Green Your World: Bringing the farm to Camosun

Columns April 11, 2012

There’s something really satisfying about hitting up a farmer’s market and making yourself a good meal. It doesn’t happen often when you’re a student on an Ichiban and Kraft Dinner budget, but when you spend the extra time and money, your body and brain love you for it.

Maybe you’re like me, and all of the talk about GMOs, pesticide use, and industrial farming has kind of ruined the banana and passion fruit, but they’re cheap so you go for it.

Most grocery store items travel an average of 1,700 kilometres and have been sprayed with… well, who knows what they’ve been sprayed with? On the flipside, it would be nice to buy organic, but that stuff adds up quickly, so it’s not easy on a student budget.

Meanwhile, the local food movement in Victoria is budding. The general public’s appetite for local food is growing. Yet, given the affordability issues, is it possible for students to join the local food movement, eat healthy, and help support local agriculture?

Ta-dahhh! Introducing the Camosun Farmbox! Designed by members of CSEA, the farmbox program is dedicated to providing students, staff, and faculty members with affordable access to 100 percent local, organic produce at the Lansdowne campus.

Imagine having an assortment of über-fresh, organic groceries with recipes, info on local food-related events, and tips about cooking all there waiting for you to grab on your way home after class. The sweet life.

For more information on the boxes, please email farmboxcamosun@gmail.com or visit the Camosun College Student Society office at the Lansdowne campus and read over one of their signup sheets.