Tag Archives: Blueberries

Food Security

Food Nutrition, Prices And Security: Local And International  Perspectives

Around the time President Donald Trump started threatening to start a trade war, Cortes Currents reached out to Dr Kushank Bajaj from UBC’s Institute for Resource, Environment and Sustainability and Marc Doll, from Foot Forward Forest Farm on Quadra Island. 

The topic was food security and Dr Bajaj is one of the developers of a website called Canada Food Flows, which traces the amount of fruits and vegetables coming into British Columbia from other provinces and nations. 

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Food Security

A lifetime of experience in four classes: Linnaea’s Homegrown Series

 Linnaea Farm’s Homegrown Series kicks off at 10:00 AM this Saturday. This is a monthly series, which will be offered on March 23rd, April 20th, May 11th and June 8th, 2024. 

“I want to teach. I’ve had a lot of seasons under my belt now. 1995 was my first growing season, I was in Pemberton.  Then I did a garden program at Linnaea Farm in 1998. I just really like sharing  what I have spent a lifetime doing. I can share all these secrets. I’ve run a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) garden. I’ve done pure market gardening. I’ve done contract growing. I’ve grown food for sale in all the ways one can do it. So I can share this with anyone,” explained to Adam Schick, a resident steward at Linnaea farm on Cortes Island.

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Food, Food Security

This year’s blueberry harvest on Cortes Island

This started out as a story about the incredible blueberry harvest in the midst of this year’s drought. 

One of the seniors picking at Sunnybrae Farm gave Cortes Currents the tip, which Mike Manson subsequently confirmed.

“We are seeing what we think might be the biggest crop ever. In terms of pounds per bush, and the fruit is ripening differently. It’s ripening in a more condensed manner, which is good for picking. The big crop is probably due to favourable conditions for pollination in the spring. Whether or not that had anything to do with dry weather, I’m not sure. Maybe the bees were glad it wasn’t raining and cold and wet, but certainly pollination was key, without that you don’t get a crop. For whatever reason, conditions were favourable for bees to be flying and doing their job,” he said.

“We’ve never seen a dry year start so early.  This year, the dryness started mid May. I remember May 13th was 30 degrees Celsius.  I think  the early heat this year has affected  the way the fruit has ripened. I haven’t seen it ripen in this fashion before.” 

However, there are three blueberry farms on Cortes island and, as I was soon to learn, they are in different micro-climates. 

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Food Security

134 year old Sunny Brae Farm had strong growing season, but struggled to find enough help


By Greg Osoba, CKTZ News, through an LJI grant from Canada-info.ca

The historic Sunny Brae Farm had one of its best growing seasons to date, but the local farm faced challenges with help during the harvest.

Sunny Brae Farm was founded in 1888 by Scotsman John Manson, one of the first Europeans to settle on Cortes Island. The farm has remained in the Manson family through the generations and is now owned and operated by John Manson’s grandson, Mike Manson.

Mike Manson also describes his family and Cortes Island history in: The Manson Family: One of Cortes Island’s First Settler Families and How People’s Attitudes Towards Nature Changed

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