The Lucknow Sentinel, 1996-03-13, Page 75:ore to community garden
ncept than meets the eye
by Shelley McPhee Hoist
Tire first inkling of spring is
in the air and Bob •Budd isailX0
ions to get on the land. He pulls
on his ` rubber boots and walks.
s ,(ioderich Township farm to:
get a good look at the soil that
will grow this year's ,crops.
" Jibe thinks about crops.
time, .weed control? harvesting
and aboutthe people who are
counting on him to prpdce a
food
portion of their:'u s pl �... p �'
it doesn't take long for ,Bob
to . survey the small, four acre
stake of land,but he ,knows that
it's no small responsibility
produce organically vegetables
for 90 folies who have mein..
berships in the Huron
Community Garden.
Since 1990, ..Bob and Bev
Budd have been developing this
shareholder based garden on
their 80 -acre farm,. few miles
southeast of Goderich.
They moved to this hilly
piece of property seven years
ago after deciding'to change
their way of life
Bob says, "1 was shoeing.
horses we were doing well
financially. But we were finding
that we weren't really satisfied.
It was work, work, work. When
we had time off we• were look-
ing
to get away from it all; with
holidays and dinners out to get
away from it all. You end . up
spending more money tomake
yourself relax. Thenyou'd get.
all keYed up again on Sunday
nightbecause you knew you
had to do this thing all over
again."
Bev adds, ''We recognized
that, we were iookin down a
long road of doing this and we
wondered what changes we
could make."
Bob. says, "We questioned.
.what we really needed and what
we were willing ` to . pay for it.
We wanted to know. how we.
could, survive without salary."
Bob has a few cuStdmers
froln. his. Morse shoeing business,
and Bev works parttime at the
(oderrch Municipal Day Care,
but for the most pair, they make
• a smallliving frolrt. the land.
Bob says that they now, "sub.
stitute real hard dollars for real
hard work."'
They live simply and coon:-
fortably.There are no hydro
lines to the 1,500 square foot
storyand-a-half, house. that they
built. There is no.fturnace. The
tome costs about $100 a -year to
heat with : a wood stove.,
Saar energy provide&nec,
e
spry
powerand there's' back-up
generator and ,propane for the
stove and the refrigerator,;
"Most.people wouldn't be in
a big rush to jump into.. our situ-
atiou. After living here a couple.
of weeks theywould gettiredof
not being able. to turn on light
when' °they wanted to, 'or not
always having hot water, but we
balance that 'with; the fact that
we don't have: to go out and earn
•the moneY,. to,' work 'off-site to
paythe bilis. So it's kind of nice
to sit here with one light on to
read a book by."
They have beeii... called
eccentrics and Bob' admits,
"Were not typical of agriculture
in -this area. We're a real abhora
tion. 1: feel uncomfortable talk-
ing about how we operate. So
many . farmers operate on. such
huge scales of agriculture.
When we say that:we're farmers,
some people disagree."
The Huron Community
Garden .is described in their-;
brochure as, "a ,community
shared agriculture project. It
grew Outof the realization that
the more 'distance people get
from where and how their food
is grown, the worse the prole }
lems: of our agriculture become.
In essence it's group . of peeople.
who live and work m e,s,
area, sharing k",
of growing fo
Cornmunit
WANTED
crippled Disable
Heifers,iurlis�
or Downer' Cows
(must be alive S drugfree)
fir Which equipped truck:
HIGHEST PRICES
PAID
OMAFA approved
Phone 510-3564479
or
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EARL LAIN
2
MOOD
Agriculture. (CSA) isnot a new
idea.It has existed for many
years in Europe, Australia and
Japan, more recently to the
United States and to Canada
the Huron County Garden~being
the first such project to be regis-
tered in Canada..
The: Builds are caretakers of...
the successful ; k Huron
Community : Garden,: a project
which involves 4$' shares, nd
some 90 families. Shares . are.
sold for $450, or in half -shares.
res.
The fees pay for seed supplies,
e::gipentuimlease of the land and
�,
an agreed upon wage for the
grower.
Shareholders' are provided
with a wide varietydin-season
vegetables,: grown organically,
*turn to' page 20A
Fa Pr
rows "-Pagel*A
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