Skip to content

Crawford Bay's Dirty Beds next event in Kootenay Young Agrarians series

The next Young Agrarians event runs July 12, with a work bee and potluck being held at Dirty Beds Produce in Crawford Bay...
62266crestonDirtyBeds
Dirty Beds Produce farmer Jessie King at the Crawford Bay Elementary-Secondary School site.

With one event down and six more to go, the Kootenay branch of Young Agrarians (YA) is inviting farmers, the agriculture-curious and the public to visit east, west and central Kootenay farms this summer.

The next event runs Saturday, with a work bee and potluck being held at Dirty Beds Produce in Crawford Bay.

“We will all be pitching in to the best of our ability — whether that means weeding, building new garden beds or just cheerleading,” said Laura Hannant, who co-ordinates YA with Nigel Francis. “We will also be marking a momentous occasion for the young farmers — the grand opening of their new farming venture.”

Dirty Beds farmers Jessie King and Elisa Rose are teaming up this summer to SPIN (small-plot intensive) farm on five different sites in Crawford Bay. They are growing a wide range of produce — including beets, carrots, kale, peas, chives, cabbage, squash, zucchinis, tomatoes, corn, cantaloupe and much more — that will be sold to residents, restaurants and the Crawford Bay Elementary-Secondary School lunch program.

“We also offer, I hope, the idea that sustainability within this very special community is possible, and it can, is and will continue to happen when people get together and contribute their different talents, strengths, creativity and hard work towards a common goal, for the good of the whole,” said Rose.

The process of starting their venture has offered an interesting learning curve to King and Rose.

“We’re not following any predetermined or learned structure of doing this; both of us have really been winging it from the start,” said Rose. “We don’t have a lot of gardening education, so we are learning as we go and making things up as we go along, so the process is very organic (just like the food). We get inspiration from others who are doing similar things in other places, as well as tons of support from the East Shore community. I’m actually surprised how unique this is, as it seems like a really obvious thing to be doing.”

The duo is looking forward to the weekend’s YA event for a couple of reasons.

“First of all, to be honest, I’m looking forward to help with all the weeds,” said Rose. “Second, seeing what we are doing through other people’s eyes helps me get a broader perspective on it all. All the interest that is being shown to our little project is really humbling. Who knew farming could be so exciting and inspiring?”

YA kicked off its summer event series on July 4 with a berry planting party at Beasley’s Chuckleberry organic farm and community, and will continue with tours, potlucks and more at Willow Springs Organic Farm in Pend Oreille (July 26), Tricycle Acres in Slocan Valley (Aug. 7), White Crow Farm in Winlaw (Aug. 15-17) and Edible Acres in Windermere (Aug. 24). The series wraps up in the Creston Valley on Sept. 7 with the 26-kilometre Tour de Farm, which will connect Kootenay Meadows dairy, Full Circle Organic Farm, Mo and Mikey Farms, JRD Farm, Root and Vine Acres and, hopefully, a winery, with visitors touring by bicycle.

“So: dairy, grain farm, market garden, orchard, greenhouse and livestock farm, vineyard — all in our valley, all in one day,” said Hannant. “We hope the event will showcase our incredible agricultural diversity and maybe even inspire young agrarian hopefuls to put down roots here in Creston.”

And that’s one key goal of the Young Agrarians program.

“By working with young Kootenay farmers and opening the gates of Kootenay farms, we are giving people a chance to experience and celebrate Kootenay agriculture,” said Hannant. “Many of today’s young and aspiring farmers don’t come from farming backgrounds.”

The work bee starts at 3 p.m. July 12 at the 16521 Crawford Creek Road, with a potluck to follow at 7 p.m. For more on Young Agrarians, visit youngagrarians.org/tag/kootenays.