Hello and .......

Welcome....to my blog "Grow Food with JOY!"

My name is Joy Story and I'm an avid gardener who believes that food is so important, that we all need to be growing it.

In May of 2010 , I began my business GROW FOOD Edible Garden Designs. I offer Garden Consulting, Designing, Gardening Classes and this online monthly blog as well as sell Organic seeds that we collect in our demonstration garden.

Our Organic Gardening Classes are called "Grow Food with JOY!" How I use perma-culture in my Backyard." We discuss all aspects to consider when designing your edible garden. Perma-Culture uses Mother Nature as a model with an emphasis on caring for the earth and caring for people.
So far, "Grow Food with JOY" has a series of 7 different classes with more being created all the time. Check out our Class Schedule on the website.

Website:
http://www.growfoodnetwork.com



Happy Gardening




Friday, February 10, 2012

February GROW FOOD Magazine

INSIDE:
· Seedy Saturday Listings
· What to do in the Edible
    Garden in February
· Feeding Micro-Organisms
· Why Buy Locally Grown
    Seeds
· Ask Bill Herring about Peas
· BC's Seed Companies
· O.U.R. Eco Village
· Upcoming Gardening Classes
· Recipe of the Month
· Classified Ads
· February Events

This Monthly Magazine is $3.00 each or $25.00 year. 


Island Seedy Saturday Listing 2012

Saturday February 4, 2012          10-3:30
Qualicum Beach, BC
Qualicum Beach Civic Centre, 747 Jones St.

Saturday February 11, 2012          10-3
Salt Spring Island, BC
Farmer’s Institute, 351 Rainbow Road

Saturday February 18, 2012    
Victoria, BC
Victoria Conference Centre

Saturday February 25, 2012       
Sooke, BC

*Saturday March 3, 2012          10-3
Courtenay, BC
Florence Filberg Centre 411 Anderton Av.

Sunday March 4, 2012          10-3
Nanaimo, BC
Bowen Park Auditorium

*Saturday March 10, 2012          10-3
Cobble Hill Hall, BC

*Saturday March 24, 2012          10-3
Duncan, BC
Mercury Theatre, 331 Brae Road

*Indicates the Events GROW FOOD will be at this Spring.  Come by and say "Hi"

Why Buy Locally Grown Seeds?

By Joy Story

The main reason to attend Seedy Saturdays over the next two months and buy locally grown seeds is to support those farmers who make the effort to grow them.

If farmers failed to produce seed for us gardeners, we would never have the varieties and diversity of foods that we now enjoy.  Have you ever tried to save squash seeds only to discover the following season you are growing ‘Mystery’ Squash that tastes bland and rots in storage?

Maintaining true seed is no small feat.  Some crops need miles separation or cross pollination is probable.  Other crops need over 200 plants to maintain purity.  That is not easy for a gardener.

When we support local seed growers, the seed we plant is adapted to this region for climate, disease, pest resistance and changing environmental conditions.

When we support local seed growers, we keep seeds available in our communities and not only when the seed racks appear in the grocery stores or nurseries.

Most seeds do not store for long.  It is essential that we plant out our seeds, grow them on and then save those seeds to keep their vitality.  Only then will we be contributing to true “food security.”  Keeping seeds in a box will not save us.  It’s our local seed growers who do this for us.

When we support local seed growers, we are putting our money into local hands and not large corporations who are doing more damage to our seed stocks, our environment and the farmers around the world.

Support what you believe in with your hard earned dollars.  If you love it, support it!