Organic Islands

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The Evolution: Inspiration * Community * Celebration

Deb Morse, Founder of the Organic Islands Festival. On Salt Spring Island. Photo by Shari MacDonald.

Inspiration

At the Spring 2005 Focus Group I convened to get feedback about the idea of starting The Organic Islands Festival, I began by quoting Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862), American writer, philosopher, naturalist, and conservationist. He had observed over 160 years ago the rise of the agricultural industrial complex and the need to reconnect agriculture with its scared origins and rituals.

In his book Walden, written in 1845-1847, his observations are eerily prophetic of our time:

"Ancient poetry and ancient mythology suggest … that husbandry was once a sacred art; but it is pursued with irreverent haste and heedlessness by us, our object being to have large farms and large crops merely. We have no festival ... by which the farmer expresses a sense of the sacredness of his calling, or is reminded of its sacred origin. It is the premium and the feast which tempt him."
"By ... regarding the soil as property, or the means of acquiring property chiefly, the landscape is deformed, husbandry is degraded with us, and the farmer leads the meanest of lives."

Thoreau writings really moved me, and later while living on the Saanich Peninsula I remembered his words when I saw the farm we were living on subdivided and sold off. It was in the midst of this situation, as described in the following interview, that I conceived the idea of the festival as a celebration to bring the organic community together on Vancouver Island in a way that hadn't been done before.

Interview by Matt Orlesky, The Villager, Spring 2007 with Deb Morse

Q: When did the festival get its start and what was the inspiration for starting it?

In 2003, not long after my husband and I adopted our daughter, Aliyah Shan-Hui, from China, we were both laid off. My husband started a web development business while I was caring for our daughter.

We were living on a 40 acre hobby farm on the Saanich Peninsula, and renting a one bedroom apartment above the garage. The owners started to clear the property and subdivide. The chain saws were buzzing every day, trees started coming down, the bush was cleared, piles over 15 feet high were being burned, and the ash started to fall. The pacific chorus tree frogs were losing their habitat. They climbed up the side of our apartment and attached themselves to the second storey windows. They covered our dahlias. The neighbours became very unhappy; the owners became more withdrawn and sullen. The construction started with machines and men at work. Here I was in a rural area with no safe place for my daughter to play.

It was in the midst of this mess that I conceived the idea of a web portal for the organic sector. At the time, I was looking for something different in the way of work that would allow me time to parent my daughter without relying on full time daycare.

In retrospect, I think that what was happening in my own backyard was a snapshot on what was happening on a global scale, and I responded with the tools I had at hand. Being a new mother probably had something to do with it too. When you become a parent, the future becomes more important because the future is where your child is headed and you really want the best for them.

When I started talking to my husband about the web portal idea for the organic community, I said things like "it's about more than a website; it's about community and connection and meaning". I felt really inspired, and it felt as if something prophetic was happening. It may sound grandiose; really though there was a deep heartfelt passion driving me that I didn't completely understand at the time. I was not connected professionally at all to the organic sector, and I had not been politically active in environmental issues so in some ways it was a mystery to me that I latched on to this idea. I had been eating organic to some extent due to allergies, and years ago I started to work on a degree in ecology but ended up with a B.A. in English.

Eventually in the course of his work my husband met and introduced me to Carolyn Herriot, owner of The Garden Path Organic Nursery, and I shared my idea with her. She had been thinking along the same lines and she became a mentor for me. She inspired me to create the festival. As I got to know her and the wonderful organic farmers, green business owners, and fair trade activists I got very excited about what these people were doing and recognized them as the pioneers doing what needed to be done before it was popular and obvious to the mainstream. I wanted everyone to know about these people, to support their work and to start adopting more sustainable ways of living. The festival was really became the physical manifestation of the web portal idea.

Q: How are you involved, what is your role?

I am the director, producer and marketing manager for the festival. My husband Stuart Morse and I worked together to create the festival in 2005. Stuart took care of the technical aspects of putting together the website including its creation, design, and production; he also coordinated festival logistics and provided overall support. I set out to create my vision by establishing a community-based event that could bring together the organic community and green business sector in a way that had never been done before. The green business community needs a vehicle to promote itself and gain a profile for the important work it's doing to create a sustainable future. We are building a big tent for farmers; organic wholesalers, retailers, service providers, horticulture professionals, environmental organizations and government bodies.

Q: What is your favourite aspect of the festival?

I love finding out about all the great things people are doing in our own backyard that's making a difference for the future of our planet. Having them all come together at the festival is the highlight for me. From festival goers to participants, people are so eager to learn about what is available locally, and they really are thrilled to participate in such a 'feel good' event. Seeing people enjoy themselves while learning about something good is very gratifying.

Q: Can you tell me about the venue and why you chose it?

Glendale Gardens and Woodland consists of 10 acres of demonstration gardens. Students learning about sustainable gardening practices do most of the work at the gardens, and it's located on a 100-acre conservation park next to Viaduct Lake near Camuson Interurban campus. I believe it's the ideal setting for the festival because it connects people with our environment, and reminds them why it's important to seek out a more sustainable way of living. We want to continue to enjoy places like this.

Q: Why do you think people should come to the festival?

It's a great weekend where people get to come out and support their local green business community and organic growers, learn about new ideas, experience all the sights and sounds of a summer festival in a beautiful and natural setting. During our last three years we have seen so many folks coming and enjoying themselves, while discovering new resources and ways to make a difference. The feedback has been abundantly positive, and I think it really does inspire people to change their lifestyle, and change is what we need to do now to ensure our children will enjoy an organic, sustainable future.