It’s almost time to celebrate the bountiful food harvest of Vancouver Island with the annual Feast of Fields fundraiser for Farm Folk/City Folk on September 19th, 2010. Described as a wandering 35-plus-course meal (accompanied by local wine and beer!), the popular festival is a sumptuous gastronomic event that highlights the importance of sustainable, local food systems while showcasing the abundant fare our island has to offer.
Each year the festival is held at a different local farm, this year’s event will take place at the stunning Parry Bay Sheep Farm in the rural community of Metchosin. With more than 60 participants serving their finest at the festival, we caught up with food sustainability rock star and Vancouver Island Feast of Fields’ organizer Melanie Banas to ask a few questions about what people can expect at this year’s feast, and perhaps most importantly, what’s on the menu.
How would you describe Feast of Fields?
With a wine glass and linen napkin in hand, you can taste the very best of BC from chefs, vintners, brewers, farmers, fishers, ranchers and food artisans from across the province. Feast of Fields highlights the connections between producer and chef, field and table, and farm folks and city folks.
Can you share with us some juicy menu details?
I will let you know that Sooke Harbour House is serving Manila clams, mussels, goose neck barnacles and Pacific octopus marinated in a Grand Fir and Mabel Grey vinaigrette with sea asparagus and locally foraged Chanterelle mushrooms on a Red Fife wheat and seaweed crisp.
Devour Food, a first time participant, is serving laarb, a dish from Laos, with spicy marinated ground pork from farmer Tom Henry, packed full of fresh local herbs and chillies, served on a local lettuce leaf, and a house made soda infused with pink peppercorn and local flowering thyme.
Tell us about this year's hosting farm.
Parry Bay Sheep Farm is a highlight of this year’s event. The land has a long history of commercial food production. Back in 1878 the land was settled by the Field family, who promptly started growing food to sell to a number of hotels in Victoria. In the late 80s, John and Lorraine Buchanan and their five children decided to pursue their dream of farming, despite neither of them coming from a farming background, they took over the running of Parry Bay Farm to turn it into what it is today. They now raise 600 lambs each year, a significant portion of local lamb that is sold through many restaurants and butcher shops in the Victoria area. They also produce wheat that Victoria’s Wild Fire Bakery mills and uses in their breads, while Cowichan Bay’s True Grain Bread uses their wheat to produce a local flour.
The event is a fundraiser for Farm Folk/City Folk – please tell us a bit about the organization.
FarmFolk/CityFolk is a not for profit society working to cultivate a local, sustainable food system. Our projects provide access to, and protection of, food lands, support local growers and producers, and engage communities in the celebration of local food.Profits from the festival help fund FarmFolk/CityFolk’s work to support local food communities on Vancouver Island, and across British Columbia. To date, over $100,000 (€74,000) in proceeds from Feast of Fields has been invested back into Vancouver Island food production.
In 2009, grants helped to build community gardens for Ahousaht First Nation, Hesquiaht First Nation and Tsartlip First Nation, a community garden expansion on Quadra Island, foundational support for Vancouver Island Food Systems Network, an outdoor teaching and gathering oven for Providence Farm in Duncan, and support for a farmer’s market in Port Alberni.
What do you hope people take away from the event?
A full belly and the chance to have spoken with the person who grew, collected, caught, raised, cooked, roasted, steeped, picked and created what they enjoyed.
Is the festival appropriate for all ages?
Families are encouraged to attend. The main activity at the festival is eating and drinking, which may not be seen traditionally as a child focused activity but it should be! Excluding the alcohol, children should be encouraged to try new things that are lovingly prepared with the very best products Vancouver Island has to offer.
Will vegetarians and vegans enjoy the festival?
I don't stipulate what the chefs prepare, but always encourage vegetarian items. This time of the year is especially abundant with the harvest of vegetables and fruit from the summer.
It is becoming harder to find reliably sourced, ethically raised, inexpensive meat. I like to think that the items served at the Feast have not put too much of an economic burden on the participants and also know that perhaps a vegetable or fruit that would have been wasted due to overproduction was used instead.
How do you recommend people travel to the festival?
There are enough buses for everyone if you are able to get to Mayfair Mall near downtown Victoria. You are also encouraged to ride a bike; Parry Bay Sheep Farm is directly on the scenic Galloping Goose Trail, 22kms (13.7 miles) West of Victoria. See our FAQ page on our website for a map and more details.
Parking for individual cars is available but is limited. Please carpool if either of the other options are not available.
Are you still looking for volunteers for this year's event?
Yes! Please visit our website and check the FAQ page.
What happens to the leftover food?
I don't remember there ever being any! One year we did have a soup that was made in a miniature pumpkin. Fortunately there was a small group of pigs on the farm that greedily finished off the 'bowls'.
The Vancouver Island Feast of Fields takes place on Sunday, September 19 from 1-5 p.m. at Parry Bay Sheep Farm in Metchosin, located at 4335 Lindholm Road. Don’t delay in purchasing tickets as the event sells out every year. Tickets are $85 (€63) for adults, $15 (€11) for children ages 7 to 12, and can be purchased online.
GreenMuze has two tickets to give away to this year's feast. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it your name to be entered into a free draw!
Visit: www.feastoffields.com
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