Canadian Grains transported by a fleet of 11 Sailboats

8:45 PM Tue 27 Oct 2009 GMT

'Farmer Drew Gailius loads 20lb bags of grain on to Irish Mist in Kuskanook Harbour, BC - Kootenay Lake Grain Sailing' Jon Steinman Click Here to view large photo

When Canada's first Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project for grain generated international attention last year, it was unexpected that some of that monumental harvest from the Creston Valley of British Columbia would be transported to shareholders by sailboat!

In October 2008, a small fleet of four sailboats transported 5,000lbs of grain along Kootenay Lake - one of the province's largest inland bodies of water. Those who participated were providing a practical response to the challenges of oil dependency and climate change. The three-day journey was a huge success and this year the fleet increased to 11 boats.

Skipper David Oosthuizen aboard Makai enroute to Kuskanook Harbour on Kootenay Lake, BC - Kootenay Lake Grain Sailing - Jon Steinman Click Here to view large photo

The volunteer involvement of the Kootenay Lake Sailing Association (KLSA) to transport some of the grain is a testament to the community development that the CSA has helped foster. 'I was inspired by the local grain project the moment I heard about it,' says Jay Blackmore of KLSA. 'As someone who loves to sail for pleasure, I immediately saw an opportunity to combine pleasure with purpose and lend my skills and resources to this project. We're trying to demonstrate a fossil-fuel free form of transportation that can help us kick our oil addiction.'

At a time of immense global challenges; skyrocketing prices of fuel, uncertain supplies of oil, a farm-income crisis, climate change, food safety concerns and a decline in the nutritional composition of our food supply, the Kootenay Grain CSA and its fleet of sailboats is a promising sign that alternatives are indeed possible.

Skipper David Oosthuizen and Chantale Dery lead a fleet of 11 sailboats down the West Arm of Kootenay Lake. - Kootenay Lake Grain Sailing - Jon Steinman Click Here to view large photo