Fall Fair 2025

 

DIGS Eleventh Annual Fall Fair 2025

Saturday, September 6th at Beacon House on P.I.

Submit your entries at Beacon House on:

Friday, Sept 5th - 6:00pm - 8:00pm or

Saturday, Sept 6th 8:00am - 9:00 am

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September 6 Saturday

9:00am to 12:30 Beacon House will be closed for judging

12:30 to 3:00 pm  OPEN!! View exhibits

Hot Dogs, Chips, Ice Cream Bars, Drinks Available

Garlic Braid Raffle (Tickets only), Kids Races, Cock-a-Doodle Poo contest, Coconut Shie, Adult Team Relay Race, Egg tosses – 1)kids 2)adult, Tug of War

Exhibits to remain on display until 3 PM.

Pick up entries and ribbons and prizes from 3 to 4.

7-9 pm Dance at The Beacon House - Free Entry

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General Rules for Entry

1. No late entries will be accepted. See times above.

2. Adults: one dollar PER entry. NO entry fee for Children, even if entered in an adult category.

Enter as many items as you wish.

3. Two age categories for children and teens:

Primary: 7 years and under

Junior: 8 to 14 years

Children and teens may enter in their age category OR in any Adult category.

4. Entries must be made or grown or baked by the entrant.

5. There are 5 categories and several classes within each category.

6. Ribbons for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places will be awarded for each class within a category.

With each entry your name goes into a draw for the Grand Prize - $50.00 More entries Better odds!

We would like to thank the donors listed below for sponsoring the judging.

Thrifty Foods - Iron Oxide - Buckerfields - Anonymous Donors

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Categories (please read instructions carefully)

Visual Arts - The winner in each class wins a $20 Gift Certificate donated by Iron Oxide

1. Painting

2. Sketch in black and white mounted on a black mat (no frame or glass) (black mat supplied if required)

3. Photograph mounted on a black mat (no frame or glass)

4. Natural Beach Art

5. Carving/Sculpture/Wood Working

6. Card Making

Horticulture - The winner in each class receives a $20 Gift Certificate donated by Buckerfields and the Anonymous Donor

1. Biggest Squash or Zucchini

2. Biggest onion by weight (roots removed, tops trimmed and folded)

3. Largest Garlic Bulb by weight (roots removed, top trimmed to 1”)

4. Biggest Tomato by weight

5. Flower arrangement of any variety

6. Single Bloom of any variety

7. Dahlia Flowers – If entries warrant, judge will split flowers into subsections with cash prizes for each of the subsections.

Baking & Preserves - The winner in each class receives a $20 Gift Certificate donated by Thrifty Foods

1. Pie, any variety, topped (crust, crumble etc)

2. Yeast Breads or Buns...white, brown, whole grain, sourdough

3. Cookies, six of uniform size, same variety

4. Cake, any layer cake with icing or frosting

5. Scones, six of uniform size, same variety

6. Jam in dated and sealed jar with lid

NOTE: The following must be in containers with standard 2 part lids, hot water sealed and labelled with the date.

6. Pickles, Chutney, Relishes, Salsa

Home Arts & Crafts - The winners in each class receive a $20 Gift Certificate donated by Anonymous donors.

1. Knitted or Crocheted item

2. Ceramics, pottery

3. Sewn item

4. Weaving

5. Felting

6. Quilting

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Children – Primary (7 and under) Junior (8 to 14)

1. Visual Arts - painting, sketch or photograph- (mounted on black mat), beach art,

2. Baking (Juniors 8 to 14 only

3. Fabric or Wool craft

4. Lego structure

5. Biggest Maple Leaf

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Please pick up your entries between 3 to 4 PM

Don't forget the Barn Dance from 7 to 9pm at the Beacon House

Garlic Braid Raffle 2025

 

Dear Garlic Lovers,    (click on photo to enlarge)

Take a look at these garlic braids from each of the past three years! Aren't they sensational? Each year as a fundraiser the DIGS community gardeners grow garlic, select the juiciest and most perfect heads, and professional garlic braider, Mike G. braids them into garlic braid hangers that will last all winter in your kitchen. You just cut off one head at a time as needed.

