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We acknowledge that we live, work, and play on the ancestral, traditional, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) peoples.
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Happy September, Everyone!
The leaves are changing, the rain is coming, and we're cozying up for the cooler weather.
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After 3 years of working as the Urban Agriculture Program Manager, we are saying goodbye to Sarina. She has enjoyed working with the Richmond community and working towards a more food secure future. She will be working with the Pacific Salmon Foundation and we wish her great success! They are big boots to fill, but we are sure our new hire will be great! We will miss you, Sarina.
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We would like to officially welcome Grace as our new Urban Agriculture Program Manager. Grace comes from a long history of community outreach and development. She graduated from the Sustainable Agriculture Program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) and completed her Masters in Soil Science at the University of British Columbia. Over the last 7 years, Grace has worked as a research associate for the Institute for Sustainable Food Systems at KPU in a variety of projects aimed at supporting farmers, processors, policy makers, city planners, and community organizations. She has also extended her training to urban farming by working for the Department of Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems.
In her free time, Grace loves to put on her rubber boots, be out in her garden and connect with the land and the community.
Welcome Grace!
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Do you love local honey and mead? Are you interested in a private workshop for you and your friends from a Master Gardener? If yes, then submit a photo of your garden to our garden photo contest and win these awesome prizes.
Our two categories will be vegetable and herb gardens & patio and balcony gardens.
Submit your photos here and find more info here. Only one photo per person. Gardens must be for personal use only, no farms or commercial gardens please.
The contest closes on September 23rd, so send in your entries before it's too late!
YOU get to decide! The winners will be decided based on a public vote and a panel of judges. Pick your favorites on our website in the link above. |
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We have one month left of picking and we already surpassed 6000lbs! Huge thanks to Ashley, our Fruit Gleaning Intern and our dedicated volunteers for all of their hard work, rain or shine!
So far, there have been 45 picks this season. The largest pick was at the Az-Zaahra Islamic Centre, where we picked 537.2 lbs of apples, pears, plums and Asian pears.
If you’re interested in volunteering with the program as a fruit gleaner or fruit gleaning captain, you can find more information here.
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Community Gardens
We've just completed our Railway expansion and we want to thank all the new gardeners for their quick work of weeding and moving soil. We're sure the gardens will be looking as good as the rest of Railway soon!
We're also excited to announce that Garden City Lands will be built soon. The City is planning out the gardens and will be moving the raised beds into the space soon. If any current community gardeners are interested in moving, please email coordinator@richmondfoodsecurity.org.
If you're interested in becoming a new gardener at the Garden City Lands, please sign up for our waitlist here.
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Garden Tip of the Month
If you're growing Brussels sprouts, late September is a good time to snip the tips of the plants to force them to develop the sprout!
September is also a great time to start thinking about putting your garden to bed.
Mulch is key for any garden going into winter if you want to protect your soil and have better yields in the spring. Mulch insulates plants from dramatic temperature changes, this is key if you’re overwintering any vegetables, herbs, or perennials. Mulch also prevents soil erosion during heavy winter rains and stops weeds from growing. There are many materials you can use as mulch including:
What you choose just depends on how much you want to spend, and whether you will have to remove the mulch in the spring or let it break down.
Fallen leaves are one of our favourite mulches to use. Start collecting leaves around your yard or garden bed now to use as mulch in the fall and winter. Fallen leaves are a great resource as they are considered a ‘brown’ in composting terms, and they are high in carbon. They are free and abundant, and will naturally break down over time, adding nutrients to the soil. You can accelerate this process by breaking up the leaves either by hand or with a lawn mower.
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Photo credit: Russel Nursery
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Seed Library
September is the perfect month to save seeds! The fall chill is moving in and plants are starting to wither. If you have borrowed seeds from our seed library this year, we will now be accepting returns. We have a ‘return’ seed box to the right of our office door at 7611 Ash street where you can drop off your seeds anytime.
Please include a filled out seed return form with each seed your return. We’ll have seed return forms by our door as well for you to fill out.
You can find all the info you need to save your seeds here.
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Kids in the Garden
Come join us on Saturday, September 25th at William Cook Elementary and Neighborhood Park for the Whimsical Garden: Four Directions Canoe Garden Party.
We will be joining the Creative Café Collective in a family-friendly event to celebrate the "Four Directions Canoe Garden". This garden is part of the "Whimsical Garden", which is a year-long artist residency project in collaboration with students of the fourth and fifth grades at Cook Elementary School.
