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Bike Blender Smoothies, Anyone?

The social enterprise project had its first Food Literacy Workshop with the Boys and Girls Club on July 23rd, and it was a blast. Nine children from the Club tagged along with us for the day. In the morning, they helped harvest apricots, and afterwards we joined them in the kitchen. The kids pitted and cut the fruit and we used it to make a puree for dried fruit leather. While that was being made, we busted out a pedal-powered bike blender, courtesy of TRU. Everyone had a turn at the pedals making apricot and berry fruit smoothies. Once they were done having fun on the bike, the puree was ready and the kids could fill the dehydrator. I hope they liked their fruit leathers the next morning!

 

The project was a hit, and we’ll be returning this week for another round of fruit leather fun. Yay!

Boys&Girls Club                                     

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Apricots in the Community!

The GAP shares a lot of gleaned fruit with our partners at JUMP.

GAP apricots

JUMP is a volunteer-run Not-For-Profit organization operating a drop in centre on the North Shore that provides free community meals, produce markets, and urban community gardens. JUMP creates opportunities for people of all ages who may be struggling economically, socially and nutritionally to stabilize their lives and meet the challenges of sustaining a healthy lifestyle. It facilitates a network of peer support that helps individuals and families build personal capacity as well as our community by participating together as volunteers to achieve food security, social integration and community development.

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A Garden Stroll, You Say?

Join us for our AGM on August 1. Following the meeting, we will savour our Legendary Potluck al fresco. Enjoy a stroll through the garden at your leisure and see the fantastic things going on at Gardengate. We look forward to seeing you there! Read more

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Saskatoons Galore!

photo by Marilylle Soveran

Just got a call from someone in Chu Chua that there are enough saskatoons growing along Dunn Lake Rd north of Barriere to feed the whole city of Kamloops!

Also plenty more in Clearwater across the highway from the Wells Gray Hotel.

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It’s Apricot Season!

 

GAP Harvest

As you have probably noticed as you’re out and about in the city, the apricots are ripening! We hope to save as many as possible from going to waste, so if you’re not already a GAP volunteer, please consider joining the GAP and helping us harvest and share this awesome local abundance!

 

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Meet Faith – Our New Summer Student!

 

 

Faith is studying Environmental Science and Languages at TRU. She is fluent in French, and recently spent a semester in Belize! She loves animals and has spent many volunteer hours walking dogs, socializing cats, and helping out at animal shelters. We are excited to have her on board!

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Edamame and Kiwano

One of the awesome things about a seed library is that it attracts  generous people who love to grow unusual fruit and vegetables. Ann-Marie Hunter is thrilled with the soybean varieties she’s been growing, and wanted to share them, so she contacted us about donating some to our library. Of course we said, “Yes, Please!”

CC photo by Jessica Lucia

We are also awaiting a donation of some kiwano (horned melon) seeds. I turns out they are not only beautiful to behold, but are packed with antioxidants and have a lot of health benefits.

Sharing seed is the best way to ensure that unusual or heirloom varieties continue to survive and thrive. The more people growing them, the better the chance they have. A small amount of seed can go a long way – the estimated return on a bean seed is 120/1!

For more information, check out the Seed Library page on our website or look for us this summer and fall at the Farmers Market and other local events.

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