 What a thrill to win one of these braids! So buy a ticket!!

One braid will be a prize for each of the three draws!

1 ticket for $2 or 3 tickets for $5

Tickets Available on Saturdays 10am-noon at the Community Garden, from Garden members, and at our annual Fall Fair

There will be two separate draws:

Draw #1 one braid to be won, drawn on Thanksgiving weekend

Draw #2 win one of two braids to be drawn at Christmas 

Best, Jen for DIGS

For new neighbours; About the garden

Dear Neighbours,

With the influx of new residents, it is probably worth mentioning how the Community Garden works.

How Our Garden Works

Allotments: How do they work?

We are a neighbourhood association, always happy to welcome new members. We cultivate communal beds and also allotment beds which are leased by individuals.

A lot of hard work goes into planning, maintaining all the garden beds with fruits, vegetables and flowers. We welcome guests to come in and visit (dogs must stay outside, sorry).  However, please no harvesting of any of the crops in any of the beds. “You can look, but please don’t touch”. The garden should not be used as a place for children to play.

If anyone wants to learn more or get involved, please attend one of our garden work bees. We gather every Saturday at 10.00 to discuss any garden matters and assign chores. One of the more delightful chores this time of year is harvesting. We have harvested garlic and will be picking beans, cucumbers, potatoes, broccoli and other greens.  The harvest is divided up among those who are present that day, and the surplus is placed out on the farm stand “harvest table” at the side of the road. Sometimes, we also harvest mid-week, so produce may appear on the harvest table on any day. These veggies are free to anyone passing by. But please do not pick inside the garden.

 Check out our potato towers and the squash tunnel. A new feature this year is our cucumber trellis, 24 feet long, four feet wide and 6 feet high.  We are hoping for a bountiful crop of cucumbers with plenty to share for the community.

See you in the garden….!

Jurgen

AGM from Feb. 2025

 DIGS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING MINUTES: February 22, 2025

Number present: 19

1. Kevin called the meeting to order at 1:30 2. Approval of the agenda: moved by Kevin, seconded by Gerald 3. Minutes of the 2024 AGM: moved by Margaret that they be accepted as read, seconded by Barry 4. Correspondence: none

5. Business Arising from the Minutes: 1) Corinne wondered if there was any space inside the garden for native plant propagation plants? Kevin asked what happened to the $600 requested from the City for the Native Plant Restoration project. Jurgen explained that funding was provided from DIGS and the City’s money was not needed.

6. Treasurer’s Report: read by Veronica. Opening balance as of January 31, 2024 $9688.40 Revenues: $8502.26 Expenses: $2572.43 Bank Balance as of January 1, 2025 $15,618.23 Revenue over Expenses: $5929.83 Allotment Reserve per 2023 AGM motion: $1980.00 Cash on Hand: $13,638.23 Moved by Jurgen seconded by Corinne.

7.Allotment Coordinator’s Report: Jurgen 1)mentioned that allotment gardeners are strong supporters of DIGS. They mow and water the garden throughout the spring, summer and fall seasons. 2) there are 24 allotment beds 3) one person is on the wait list 4) the David/Milena E. and Lynn R. will be giving up their beds 5) Lynn R. has donated much to the garden financially and otherwise from the year the garden began, 2007.

8. President’s Report: read by Jim: Achievements this past year include: a) purchase of 2 smaller greenhouses instead of 1 large one which was going to cost too much b) DIGS is good financially largely due to our successful fundraisers 1) the garlic braid raffles have been very successful due to the efforts of Mike and Andria G. who planted, weeded, watered, harvested, dried, braided and ran the raffles. 2) the plant sale in May each year is our biggest fundraiser and is successful due to the efforts of many DIGS members.

