Words & Photos from Duke C.
At 8:15 we departed from SMUS to our first farming experience of the day. Here we met some animals including horses and sheep, our main focus however, was the medicinal properties of plants and herbs. We started by identifying various plants like cedar, chickweed, plantains, etc. and then talking about the many ways to use them as medicine. Harmony, was the farmer who was teaching us. She had prepared many different kinds of oils, salves, honeys, and more for us to try before making them ourselves. But before we began to make our own special honey, we explored the garden and talked about the different plants. I think I can speak for all of us when I say the cold this particular morning really stung. After, we went back inside to prepare our own honey made with bulbs from a native plant.
For lunch we went to Charlotte and the Quail, a local restaurant and garden. Their food was locally sourced and many of the vegetables included were grown on site. Some orders include oatmeal pancakes, kale Caesar salad, and chicken on toast. After our meal, we went to a farm in North Saanich to do some farming and hands on work. However, most of our time there was spent chasing down chickens. The first two people to catch a chicken got a dozen eggs for free! What an Un-BEE-lievable deal. We left the farm with a ton of energy and eagerness for the next time we had a chance to go. Our haul at the end of the day included honey, salves, and knowledge of common medicinal uses for plants.