ONE OF A KIND

I live on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, one of the mildest climatic zones in Canada, where I grow figs, cherries, plums, walnuts, kiwi and copious other fruit and nuts on my three-acre farm. Japanese fibre bananas and pomegranates survive the winters unprotected, though they rarely produce mature fruit.

For 24 years, I have earned my income on Salt Spring growing hydroponic lettuce and basil for the local wholesale market in a 6,000-square-foot greenhouse (). With retirement looming on the horizon and a desire to reduce my workload without abandoning the greenhouse, I am making some big changes. Now only one-third of the greenhouse is dedicated to hydroponics; the other two-thirds is planted with subtropical fruit. Instead of purchasing citrus, avocados, turmeric and ginger from the grocery store, I now walk a hundred steps from my kitchen to the greenhouse and harvest these items in season within minutes. Fruit on my farm ripens every month of the year. And the challenge to do this with renewable resources as