An Open Letter to the Cowichan Valley of Vancouver Island, British Columbia: It has come to my attention that a gravel pit has been proposed along Vineyard Road in Cobble Hill. So why would an American living 100 miles away care? Well, because southern Vancouver Island, the Cowichan Valley, and Cobble Hill in particular is, in my estimation, the epicenter of the most interesting and forward-thinking food community not only in Canada, but perhaps in all of North America. I know of no other place with such a rich and important network of farmers, foragers, teachers, culinary anthropologists, and winemakers than right within a 30 mile arc from Victoria. The litany of people within your region is legend within the world food community: Culinary Visionary Dr. Sinclair Philip of the Sooke Harbour House; Forager Bill Jones of Deerholme Farm in Duncan; Mara Jernigan and Fairburn Farms Water Buffalo; Ethnobotanist Dr. Nancy Turner of the University of Victoria; baker Jonathan Knight and Canada’s first wheat (Red Fife) of True Grain Bread in Cowichan Bay; local producers of Big-Leaf Maple Syrup, and a host of wonderful cool-climate vineyards/wineries including Averill Creek, Blue Grouse, and Venturi-Schulze. In fact, the products of Venturi-Schulze may stand as unique in this hemisphere. And I do not believe that an exaggeration. Marilyn and Giordano Venturi run a model vineyard making impressive wines that span the range from a zesty sparkling wine to a fine and polished Pinot Noir. I know because the wines have specialness that draws us to import them directly to serve for dinners at my 5-Diamond restaurant here near Seattle. Additionally, Giordano’s profound dessert-style wine, Brandenburg No. 3, is unlike any other wine produced in this region. And, were that not enough, the Venturi’s craft astonishing Balsamic Vinegar that is aged for years in a series of wood barrels made from five species of trees. We import and use that vinegar, too. The removal of millions of cubic yards of gravel with its potential for dust, noise, heavy truck traffic, and unknown disruption of the water table poses a threat to farm-gate families and their businesses in the area. Pretty much any place can have a gravel pit. But only special places have diverse farms and wineries that garner attention from both near and afar. The citizens of Oregon have done a good job in preserving both the farmland and rural character of the Willamette Valley south of Portland. Nurseries, wheat, orchards, hazelnuts, and now thousands of acres of vines now draw tourists to a beautiful valley that could have all-to-easily become just another sea of housing and strip malls. Sometimes one needs to travel the world in order to come home to find what has been there all along. Cobble Hill is special. Don’t spoil the nest. Have a vision of local goodness, of farms, of artisan foods, of crafts, and of wineries that pass on from generation to generation, inspiring visitors and residents alike to find a bit of their soul in the soil. Please say no to the gravel pit. Ron Zimmerman Proprietor/The Herbfarm Woodinville, Washington USA
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 06:00:44 +0000
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