Farmer's 'Bluff Box' Returns for New Season
Apr 19, 2012
(News Release) METCHOSIN — Local farmer Ian King has beets on the brain.
It’s not surprising given how many beet seeds he's sowed recently in preparation to meet the demand of customers signing up to get a weekly box of fresh produce from Sea Bluff Farm beginning in June.
Launched last year as another option for Victoria residents wanting to purchase locally grown organic produce but who might not have time to buy direct from farmstands or farmers’ markets, Sea Bluff Farm’s unique Bluff Box program brings the produce directly to where they live.
“With the Bluff Box, I’m hoping to fill the fridges of 60 local families on a weekly basis from June through November,” says King. “That’s a lot of beets.”
And he’s not just planting beets. Having promised Bluff Box customers seven to nine different items in each weekly produce box, King will be growing and harvesting more than 40 different vegetables this year. Depending on the week, and on the season, box customers will get family favourites like beets, tomatoes, and kale, storage staples like squash, garlic, and potatoes, and special treats like sunchokes, strawberries, and scapes.
“So many people are unaware of what food can be produced locally. This program really opens their eyes to how much variety there is,” says King, a regular vendor at the Victoria Downtown Farmers’ Market all winter.
Besides variety, another advantage of the Bluff Box is convenience. With pick-up locations in Fernwood, Langford, and Metchosin, eating more local vegetables is as easy as remembering to pick up the kids from school or paying the phone bill. “As a father, I know how hard getting to a market on the weekend can be, let alone the challenge of picking out vegetables when you’ve got kids in tow,” King says. “The Bluff Box takes the stress out of eating local.”
And with prepaid box prices ranging from $15 to $40 a week, the Bluff Box also proves that eating locally grown organic produce doesn’t have to break the bank. “Our goal is to provide local food to local people at a fair price to them and a fair wage to the growers,” says King, whose idea it was to offer a budget-conscious $15 box this year.
No matter what size box they choose, new and returning customers will pick up their first Bluff Box of the year on June 6 in Langford and Metchosin, and on June 7 in Fernwood. You can bet it will contain some beets.