Most people on Gabriola rely on food that comes from off-island. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could be more self-sufficient with our food, we muse. And we talk about taking small steps towards that dream.

Well. Here’s a Guardian article about a British town that is way ahead of Gabriola on the self-sufficiency front. The article summary: With two fields, some pigs, chickens and community spirit, a Hampshire village is organising to defy supermarkets and become self-sufficient.

Here, take a look:

A village on the western fringes of Hampshire is well on the way to becoming the first in England to defy the power of the supermarkets by achieving communal self-sufficiency in food. (…)

Nick Snelgar, who earns a living from growing herbs and shrubs near his home in Martin, thought it was crazy that he could not eat local produce. It would be fresher, tastier and more nutritious than anything from the supermarket and I thought it could be cheaper too if we organised to cut out the middlemen, he says. Farmers’ markets tend to be expensive niche providers for the few. I wanted a system to provide local food for the many.

He organised a meeting in the village social club in 2003, and from it came the nucleus of enthusiasts who have organised the producer co-operative that is now feeding most of Martin’s residents.

Futurefarms grows 45 types of vegetables in two fields in the village. Within the fields, two acres are set aside for rearing free-range pigs. Chicken runs are moved regularly across the bigger field and the rest of the land is grazed by sheep. Chickens, lamb and pork are sold alongside vegetables at a Saturday morning market in the village hall throughout the year. [continue]

Could we do that on Gabriola?