Can we in northern places feed ourselves year-round from our own gardens and unheated greenhouses? Can “real food” lovers north of the 49th parallel still enjoy fresh fare on the dark side of the calendar? How about on a commercial basis? That’s exactly what a group of Creston gardeners, greenhouse operators and local food enthusiasts are finding out with their winter harvest experiment.

The winter harvest project began at College of the Rockies Community Greenhouse in 2008 when greenhouse staff discovered Eliot Coleman, a Maine-based farmer, author and researcher who is revolutionizing the way we northerners think about food production. Coleman’s methods have re-engineered our traditional gardening system of summer feast and winter famine into a four-season cornucopia of fresh, nutritional foods produced in low energy environments, working with, rather than against, Mother Nature’s agenda.

Using Coleman’s experience as a guide, the Community Greenhouse is conducting a two-year research project funded by Investment Agriculture Foundation of British Columbia and Columbia Basin Trust, the goal of which is “to investigate the best crops to grow for cold weather environments as well as best practices to follow, and share the results with commercial growers and home gardeners,” says COTR greenhouse co-ordinator Anita Sawyer. “We hope to promote the creation of a fall/winter/spring vegetable industry for B.C.’s small-scale farmers.”

The Creston Winter Harvest team consists of a dozen or so participants, working with various materials in a number of environments, employing Coleman’s techniques (with a few innovations of their own) to not only extend the growing season, but, more importantly, the harvesting season.

So far, the results are enormously impressive. As the Community Greenhouse newsletter boasts, “Enter the unheated hoop house at College of the Rockies Community Greenhouse during November and you will not find a garden that is winding down for the season. Instead you will see bed after bed of lush cool season crops, beautiful beets, succulent oak leaf lettuce, plump radishes, tender new kale and abundant arugula! Welcome to our ‘winter garden’, which was planted from July to October and is an exploration of fall, winter and spring gardening methods.”

Most participants are still eating something from their garden, be it carrots, still in the ground, safely tucked under a blanket of straw, or hardy greens living happily under a duvet of cloth and plastic. My own hastily constructed “shower door cold frame” kept old man winter at bay amazingly well. I was able to enjoy fresh garden lettuce at my own back door until that nasty cold snap at the beginning of December. Cold tolerant plants performed even better; spinach is still a luscious green bounty.

Winter harvest researchers are so eager to share their success with others, they’re planning a full-day symposium for Feb. 27. Winter Harvest: Salads for all Seasons will examine successes and challenges the Creston winter harvest project researchers have experienced over the past year, including creating a winter harvest environment, plant selection and seed sourcing, plant care, watering, dealing with pests and more.

Organizers have also invited guest speakers to share their expertise. Presentations will include Extending the Seasons with Permaculture, with Gregoire Lamoureux, permaculture designer, consultant and teacher. This interactive talk will focus on how to use permaculture principles and techniques to look at your land and create or increase microclimates and many other strategies to extend the seasons and produce food in the winter. And Jennifer Stephenson of Jenergy Technologies will present Renewable Energy Solutions, examining the practicality of adding sun, wind and water energy to greenhouse environments.

If you are a gardener, commercial greenhouse operator or simply love the idea of being able to access fresh local food even in the dead of winter, please join us. Cost for the full-day conference is only $20, which includes lunch. It takes place on Feb. 27 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Advance registration is required at the College of the Rockies, 301 16th Ave. S., or by calling 250-428-5332.

Gail Southall is a local food advocate working to promote the economic, social, physical and environmental wisdom of a dynamic, locally sustained food system.

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