Incorporate sustainable practices

You are what you eat



The contamination of Mill Creek and Lake Okanagan as a result of the Stewart Centre fire is another example of where Kelowna could be more proactive.

The agricultural chemicals that are contaminating the groundwater and the lake are often not needed to produce crops. For example, wine grapes can be grown in this area without fungicides due to the low relative humidity.

The Okanagan should be a leader in incorporating sustainable practices in agriculture. The land base could be more efficiently used. Soil fertility practices which would reduce the need for fertilizers have not been incorporated into production to the extent they could be.

Yes, there is local produce available to people in the Okanagan at local farmer’s markets. Unfortunately, it can be prohibitively expensive to purchase. While being totally supportive of growers getting a fair price for their produce, in many cases it is out of reach for people.

The beautiful produce that people have access to in the valley may not be around for much longer as growers either retire with no one to take over or sell their land to developers.

Another alternative would be to purchase a share in a community shared agriculture farm (CSA) and receive produce throughout the growing season from a grower that you know. CSAs are often organically-certified. While organic certification can be problematic, most CSA growers do not use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides on their produce. CSAs are typically smaller in size than industrial farms.

Most people have a doctor, dentist, lawyer - why not a farmer? CSA members have much more influence on the practices growers use to produce food. There is currently only one CSA farm in the Kelowna area.

Look at what the city of Guelph, similar in population to Kelowna, does to support local growers and sustainable agriculture production.

Buying local is a step in the right direction to address this complex issue.



Walter Garrison