Blueberry Commons
Wildwood V8A 4X9 Powell River, BC, Canada

It takes a community to raise a child... #cohousing #raisingkids #intentionalcommunity

Thank you Maureen Mason for your wonderful letter of support!

We have now officially entered into the first period of public consultation for the SOCP/Zoning change we have requested to enable our project to proceed. Do you think cooperative/cohousing would be of benefit to Powell River? We encourage all folks to make your voices heard, whatever your opinion! Please follow this link to the city's posting:https://participatepr.ca/ocp-consultation-for-blueberry-com You can send emails to Jason Gow [email protected] and Rachel Pukesh ... [email protected] as requested. Blueberry Commons will create 30 units of modest sized green built housing for a diverse group of families in our region. We are working very hard to ensure these units will be as affordable/accessible as possible, especially for first time home buyers. As you know, we are also very committed to local food security by operating an organic farm, continuing the long agricultural legacy of the Clancy family. In addition to all of our produce sales, last year we donated over $6000.00 worth of food to the Foodbank and several other organizations. Last year we also had several hundred student visits to the farm and more are planned for this season. Supporting food growing literacy is central to our vision. We love the Wildwood community and will continue to be actively engaged as we develop this community asset. We are exploring all options for reducing any impacts of the project during and after construction, including measures to limit increased traffic down King Avenue. Our zoning change request allows for the same density for our Eastern lot as in the surrounding Wildwood neighbourhood. All housing units will be taxed just like any other house in Powell River. We welcome any questions you may have and can arrange for tours of the property by appointment. We are always open to more members and volunteers! Visit our website for more information on our vision and details of the project. Public input closes on April 1st - please send your comments today!

Enjoy this two minute preview while sipping your afternoon coffee... #cohousing #community

Coops are an excellent way to create more housing with engaged members!

A very compelling essay written by Powell River's very own (unofficial) "philosopher in residence", Fred Guerin. Fred argues for a new "civilizational narrative" that defines us not as fundamentally selfish and exploitative but rather as cooperative and connected. His words could have been written as the philosophical underpinnings for Blueberry Commons - thanks Fred! https://www.fredguerin.com/post/a-new-civilizational-story ... "Instead of civilization as 'subjugation' we could begin to think and act our way towards a different civilizational story for our present time of environmental crisis. A story that elaborates how we are fundamentally connected to and dependent upon others, as well as to the health of the biosphere that sustains us; it would be a story that understands civilizing not through extraction, appropriation and colonization, but through recognition of the dignity of persons, of animal rights and the rights of Mother Earth. A new civilizational story based on eco-economics is indeed possiblean economics not founded on profit, endless consumption and privatization of public spaces and resources, but on sustainability; on de-growth through downscaling resource and energy demands; on commons-based initiatives of public spaces; on resilience and decarbonization. This kind of eco-economics would not orient consumption around private ownership and profit, but around public goods and the earth’s actual carrying capacity. It would be based on environmental reality and sustainability, not on the capitalist myth of an invisible, pseudo-benevolent hand operating behind the backs of citizens. So, how can we bring this about? At the level of community action, we would enact it by joining local and global communities involved in environmentally sustainable practicesfrom co-op farms, to green energy and resilience initiatives to repurposing rather than throwing away raw materials. These inspirational groups and practices are everywhere to be found. They are filled with dedicated hard-working individuals who have discovered ‘who they are’ through their relation to the earth and to others."

Blueberry Commons is located in Wildwood, a great neighbourhood where many of this webinar's suggestions are already a reality, but we can always do more to build healthier communities! #cohousing

There are many ways to create better communities!

It is that time of the year... cut the old, get ready for the new. The old orchard is starting to shape up!

When the sun comes out, the bees start dancing and buzzing! Their presence fills us with hope of better days ahead!

