Rachel Goldsworthy
Review contributor :

- pretend . farmers”
#: can do their part to’
preserve agriculture for the
future, says Central Saanich
resident Fraser Smith: -.
Agriculture, says Smith,
has drifted away because of
urbanization, and he is part

bring it back. -

Smith is the president of
the South Vancouver Island
Grape Growers Association,
formed two. years ago and .
already burgeoning -with
over 30 families as mem-
bers and: ‘more. inquiries |
every week. ..-

Dr. Bill antennas’ is s the
director of the Centre for.

thusiast. He is also: one ‘of
the founders of “the
SVIGGA, and’ was the os
_ president. -

“We. wanted to promote,
not just grape growing, but ©
the use of the land,” he says. .
“I like seeing suitable land.
being used for agricultural
purposes.”

Smith recently ‘spoke: to
“someone on Pender Island.
who wants to find out if his »
“and is suitable, and about .
50 people attended’a meet-.
“ing-on. Salt Spring: {sland:in”
May. nies

Behe TREE AUT:

“their land].
grapes," Smith says.

“support

siastic about: the potential:
for grapes. He points out,
"Grapes are easier to handle ~
than some crops, and the
difference with grapes is

delicious wine." He laughs
and-admits, "Some are more
motivated by that than the

desire to bring agriculture
back to the Peninsula."

~ . Even. small landowners
can grow enough to be use-
ful. Smith and his wife Judy
planted 150.vines on a third

ven “arban people — -

of a group that wants to help

Plant Health and a grape en-

“acre, Says: Smith. Ofcourse;

fo "People want to hace can.

Smith is genuinely’ enthu-

‘that the end product makes:

- McTavish aE, Saanich Rd.

14s me snore Hh Nr ra miycsrwranuieninirmianmiainintenin an nartarennitns dienes ELE. Deen oi reemineene

~ of an acre four years‘ago,

_and last year made 40 gal-
-lons of wine. You: can ‘get:
about’. 1,000. vines: to ‘the

it has | to be the right kind of

says”

that

~ cultural land, and municipal —
councils can look favorably _
“on.them because they help

keep the land rural.

grapes need well-drained

soil, although it can be ‘poor.
“Cobble Hill, he’ points ‘out,

has cobblestones under the —
topsoil and the area has sev-
-eral vineyards and ‘wineries.
Members of SVIGGA will
visit people who are inter-
ested in finding out if their:

and is grape-friendly.

Some. locals ‘are’ inter--

ested in starting wineries to
make

Smith says that a winery is
one of the few commercial

purposes allowed on agri- —

Near the airpor

eer at ac MCN OT Ts

use of Peninsula
- grapes and attract-tourists.

_ Used Autos.

- 656-3939
m

’ oe re ee |

Pow ws pe toa fe

~ Good Clean

er

Putting the land to its best use is a good reason to turn to grapes

He hopes the. Peninsula :

tion ten denen se aeeercarnee UnmtenegesOe hyn: poems Sst nace rete ese

t

Food for thought

Judy Smith and her hus-
band Fraser wanted to
use their land for some-
thing agricultural, so
Judy convinced Fraser to
go with grapes. "They're

‘ aromantic crop," she

says, and points out, "l
can still have a life."
Fraser had initialiy
wanted ostriches, which
are a tittle more time-
consuming.

can emulate California, with
wineries that also promote
local arts to the tourists that
visit our area.

Lanterman says that judg-
ing from the interest shown
by local growers, there's the

_ potential for'three or four -

or more — wineries on the

‘Peninsula. And then there

are nearby Gulf Islands. He
has spoken to people on Salt

Spring Island; and Smith
“has also been contacted by

a Pender Island resident.
Aside from the commer-

cial aspect, though, people

will do what they enjoy.
“Winemaking is a lot of

fun,” says Smith. ‘You're not
ust growing the: fruit and “:

PENINSULA NEWS REVIEW 22

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