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Thinking inside the box helps Metchosin farm stay viable

Sea Bluff Farm sells about one-third of its produce through the food box program.
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Ian King

Ian King wants to sell you a Bluff Box.

The Metchosin farmer has planted his crops at Sea Bluff Farm and is looking for people willing to pre-order a weekly supply of seasonable veggies.

Sea Bluff Farm sells about one-third of its produce through the food box program. King also uses farmer’s markets and sells directly to restaurants.

“We’d be interested in expanding the box program,” said King, explaining that, as a farmer, knowing how many customers you have helps when it comes to planting and selling crops.

There are three sizes of boxes to choose from including mini, regular and family boxes. The mini box has about four items, a regular box will have between seven to nine and the family box includes about 15 to 20 vegetables.

The box program begins June 1 and crops expected to be ready include radishes, salad greens, broccoli, beets, onions, kale and garlic scapes.

Throughout the summer, Bluff Box users can find some surprising veggies including baby blue hubbard and red curry squashes.

“It can really expand people’s tastes,” King said.

The farm has a blog to accompany the boxes to provide tips and recipes with some of the more obscure vegetables.

“We grow giant beets that get as big as your head,” King said, holding out his hands to emphasize the massive root vegetables available on request.

Sea Bluff Farm is not certified organic, but its produce is grown without pesticides or fertilizers.

“This will be fresher and higher quality than what you would get in the grocery store,” King said. “Your dollars go straight to the farm and to the local farmer.”

Aside from what is grown at Sea Bluff, King also purchases produce for the boxes from six other local farms.

Boxes can be picked up from the farm in Metchosin on Wooton Road, as well as in Langford or the Fernwood neighbourhood in Victoria.

The program runs from June to November.

For more information on the Bluff Box program, contact King at info@seablufffarm.ca or Holland Gidney at bluffbox@telus.net.

reporter@goldstreamgazette.com

About the Bluff Box program

Aside from helping out a local farmer and gaining organic produce that’s spent more time in the ground than on a truck, there’s another added bonus to buying from Sea Bluff Farms.

Each food box is filled with an assortment of vegetables that need to be eaten. Some will be common and others will not.

This is the second year Bluff Boxes have been available, though similar programs are available from other local farms.

Over the course of the season, about 40 varieties of vegetables will be harvested and boxed up. Bluff Boxes are available from June to November.