3) the Dessert Auction: Thanks to island bakers who baked a lot of delicious desserts and islanders who made lots of generous bids it, too, was a successful event. 4) The Fall Fair is not really a fundraiser but rather an opportunity to showcase island talent and have some fun. One of the highlights was the dance, a line dance rather than a barn dance with old people and young people alike “kicking up their heels” and stomping and clapping throughout the evening. Some ways to improve the Fall Fair include: i)more entries needed in the Horticulture and Baking/Preserves categories. Even with cash prizes offered this year the lack of entries was sad. We have professional judges coming to judge the baking and preserves and there weren’t even enough entries in some categories to hand out second and third prize ribbons. To help with this problem we have been posting on the DIGS blog every month with advice about how to prepare and plan for items in the Fall Fair. And that was last year in the garden as I saw it.

9) Directors for 2025: President: Jim H. Secretary: Margaret H. Treasurer: Veronica Z. Directors: Jane F,, Jurgen G, David E. Mike G. Kevin moved and Nancy seconded that Marla T become a director. Passed 10) New Business: 1) Jim H.: DIGS is facing an aging problem. The garden has been operating for 17 years and with a lot of the same people. We need get more people interested in taking an active role. How do we do this? We are trying out a ‘buddy system” where an experienced gardener takes on an apprentice, coaching him/her how to grow cucumbers, or squash. Maybe next year we can include more crops with the buddy system. 2) Jurgen proposed changes to the Allotment Bed Rules and Regulations. These changes are meant to bring guidelines into sync with current practices, remove redundant clauses and increase clarity and brevity.

DOUGLAS ISLAND GARDEN SOCIETY – ALLOTMENT BED RULES AND GUIDELINES

As updated and approved at the February 2025 AGM

1. Registration Fees and Allotment Reservation 

A. Each island resident is entitled to lease a plot if space is available. Allotment lease holders must be current DIGS members.

G. If, for any reason, a renter finds that they cannot care for their garden, they are required to notify the allotment coordinator and make arrangements for the care of their garden during their absence. The care giver needs to be made aware of all the guidelines concerning the allotment beds including mowing and watering duties. If an allotment holder is absent for more than one year he/she must relinquish his/her bed. Appeals can be made as set out in #13 B Cooperation and Community.

3. Watering: The rental fee includes the frugal use of water. Only hand watering is allowed.

4. Planting Restrictions

C. No invasive species eg: bamboo, morning glory etc. Please check the following link to find out which are listed as invasive. https://bcinvasives.ca

6. Weeds and Trash

It is the gardener's responsibility to control the weeds and trash in their own plots and adjacent pathways and to clear their plot of trellis and staking material, plastic mulching, and plant debris when not in use.

11. Compost and Garbage

A refuse bin (for non organic garbage) and an open compost bin (for leaves, stem and root material) will be available on site.

13. Cooperation and Community

B. Conflicts or concerns among allotment gardeners should be worked out privately. If not, the coordinator will arbitrate.

11. Announcements: Plant Sale May 10, Dessert Auction June 21, Fall Fair Sept. 13

12. Meeting Adjourned 2:50pm Kevin moved, Barry seconded

Plant Sale May 10th at 10am

 Announcing the annual Digs Plantsale on Saturday May 10th this year!

A Community Garden Bulletin

 by Jim Harris

  Our annual Plant Sale is just weeks away. It will be held at the DIGS Community Garden on Saturday May 10th starting at 10am. We will have a variety of annual flowers and vegetables, over 50 kinds of perennials, small fruits and native plants. Be advised...come early and bring boxes to hold your purchases.

  We will also have all the plants you need to start growing your prized winning produce for the Fall Fair. So plan to enter. Pick up the plants you need and good luck!

  We will also have an area set aside for featuring "Plants to Grow in Small Spaces" such as pot cucumbers, peppers, beans, strawberries and dwarf tomatoes to name a few.

