon will give an SCRD update.
Have Elphinstone community news to share? Contact me at: elphin@coastreporter.net
