plant student

Innisfree is a budding Community Supported Agriculture farm with a holistic perspective. Its goal is to nourish the body and soul. Although proprietors Chanchal Cabrera and Thierry Vrain plan to operate Innisfree as a full-functioning and (somewhat) profitable organic farm, they also want to share their farm with the community. Chanchal, a respected medicinal herbalist with a focus on treating people with cancer, is also a certified horticultural therapist and master gardener. Thierry is a nematoligist and molecular biologist who now devotes himself to working within the community. According to the farm's website, Innisfree is "intended as a living example of healing through Nature." Having spent just a brief week there, I can testify to that statement.

What initially attracted me to Innisfree was its horticultural therapeutic approach. I am currently studying horticulture, continuing on to study horticultural therapy and hopefully find a career in this field. However, what also drew me to Innisfree was something more deeply personal. Like so many, I have been affected by a loved one dying from cancer. As a child, I spent time in a foster home in the country where nature was one of the only venues of comfort, stability and reassurance in my otherwise tumultuous life. The connection I found and continue to find with the natural world affirms who I am, where I come from, and where I belong. I find every experience I have in life there is an equal parable in nature I can relate it to. And for me, whether that experience is "good" or "bad," tells me that everything happens for a reason and that it is all a part of some mysterious and divine plan. And that nothing ceases to exist it simply changes. That it is all a part of the dizzying and awesome spiral of life that I am a part of, whole-heartedly, half-wittedly, resentfully, reluctantly, painfully, wonderfully, and beautifully. Simply.

On that note, when I discovered Innisfree, I felt I related to the work they were doing and hoped to achieve there. I also felt witnessing the birth of a hort therapy influenced farm would prove invaluable to my future career. When the time came in my horticultural technician portion of my hort therapy program to choose a place for summer practicum, I knew I wanted to spend my time at Innisfree.

How does Innisfree design itself around therapy? Creating wheel-chair accessible gardens with wide paths and raised beds for easy access by those with physical limitations is one example. Another example is how Chanchal plans to have an "apothecary garden," growing the medicinal plants used in the treatments of her patients on site. A garden growing the plants used in Bach Flower remedies is also in the works. Chanchal intends to have hort therapy programs at Innisfree once the foundations of the farm is established. One such program she would like to see is the pairing of youth with seniors in various garden and farm related tasks. Furthermore, operating the farm as a CSA means respecting the soil and seed used in the growing of produce and offers an opportunity for growers and consumers to work together in food production. A healing labyrinth is also planned for the near future. Innisfree is host to "Gardens Without Borders," a non-profit organization dedicated to horticultural therapy. And these are just some of the therapy-related activities at Innisfree.

Monday, May 5, 2008

My first day of my practicum at Innisfree, I arrived early and Thiery was not there. Chanchal was also away on a business related trip for the week, so I was so far alone. I decided to wander around the property and acquaint myself.

The first place I investigated was the vegetable garden. It was a large space, deer fenced and with raised beds and cold frames of two different heights to provide varying degrees of accessibility since it is intended to be used in horticultural therapy programs. Wheelchairs could easily pass through the distance between the beds. I noticed the cold frames had re-used patio sliding glass doors for covers and growing in them were seedlings ranging from beans to sunflowers. A winter's crop of miners' lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata of the Portulacaeae family)--a tasty "weed" native to our west coast region, was also growing abundantly within one. This succulent green with a tiny, delicate white flower is high in vitamin C. Apparently, it was given its common moniker because gold-fevered miners of the 19th century would eat it to prevent scurvy. However, I'm sure its flavour and abundant availability also led to its consumption not only by miners but by the general population.

Miners' lettuce growing in a coldframe. Peace.

I left the vegetable garden and walked deeper into Innisfree. I came across a pond of the most intense green-blue I had ever seen, and a berm, both human-made. Large, mossy stands of Big leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum, Sapindaceae family) lined the property. As I started to make my way back, I noticed Thierry had returned.

Acer Macrophyllum, Big leaf maple

Thierry greeted me and insisted I asked questions, that I could never ask too many questions, and that he would do his best to answer them. I commented on the cleverness of the rasied garden beds made out of recycled materials. He told me in theory the idea was a good one, but the sliding glass doors were way to heavy, especially in a garden intended for all levels of physical ability (earlier I had tried to lift one, couldn't and thought it locked--though why would it be?). He actually suggested I refrain from opening them, they were that heavy and he didn't want me to injure myself. The cold frame covers would have to be changed.

