Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents -  Linnaea Farm's Homegrown Series kicks off at 10:00 AM this Saturday. This is a monthly series, which will be offered on March 23rd, April 20th, May 11th and June 8th, 2024.

“I want to teach. I've had a lot of seasons under my belt now. 1995 was my first growing season, I was in Pemberton. Then I did a garden program at Linnaea Farm in 1998. I just really like sharing  what I have spent a lifetime doing. I can share all these secrets. I've run a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) garden. I've done pure market gardening. I've done contract growing. I've grown food for sale in all the ways one can do it. So I can share this with anyone,” explained to Adam Schick, a resident steward at Linnaea farm on Cortes Island.

“I feel like a really rare bird. Since I was a young man, I have managed to have a career as an organic grower and farmer.  I've managed to do it, making my living mostly growing food. It's been a real struggle, but a real joy.  Part of an evolution of myself is I've become more and more of  a plant breeder and seed saver. That is where my true passion now lies. If you give a man a carrot, you feed him for one day. If you teach a person to grow a carrot and how to save those carrot seeds, then you're ensuring that people are fed forever.”

“I'm sure there's new people out there who want this information. I would just love to share what I know. There's classes and I'll have a PowerPoint, but people can come with their own ideas. What do you want to learn?  I have a formula, but I don't have to stick to it.  I'd rather share what I know  and answer  questions. This will be two hours per session at the maximum. Spend a little bit of time in the classroom here in our beautiful Education Centre at Linnea farm then, if it's really nice, we might go wander around and look at some of the gardens. If it's a really  brutal day, I'll probably bring a few things inside. In an ideal world we’ll spend some time talking, and some time observing.”