  Lots to look forward to this season. Hope to see you and may everything you plant flourish.                                                     Jim Harris

Jen adds: See last year's plant list to link to the plant growing instructions and photos/colours/varieties that we typically will have at the DIGS plant sale (all proceeds go to support our PI Community Garden). From last year:

Plant list from 2024

Fall Fair 2024 information

Getting Ready to Plant

 Fall Fair Bulletin for March

Planning to Grow for the Fall Fair

As many of you know, our annual Fall Fair is the smallest in Canada (!) and we have tiny competitive categories to show off all our island artwork, garden work and baking and preserves (just like in pioneer days; it's so adorably historical).

In planning your participation you might like to grow some prize winning vegetables or flowers,  but be saying: Alas, I have no sunlight, no soil, no plot (and the deer eat all my flowers too!).

Perhaps a solution to your growing needs would be an allotment at the community garden (contact Jurgen G by email to get on the waiting list and/or see what's available) where you could be behind a deer fence in the sun!!

Or perhaps you find that you could indeed use that shaft of sunlight you have to grow some wire or bird-netting protected tomatoes or other container vegetables!

If so, you'll want to know how to get started as March to May are the months of the year to start your vegetable plantings for a September showing.

See the BC Coastal planting guide to know when exactly to plant which food crops for our area:

What seeds can I plant in March?

BC Coastal planting guide (Westcoast seeds)

Allotment guidelines/rules

Growing Food in Containers

Allotment co-ordinator email will be on ProIsle,

Community Garden co-ordinator email is at the top of this blog.

Fall Fair Horticulture Categories

“BEST” means best representation of the species

1. Biggest Squash

2. Best Root Vegetable

3. Biggest Zucchini by Weight

4. Biggest Onion by weight (roots removed, tops folded over with elastic)

5. Largest Garlic Bulb by weight (roots removed, top trimmed to 1”)

6. Biggest Tomato by weight

7. Best Potted Herbs

8. Flower arrangement of any variety

9. Single Bloom

10. Best Apple

11. Best Tomato

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Previous "Get Ready for Fall Fair" blogposts:

All the Fall Fair Categories and Events from 2024

Seed catalogues and links

Fall Fair Photography

Growing Giant Onions

Growing Dahlias

Growing Giant Garlic

Happy planning and planting!

Best, Jen for Digs

Seed Catalogue time of year!

 Fall Fair Bulletin for February

Seed Catalogues
by Jim Harris

This month's gardening item is discovering the rich troves inside the newest seed catalogues! Now is the time to pour over them and plan what to plant in your garden. If you order seeds now you avoid disappointment (seed companies have limited stock and can sell out early) as well as learn a great deal of new information! There are new varieties and new methods every year.

 I usually order all the seeds for the year from three Canadian companies: Veseys (in P.E.I.), William Dam (in Ont.) and Westcoast Seeds (in B.C.)

And reading through their new 2025 catalogues, here are a few things of interest that I came across this year:

1. Aspabroc - a hybrid of Broccoli and Gai Lan
2. a blue winter radish (pg. 71)
3. a new way to germinate carrot seeds (pg. 24)
4. "Snacking Peppers" (pg. 62)
5. a winter spinach (pg. 73)
6. a list of deer resistant flowers (with links to seeds/bulbs)

See:
William Dam 2025 Seed catalogue

Westcoast Seed 2025 catalogue

Veseys Seed 2025 catalogue

Did I mention that all this good information is free?

Happy reading and happy gardening!

from Jim Harris

Fall Fair Photography All Year

 Dear Garden Lovers,

 As part of the "Get ready for Fall Fair all year" series, here is a reminder from our photography-hobbyist Jim M. about taking great photographs all year, (just in case you'd like to enter one in the fall fair). Here's his take on it below. From Jim M:

Click on the image to enlarge it.

Jen for DIGS