Another example of why fostering food security now is critically important! "For many, farming is emerging as a solution. Suddenly I meet a lot of people who are growing on their balconies and in their backyards. I feel very hopeful about this, Corinne Jabbour, a permaculture designer, says. Initiatives promoting farming have multiplied. Food banks offer seedlings, volunteers teach sustainable farming and social media groups share advice. Groups of friends or neighbours have taken to farming. All across Lebanon, municipalities hand out seeds and encourage people to plant abandoned land." https://www.theguardian.com//money-is-worth-nothing-now-ho

OK folks in Sechelt, Robert's Creek, Gibsons and the lower mainland. We'll be coming to your area on Tuesday to deliver our Fall Harvest Baskets. Almost full but room for 2 or 3 more. See all the details below. Order now if you would like to fill your pantry with beautiful healthy food for the fall and winter months ahead at a very good price! Fall Harvest Basket! Fall is here and it is time to fill your pantry with nutritious local food for the winter! Blueberry Commons is o...ffering a Fall Harvest Basket of some of our best late summer veggies grown in our organic fields. All of these store well and will nourish you and your family throughout the coming months. This fall collection of local produce includes: - 25 pounds of winter squash (7-8 acorn, delicata, butternut, carnival, hubbard and kabocha varieties) - 15 pounds of Clancy potatoes - 12 pounds of red and yellow onions - 2 pounds of Dutch Brown beans (in shells) - 1 large pumpkin, - 1 bunch of kale, Cost: $125.00 Purchased separately, this would cost $165.00 a savings of $40 when you buy it as a basket! We are taking orders now! You can place your order here: www.blueberrycommons.ca/shop. Payment is by E-transfer, cheque or cash at the time of order. Fall Harvest Baskets will be ready beginning September 28 and will continue throughout October. Delivery is available throughout the Powell River Region. Don’t need that much veg? Consider sharing one basket with a friend! Would you like to help share the fall bounty with a lower income local family? We invite you to contribute a donation towards supporting local food security for all people of our region. For every $60 received, Blueberry Commons will make a full Fall Harvest Basket available to a family who needs it. You can make your donation by sending an E-transfer to farm@blueberrycommons or by going through our farm store www.blueberrycommons.ca/shop.

Happy to send along our Autumn newsletter. Hope you enjoy the read :) https://mailchi.mp/9bdba9d934ac/newsletter-2020-autumn

What a gorgeous fall day on the farm! Come on out for a visit to our farm stand open everyday this week 12-5 pm at the end of King Avenue. More fresh cauliflower and broccoli harvested this morning! Our now famous 'Clancy' potatoes are ready to go in 10 lb bags to your pantry. Five kinds of zucchini - remember those? Beautiful cured red and yellow onions. Full size cukes - great for fresh eating and pickling at a great price of $1.50/lb!! Never tried a Delicata squash? - you ain't been living! These smaller winter squash have a tender smooth flesh like sweet potato and even the skins are edible - heavenly!

We've got CAULIFLOWER!! These are smaller autumn heads that pack a great punch for flavour. We will have a limited amount available everyday for the next week or so. along with our Clancy potatoes, red and white onions, tons of squash, purple cabbage and a few other delights! Come get yours at our farm store, M-F, 12-5, the end of King Avenue in Wildwood.

Potatoes, Potatoes, POTATOES! We are harvesting many hundreds of pounds of these beautiful 'Clancy' potatoes. They have a lighter skin and are super tender and delicious AND they seem to keep very well. We are offering these at an amazing $2/lb - a great deal especially considering they are organically grown right here in Powell River. Check out the price for organic potatoes in the local big box stores and you will see what a great deal these are! And in case you didn't kno...w, conventionally grown potatoes are one of the most pesticide ridden, destructive crops grown on this continent. Do a little research and you may think twice about feeding industrial farmed potatoes to your family. Drop by our farm stand to stock up for the fall and winter. We are open M-F, 12-5 at the end of King Avenue in Wildwood. Want a large amount? Please let us know so we can have your order ready for you!