In my wanderings earlier that morning around the farm, I noticed signs labelled "mizuna," "arugla" etc. staked in and around the large field behind the house. I asked if he planned to have perpetual patches of these crops self-sow in these designated areas. He said that those signs were originally used in the vegetable garden and now indicate where plants used in Bach Flower Remedies will eventually be grown.

Dr. Edward Bach: 1886-1936. Founder of Bach Flower Remedies.

Star of Bethlehem, Ornithogalum umbellatum from the Liliaceae family. Star of Bethlehem is used to treat patients suffering from shock and loss in Bach Flower Remedies.

Bach Flower Remedies are used to treat emotional and mental health issues. The "energy" of the plants are gently diffused into brandy tinctures and are taken in small dosages. Some consider the remedies voodoo; however, they are often used in conjunction with holistic treatments and aim at treating the person and not the symptoms of the disease. Dr. Bach discovered 38 plants that comprise the remedies and are used to this day throughout the world.

Tamara arrived soon after Thierry. Tamara apprentices under Chanchal as a medicinal herbalist and volunteers in the dispensary where treatments are individually created for each of Chanchal's patients. Tamara also helps out on the farm. She has a passion for wildcrafting--harvesting wild grown food from nettles to mushrooms to cattails and was a font of information for my relentless questioning. Our first task together was watering the young orchard of mainly heirloom variety fruit and nut trees. Louis XV of France may have munched on the fruit of one such apple tree

"Calville Blanc d'Hiver:" an heirloom apple variety from Normandy dating back to King Louis XV

Calville Blanc d' Hiver in the flesh: not conventionally pretty, but a tasty baker

After watering the fruit trees (pail by pail--no irrigation system has been set up yet), Tamara and I planted heat tolerant plants, all donated to Innisfree, on the berm. The berm was made from the soil dug out when excavating the pond. Not only a way to recycle the soil, the berm will also serve as a screen if and when a new and smaller residence for Chanchal and Thierry would be built at the back of the property. The current house on the property would be the professional building and clinic to host the variety of workshops and appointments for Chanchal's clients and students. However, they have met some opposition from some neighbours about transforming the property into a horticultural therapy farm. That, and the fact that their land is ALR (Agricultural Land Reserve) protected which means the construction of certain buildings are restricted.

The berm

The pond "Louise:" That incredible colour comes from the rich clay soil of the deepest blue-green-gray colour. Yes, the pond is for swimming in

After planting on the berm, Tamara and I planted some iris along the banks of the pond. After that, it was time for lunch, courtesy of Thierry and Tamara.

Lunch: Delicious, hearty veggie soup and home-made bread (courtesy of Thierry). The stew had tasty tender nettles in it (courtesy of Tamara). I still dream about this soup

After lunch Tamara and I went to work on the rabbit fence--pulling chicken wire across the bottom of the deer fence and securing them with metal twist ties. It was here Tamara told me that much of the herbs Chanchal will use in her clients' medicines already grow wild on the property, such as burdock, dandelion (of course), and elderberry.

Burdock, or Arctium lappa Asteraceae family. The root of this plant is a blood cleanser and tonic, and has historically been used to treat cancerous tumours. As a teen, I used burdock root tincture to treat my acne

This plant needs no introduction, but in latin it is Taraxacum and is burdock's kissing kin (it is also from the Asteraceae family). Dandelion contains the antioxidant luteolin. Bees depend on this flower for early season food. The old wives tale goes, when in your garden you have more than five, spring has officially arrived

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Today found me helping out with bits and bobs around the farm. I met Thierry in the morning as he was turning soil over in the raised beds of the vegetable garden. Thierry, a nematologist, is all about the soil as the basis for beautiful, bountiful, plant production. The soil is where it all starts, man! Thierry's desire is to create healthy soil that is nutrient rich, encourages all the essential micro and macro elements, and host to all the micro and macro organisms ("macro" being humans?). His technique is the "lasagna" garden layering effect; however, Thierry hand turns the seasoned soil and then adds a layer of top soil to hold the newly planted seeds in place. The result of his labour so far has been nutrient rich soil with fantastic water retention capabilities, but since the beds are very young the soil is still quite course, hence the use of the topsoil.

