Greg Hill was never one to sit idle. So, when the Covid-19 crisis hit, and people were scrambling to stock up on food, the renowned adventurer and ski mountaineer decided to act.
“I know that Revelstoke is not super food secure. We’re reliant on the rest of the world. If, say, farmers in California all of a sudden get sick and stop working, the whole food system could easily fall apart and what are we left with? Not a lot,” he said.
Isolating at home, Hill was “feeling listless” and pondering what he could do. “This is pretty real and we’re probably going to be at home for a couple of months. What can I do to empower myself and to give myself purpose? I’m not someone who is going to sit here and watch movies all day.” He decided the one thing he could do is grow more food and connect with a community of like-minded people.
Although Hill has gardened for years, he knew he had to step up his food production. “Who knows what my future is going to be as a professional athlete. Companies might cut the fat and that could easily be me. My contracts are good for this year but I’m starting to look further down the road. I feel like I will feel a lot better if I’m able to grow more food for my family.”
Hill created a Facebook group called, Revelstoke Growing Community, a name that reflects both gardening and community building. Administered by him and fellow gardener Hailey Ross, the group was established on March 24 and by April 2 it had 500 members.
“Our biggest strength is the community we have here. If we can harness this community to work on our own gardens but also work towards a greater good, we’ve got a better chance of weathering this storm,” he said. “I have a further dream that we could grow for the Food Bank.”
When Hill proposed trucking in top soil and manure, the response was immediate. One woman offered to have the soil dumped and distributed from her property. Hill, his sister, Jesse Hill and Chris Rubens also started building greenhouses and Hill offered to help others design their own.
With posts from the Local Food Initiative and many local expert gardeners and farmers, this vibrant Facebook group is a place for asking questions, sharing photos and information and learning about such varied things as starting seeds indoors, raising chickens and permaculture. As many people in Revelstoke have time on their hands in the coming months, this growing season may be the best ever.
For more information, please see the Revelstoke Growing Community Facebook group.
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