Blueberry Commons is doing it again! Offering you a chance to stock up on beautiful produce for an amazing deal! There is also an opportunity to share the bounty with a community member in need. Check it out! **Update: this offer is available to folks on the Lower Sunshine Coast, Lower Mainland and perhaps even the Comox Valley if there's enough interest! Please spread the word. Food security is where it's at. <3

Squash-a-paloosa! It's that time of the year. We have eight varieties of winter squash coming out of our field in great abundance. These are excellent keepers for long into the fall and winter months. How about a pureed kabocha curry soup on a wet cold November night?? Varieties include: acorn, green and orange kabocha, carnival, delicata, blue hubbard, butternut, delicata, sugar pumpkin and more! All available at our farm stand today and all week, 12-5 pm, end of King Avenu...e. We also have cured red and yellow onions, fresh broccoli, mixed greens, cukes, zucchini, pears, peppers, green and purple cabbage, egg plant, tomatillos and the list goes on ...!

Our farm stand is still bumping with late summer harvest. Look at the diversity of winter squash - 7 types!! Lots of hot and sweet peppers, fresh broccoli, potatoes, onions, pickling cukes, plums, pears, apples and melons! Open 12-5 at the end of King Avenue in Wildwood.

Got broccoli?? We do. LOTS of it! A whole new bed just coming into maturity. This gorgeous broccoli makes eating your veggies a dream! So delicious and so good for you too! We will have it at our farm stand all week and at the market on Sunday. Plus our usual yummy array of veggies, melons and now pears apples, plums and Emilie's tomatoes! We are at the end of King Avenue in Wildwood open M-F 12-5 pm.

Something new everyday! Today it is Italian prune plums, tomatillos, sweet peppers plus all of our usual goodies! Open until 5:00 pm at the end of King Ave in Wildwood.

Very happy to have Lisa and her crew at The Convenient Chef using fresh local produce from Blueberry Commons. Lisa was very excited today to receive the first mature butternut squash from our field this year - it was a beauty! The Convenient Chef is another Powell River gem of a local business. They have an amazing selection of great nutritious meals ready to go! Eat local. Buy local. Live local!... Convenient Chef See more

And then there’s this! These cukes just don’t seem to know when to stop producing. We have harvested over 1500 lbs and there will be another 100 pounds today! Who wants ‘em?? Send a message with your order and pick up today or tomorrow afternoon.

Did you miss out on fresh melons? Never fear, the second wave is here! And what a wave it is!! We are harvesting mountains of gorgeous melons every day which are now all available at our farm stand, end of King Avenue, M-F, 12-5 in Wildwwod. We also have bushels of broccoli, baskets of beets, oodles of onions, zillions of zucchinis, pecks of peppers, countless cukes, abundance of acorn, kabocha and butternut squash, and piles of potatoes! (oh the joys of alliteration!) Come and check us out and take home dinner!

It’s market day! Come out to see all the amazing food grown in our region and support your local farmers! I counted 25 different things we will have today from beets to blueberries to basil to broccoli! Plus LOTS of melons and chanterelle mushrooms. See you there!!

Here is Starr, self-proclaimed Corn Goddess, harvesting corn from our wonderful 10’ high corn patch. While we are mostly filling our pre-paid corn bonds, we will have some corn available for purchase every day. We are open 12-5 during the week and are located at the end of King Avenue in Wildwood. We have a wonderful diversity of produce available - come check it out!

Yesterday we harvested and packed a tremendous diversity of fresh produce to serve some customers on the Lowe coast and lower mainland. We couldn’t do this without our regular team of volunteers who contribute so much to the life and production of the farm. THANK YOU!! And special thanks to Katie Berezan for so much support to the farm over the past months. Come back soon! Our farm stand is open today from 12-5 st the end of King Avenue. So much on offer right now: beans, beets, basil, cukes, carrots, corn, melons, blueberries, turnips, tomatoes, acorn and Kabocha squash, salsa, sugar pumpkin, red and yellow onions, potatoes, greens and more!!!

So happy to have Springtime Garden Centre in Cranberry now selling Blueberry Commons produce! They have a lovely space set up to stock local food products. this is a new direction for Dave and the team. Show them you support their decision by dropping in and picking up some local food!