Thierry working on the raised veggie beds. His
approach is very labour intensive,
but well worth the results all
the while respecting the soil

My first job was to remove the soil from the barrel planters located in the newly made parking area in front of the property. The parking area, with neatly laid gravel and barrels for bedding plants, was to be removed. After I removed the soil, I moved the planters from the street side and back on to Innisfree property. Regular volunteers Piotr and Lori came in to work on the compost box which I was to start filling the next day. Piotr was an organic farmer from the BC interior, and Lori was a horticulture grad from the praries. Lori told me that "ranunculus" comes from the latin "rana," which means "frog."

Piotr and Lori building the compost structure. The compost will have three compartments: one for the new compost ingredients, a middle compartment to turn it into; and a third compartment for it to break down

Lunch, gratefully and again, was the delicious veggie-nettle soup from the previous day with homemade bread. The extra day made the soup extra delicious. After lunch, I watered the thornless blackberries and the front garden, intended as a meditation garden complete with tranquil water feature.

Wednesday, May 7

In the morning I watered the fruit trees and started to gather the first compost ingredients. All the ingredients had to be wheelbarrowed to the new compost structure from other areas of the farm. And since it was a large compost, several barrows-full of each had to be collected. Hence, a time consuming and labour intensive task. I liked it.

The first part of the compost recipe Thierry left me with was as follows:
1. Wood chips
2. Moss (in place of grass clippings, collected from a neighbours lawn)
3. Hay
4. Kitchen compost
5. Leaves (gathered from last fall and contained in a wire "cage." Over the months the leaves broke down creating a greater density)
6. Soil
7. Then, water abundantly

Thierry told me a layer thickness of 3 inches of each ingredient was desired. Now, this was easy with the leaves and the moss, but with the soil? I don't know if I ever obtained 3 inches with the soil.

Compost pile: Day one

At lunch, I sat beneath the mason bee hive. They buzzed, worked, full of determination while I ate my sandwich and admired their plucky personalities.

Mason bee hive with a mason bee entering its home.
Thierry and Chanchal placed the colourful hive at a kid-friendly
height so children can see nature's finest workers
at their best

Thierry was contemplating cutting the grass to provide more grass clippings to the compost, so my work there was postponed for the day. So, I started to add topsoil to raised garden beds numbers two and five (about an inch in thickness), planted bean plugs, and did general garden maintenance.

Thursday, May 8

Thierry had a meeting the evening prior and didn't get a chance to cut the lawn, so I continued with the compost pile using slightly modified ingredients:

1. Grass clippings (what had already been accumulated)
2. Leaves
3. Leaves
4. Moss
5. Wood chips
6. (Second layer of grass clippings would've gone here)
7. Soil
8. Hay
9. Water abundantly

The same procedure from the previous day was followed. However, I had used side cutters the day before to clip the wire cage from around the leaves and they went missing... I'm thinking they too are in the compost, perhaps. Thierry said the goal for compost layering is to have one level of "green" (moss, grass and hay for example) followed by a layer of "brown" (soil, leaves, kitchen compost, wood chips). This is the goal, but what is available may lead to slight modification.

Above: You can see the layering of the compost ingredients

Compost complete! Well...

...not completely complete. It still has to be turned into the middle
box in late winter then once again into the final, smaller box
before it can be used in the garden. Meanwhile, other compost piles
are starting the process to create a perpetual supply of
this fabulous garden ammendment

Friday, May 9

On my final day at Innisfree, I transplanted self-sowed Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca, Laminaceae family) into one gallon pots and finished adding topsoil to garden beds numbers 2 and 5. I helped Thierry seed various crops into number 72 inserts, including a wild strawberry which had the tiniest seeds. I transplanted beans.

The Comox Valley Seed Savers Society recently moved their gardens to Innisfree. They had erected a small greenhouse manufactured by a gentlemen from Denman Island, BC. As I was admiring it, one Seed Saver member commented on his ingenious use of a wire device which secured the poly covering to the frame of the house. "Poly-lock," I replied, taking advantage of using my new-found knowledge of greenhouse structures (thanks to Vancouver Island University's Horticultural Technician program).

Friday was my final day at Innisfree. I left with a hug and a longing to go back.