06 Farm Fieldtrip to the Comox Valley

Jessica takes us for a field trip into her Ask A Local Farmer program series!  Local Comox Valley farmer Arzeena from Amara Farm discusses growing your own food and supporting local food cultivation during and post pandemic.  You might learn something that will help you with your carrot crop or just inspire you to plant something!  Arzeena recommended you check out a book about square foot gardening.  Jessica made a list of the Comox Valley resources mentioned in their conversation.  About the farmer Arzeena earned her Bachelor's degree in Crop Science from the University of Guelph and a Master's in Sustainable Agriculture from the University of London, England. She worked as a CUSO volunteer in Thailand and as a researcher in Jamaica, India, and Bangladesh. She was the staff Agrologist for West Coast Seeds from 1997-1999 and served as the Coordinator of the Richmond Food Security Society from 2008-2012, and in 2010 helped launch the Richmond Farm School. She and her husband moved their family to the Comox Valley in 2012 and run Amara Farm, a 25-acre certified organic farm in Courtenay, BC. In 2018, Arzeena was elected to the Board of the Comox Valley Regional District where she serves as both Vice Chair and Director, Area B About the Farm:  Arzeena and Neil started Amara Farm in 2012 with a dream to grow healthy food for their community. First came the veggies, and then an acre of blueberries in 2014. The farm received its certified organic status in 2015 and has since earned awards such as, the Land of Plenty Award (2018), and the Comox Valley Record's Best Market Vendor (2019). They have recently started a new project involving the addition of a new orchard full of apple, pear, and hazelnut trees. https://www.amarafarm.ca/