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Jason Austin waits every weekday at 9 a.m. to see how many volunteers show up on his farm in Central Saanich.
It doesn’t matter how many actually come, just that those who want to be there are willing to get their hands dirty. People used to think he was joking if he said to them, “Only come if you want”. But now, Austin said, they see the wisdom in it.
“Our volunteers are the nicest group of people you can imagine,” he said. “I want you to have fun when you are here and realize how much I appreciate you.”
Austin owns Gatton House Farm, a five-acre piece of fruit and vegetable laden paradise that donates every 20 tons of its annual produce to needy residents of the Greater Victoria area.
In an average week, he supplies Mustard Seed, Our Place, BC Housing and various other local organizations with hundreds of boxes of fresh produce. These agencies then distribute the groceries through boards, kitchens, baskets and free grocery stores.
| When the mustard seeds arrive around 11 a.m. on July 21, workers drop 150 empty banana boxes and Jason Austin (left) and his volunteers load 40 boxes of romaine lettuce in return. The empty ones are quickly filled with beans, Swiss chard, zucchini, pak choi and the like for distribution to other organizations. |
All of this is done on a voluntary basis.
Will Wild is the director of missions and community engagement at Glad Tidings Church on Quadra Street. Members of his church and others in the area make up the majority of Austin’s volunteers.
It’s a win-win situation for Wild – the farm provides parishioners with a perfect place to serve and in return they can see bright smiles on people’s faces when they get fresh produce at one of the church’s free markets. And Austin never lets volunteers return home without something for themselves – some juicy plums, a giant zucchini, or a luscious head of lettuce.
“It’s just such a positive, warm place,” says Wild.
On a sunny Wednesday morning in July, he and about 10 others – some from churches, some not – do various chores around the yard.
| “There’s no such thing as a salad in the supermarket,” says Will Wild as he harvests head for head, packs it into banana boxes and weighs it. His favorite part of volunteering comes later in the day when he delivers the fresh greens to new Victoria residents in temporary housing. “I really enjoy being able to say to the people in the market, ‘Hey, we just harvested this morning’.” |
| Philip Smith bends chicken wire into arches and builds trellises for beans that run up. Drawn to work and business, Smith has been volunteering the farm three days a week since March. “It’s fun because there are always other things and it’s out there and I have a wonderful boss – don’t tell him I said that,” he says with a cheeky smile. “It may not be for everyone, but I enjoy it.” |
| She picks beans from the trellis, calls out Kathy English the size of one, and jokes that it is the size of a roast beef. She volunteers two or three times a week and says she learned a lot about gardening. “You learn to appreciate how difficult farming is,” she says. All in all, she says, it’s just a beautiful place. “You also have the added benefit of helping people with their food.” |
| Josh and Miriam Columbus are working to secure tents over a recently planted musk melon (melon) to speed its growth process. Miriam says she has some gardening experience already and hopes that she will learn to use some of the machines, but the experience was completely new to Josh. |
Around noon the sun is high in the sky and the volunteers are on their way home. Time for Wild to wrap up the produce, collect some other donated food from the mustard seed, and head to The Cridge Center for the Family to set up a free grocery market in the afternoon.
Every week around 25 people come from the center’s temporary apartments to choose what they want from the donated goods. Gatton House Farm’s products are by far the freshest as most other foods have reached their best before date. Swiss chard, says Wild, is a favorite in the market.
When the Glad Tidings Church volunteers begin handing out food, it is clear that they are providing more than just physical care. They know almost everyone by name and have simple, happy conversations when people move down the line.
| Like many visitors to the free food market, Pastor Nilo Mariveles (right) says he is an immigrant and knows what it feels like to be alone in a new place. “I know their hearts, I know their desires. I know they need a community and a family. We’ll bring that to you. ” |
A woman collects a box of groceries for a family that has just immigrated from Ethiopia and is in quarantine. The volunteers load them up with fruits and vegetables, mango salsa, sour cream, orange juice, and snacks. Another woman discusses how she will cook the giant zucchini that are being distributed from Austin’s farm.
| Pastor Nilo Mariveles (left) and volunteer Mark Tamblyn (right) show some of the giant zucchini from Gatton House Farm with two of the free market participants. |
“When they come here, they always say, ‘Thank you very much, we feel like we’re not alone. We have the feeling that someone loves me, someone takes care of us, ”says Pastor Nilo Mariveles.
Do you have a story tip? Email: jane.skrypnek@blackpress.ca.
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CharityFoodFood BankGreater Victoria
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