After 11 years of bringing you local reporting, the team behind the Vancouver Observer has moved on to Canada's National Observer. You can follow Vancouver culture reporting over there from now on. Thank you for all your support over the years!
It is, perhaps, a cliche to say that food brings people together. A good meal, shared amongst friends or strangers, can provide an ideal starting place for dialogue, learning and connection. Food is...
School may be out for the summer, but for some food security advocates, the connections between education, poverty and nutrition are in session. As a member of the Vancouver Food Policy Council (VFPC...
We planted a lot of garlic last fall. I’m not sure what got into me, but we ended up devoting a big section of our garden to a garlic patch that will produce over 100 bulbs. Garlic is a great...
As recently as World War II, growing some of our own food was an act of subsistence. War efforts in Canada and elsewhere encouraged people to grow vegetables as a way to supplement food sources...
Stage 1 watering restrictions went into effect in Vancouver on May 15, two weeks ahead of last year. So far, the rules apply to lawns and car washing only, but I’m not taking any chances. 2015 saw...
Vancouver has had what feels like an unusually mild spring so far. We’ve already enjoyed plenty of summer-like days. As much as these soaring temperatures are pleasant, I also find them a bit...
One of the true pleasures of growing your own food is eating vegetables that you can’t find in stores. From the crunch of fresh-picked peas right off the vine to the intense flavour of frost-...
When my gardening friend Danie McAren moved from Vancouver to Guelph Ontario in 2013 to study organic farming, I was both sad to lose a fellow gardening nerd, and excited to learn about her...
Early spring is an ideal time to do some soil maintenance in your garden. Each year, I modify my technique based on new things I learn. In the past, I’ve raked finished compost into the surface of...
Can you feel it? Spring is in the air. Although winter technically doesn’t end until the spring equinox on March 20, it truly feels like the world is waking up from its slumber. On my morning walks...