There will be tours of the garden at the beginning of each hour from 11:00am to 1:00pm. There will also be local and Indigenous inspired snacks and tea served for those attending as well as the opportunity to create your own eco-art and watch a natural-salve making demonstration using local beeswax and Indigenous plants!
For more information, please click on this link.
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Local Honey and Mead For Sale!
Support Urban Bounty and purchase some of our (very own) local honey and mead:
500 ml jar of honey - $25
250 ml jar of honey - $15
500 ml bottle of mead (honey wine) - $15
Pre-order and pay via e-transfer to director@richmondfoodsecurity.org
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Dish it Up - Greek Moussaka
Ingredients
The Base:
- 6 eggplants
- 5 potatoes (optional)
- Vegetable oil (for frying)
The Red Sauce:
- 750g veggie-based meat (we suggest ground soy 'beef') or beef/lamb minced (26oz)
- 2 red onions (chopped)
- 2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
- 1 can chopped tomatoes (400g/14oz)
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup of red wine
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Bay leaf
- Pinch of cinnamon
- 1/4 cup olive oil
The Béchamel Sauce:
- 900ml milk of your choice (31 fl.oz)
- 120g butter or margarine (4 oz)
- 120g flour (4 oz)
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 2 egg yolks / egg alternative
- 100 g Parmigiano-Reggiano or non-dairy cheese alternative
- Salt to taste
Directions
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
Prepare the Eggplants:
1. Cut the eggplant into round, 1cm thick slices. Season with salt, then place in colander for 30 minutes.
2. Rinse the eggplants with plenty of water and ensure excessive water is removed. Pat dry.
3. Fry with olive oil to a golden brown color. Set aside.
If Adding Potatoes:
1. Slice into 0.5cm in width. Fry and bake in the same way as the eggplant. Season with salt. Set aside.
Prepare the Red Sauce:
1. Add olive oil to a large pan on medium-high heat.
2. Sauté onions until softened and slightly colored.
3. Add veggie or animal-based meat. Once browned, add garlic & tomato paste. Sauté until garlic softens.
4. Pour in red wine to deglaze the juices and wait to evaporate.
5. Add the tomatoes, sugar, cinnamon, bay leaf and salt & pepper.
6. Bring to boil. After, turn heat down and simmer for 30 minutes (lid on), until most juice has evaporated. Set aside.
Prepare the Béchamel Sauce:
1. Melt butter/margarine in large pan over low-medium heat.
2. Add flour by whisking continuously to make a paste.
3. Add warmed milk of choice, gradually and steadily. Keep whisking to avoid clumping.
4. Take pan off stove top, and stir in egg yolks, salt/pepper, nutmeg, and most of the grated cheese. Whisk quickly; otherwise you will have an omelet for dinner instead!
5. Add only one spoonful of béchamel sauce to the red sauce. Set aside.
Assemble the Moussaka:
1. In a large baking dish (~20x30cm by 8cm deep), grease the bottom and sides. First layer with potatoes, then half of the eggplants.
2. Pour in all of the red sauce. Spread evenly.
3. Add other half of eggplants. Top with béchamel sauce. Smooth out with spatula.
4. Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese on top.
5. Bake for 1 hour or until crust is light golden brown.
6. Wait to cool down before you cut into your moussaka.
Bon Appetit!
For another in-season recipe, check out this delicious zucchini loaf recipe for dessert!
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What's Happening in Richmond
Kwantlen Farmers Market
- Daily from 10 am to 5 pm
- May 1st, 2021 - April 15th, 2023
- Learn about stories of adaptations and innovations in the commercial fishing industry and their effects on west coast communities
Whimsical Garden: Four Directions Canoe Garden Party
- Saturday, September 25th, from 11:00am-2:00pm
- Location: William Cook Elementary School and Neighborhood Park
- See above for details.
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Vote on Monday, September 20th!
Don't forget to vote in the federal election on Monday, September 20th with three easy steps:
1) Read party platforms online
2) Register to vote
3) Find your closest voting location
Simple as that! Find out more on Elections Canada website. |
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Truth and Reconciliation Day
This September 30th is the first official statutory Truth and Reconciliation Day. We will be reflecting the tragic legacy of residential schools in Canada, recognizing the intergenerational harm that they have caused to Indigenous families and communities, and honoring those that have been impacted by this and many other past and present injustices.
We encourage you to learn about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Calls to Action here, and find out more about what you can do as an individual, community, and/or organization to push these Calls to Action forward!
As an organization, we will continue our commitment towards reconciliation everyday, not only once each year. We encourage you to join us. |
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If you are interested in our work and helping us continue it, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation. Your support will go directly to our programs.
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