The funky offspring of the Galiano Club, the Food Program began in 2008.
The Galiano Community Food Program strives to ensure that Galiano Island is a thriving, livable, food-secure community, where every resident feels included, welcome and empowered to build a deeper connection with their food system. In so doing, the Program improves Galiano’s ecological sustainability and community resilience in the face of climate change and uncertainty. The program seeks to set an example that reaches beyond our local community and spreads across the country.
Food Program Blog
Community Garlic Co-op
The Garlic Co-op is a group of garlic enthusiasts who collectively grow a few varieties of organic premium garlic, with scapes, in a large, shared, sunny plot at the end of Morgan Road, at the south end of the island. Together we learn about this easy-to-grow, hardy crop, share the load of bed-preparation, seeding, weeding, mulching and harvesting, and enjoy some delicious garlic. We also explore various soil-building and composting techniques. Everyone is welcome, and no previous experience is required to join. If you’re interested, come on out to a work party. Email galianofoodprograms@gmail.com for more info.
Nutrient Analysis of Nettles – Colleen Doty, School Food Program Coordinator
I knew nettles were good for us, but really, how good? To find out, I was inspired to get a lab sample of one of Galiano’s most prominent forageable foods. I then compared the analysis against the nutrient values of kale, broccoli, lettuce, spinach and 2% milk (you’ll see why) and the results blew me away. The data on the foods below came from the USDA Nutrient Database and the Canadian Nutrient File.
Most surprising to me was that nettles have the highest calcium content of all these foods.
Food Calcium Value per 100g
Nettles, Blanched 481mg
Kale, Raw 150mg
Milk, 2%, with Vitamins A & D 128mg
Spinach, Raw 99mg
Broccoli, Raw 47mg
Lettuce, Green Leaf, Raw 36mg
One would have to drink over three times as much milk to get the same quantity of calcium as one portion of nettles.
Nettles also exceed on the dietary fibre front:
Food Fibre Value per 100g
Nettles, Blanched 6.9g
Kale, Raw 3.6g
Milk, 2%, with Vitamins A & D 0g
Spinach, Raw 2.2g
Broccoli, Raw 2.6g
Lettuce, Green Leaf, Raw 1.3g
Two other mineral comparisons I thought I’d mention are magnesium and potassium. As you see in the chart below, nettles have relatively high amounts of both minerals. Comparatively, spinach has the highest magnesium and potassium value; and kale also exceeds nettles in potassium value.
Food Magnesium Value per 100g Potassium Value per 100g
Nettles, Blanched 57mg 334mg
Kale, Raw 47mg 491mg
Milk, 2%, with Vitamins A & D […]
Cheese Club – Saturday March 28 from 5:30pm till 8pm
I have the Blue penicillin mold strain for blue-veined cheese.
Check out David’s section on Blue cheese at: http://thewayofcheese.com/2013/02/13/blue-cheese/
Sliding Scale $15-$20
You must RSVP as I must limit the number.
Cheese Club – Friday February 13th from 5:30pm till 8pm
We are going to be making David’s Smoked Chipolte Pepper Paneer and Dream Cheese in Olive oil.
Check out both recipes on David’s web site: http://thewayofcheese.com/2012/01/21/peaceful-dream-cheese-in-olive-oil/
You must RSVP if you want to come. I must limit the class size.
Class is $15-$20 sliding scale.
Seedy Saturday – February 14th 2015
Join us at this year’s Seedy Saturday on February 14th from 10:00am-3:00pm at the Farmers’ Institute on Salt Spring. This is a non-profit grassroots event that provides an opportunity for gardeners, seed companies and nurseries to exchange seeds and ideas.
This year, the food program is again organizing travel to Salt Spring to take part in the event. We will boat over from Retreat Cove and then take a taxi to the venue. Total cost for roundtrip transportation and event admission will be about $25. Advance registration is required so that we can organize transportation, so if you’re interested, please contact Emma.
See http://www.seeds.ca/events for more info.
Food Safe Level 1 – April 18th
The Galiano Club Community Food Program is offering Food Safe Level 1 on island. The course will take place April 18th at the South Community Hall. The class runs from 9am to 4pm. The cost of the course is $75, which includes the workbook and certificate upon completion.
There are 25 spots available in this on-island class. Contact Alison at: galianofoodprograms@gmail.com to register.
This is a great opportunity to get your Food Safe certification on island (saving ferry costs.) The Galiano Chamber of Commerce has offered 10 subsidies to any employee of Chamber businesses or island student. The Food Program will subsidize 5 spots for kitchen volunteers.
Foodsafe Level 1 is designed for people working on the front lines of the food service industry, from dishwashers to servers, bussers to line cooks and chefs. The course covers safe food handling, Hygiene, sanitation and work safety. In level 1 you’ll learn how to prevent foodborne illness, receive and store food, prepare and serve food safely, and clean and sanitize.
All food vendors at the Galiano Saturday Market are required to have their Food Safe certificates.
Upcoming Food Program Events
