David Grieg: Gardening Expert

Extraordinaire

Before I relate my story, I must acknowledge

all the people who were part of my life before
Camosun, during my 20 years at Camosun,
and since my retirement. I am really the sum
of all whom I’ve encountered.

I commenced my employment at Camosun

in 1996, two years after my partner, Yvonne,
and I, along with our two girls, moved to
Victoria from the Yukon. We’d come south to
attend UVic where Yvonne completed an
MEd in Counselling Psychology and I
finished a graduate degree which emphasized Reading Development and
Applied Linguistics. I had not given up my instructional position at Yukon College
because we had intended to return. I was particularly attached to the Yukon,
having made it my home for the previous 20 years. However, when Sue McArthur
hired me to instruct in Camosun’s Adult Special Education program, our return to
the Yukon was forever placed on the back burner.

I remember when Sue asked if I wanted to start a gardening program. With the
Red Seal Horticulture Program relocating to Royal Roads, the vacated site at
Interurban was waiting for a new tenant. Sue’s invitation was like a dream come
true. How could I refuse the offer to start a gardening and nursery program with
access to a large, heated greenhouse, out buildings and land, along with a blank
educational canvas? Sue asked who might help me build this program. My
immediate choice was my colleague and friend, Laurie Hardy. So we birthed
what was called at that time the Basic Instruction in Gardening Skills (BIGS)
Program. In the late 1990’s this program was unique, not only in BC but also
across Canada. To my knowledge a program of this nature continues to be rare
within post-secondary education. I could not have done without Laurie by my
side for many years, followed by Jody Issac and Laura Friesen.
 Terry Hamilton, Sue MacArthur, David and Laurie Hardy

In the earlier
days, ASE
housed only two
employment
programs for
socially
marginalized
students: BIGS
and the foods
program taught
by Nancy
Bourey.
Eventually, ASE
became a stand-
alone
department -
Employment
Training
David and Nancy Bourey in 2008 receiving Camosun’s first award for Programs -
Outstanding Contribution to Energy Conservation with Ian Tol (far left) and
within the School
Peter Lockie (far right)
of Access.
The BIGS program (later renamed the EARTH Gardening Program) was
designed to serve students who did not fit within regular academic programs. The
aim was to prepare graduates for entry level employment in horticulture or
nurseries, whilst also developing skills to start their own small businesses. The
students put in countless hours of work in our gardens and greenhouse as well
as on projects throughout the community. Utilizing plants to develop individual’s
knowledge, skills, and relationships was a powerful tool; plants are demanding,
forgiving yet nurturing at the same time.

David with Atula Kennedy, Jody Isaac and Laura Friesen

We accepted learners who either did not have academic skills or who had
academic skills but lacked the emotional self-regulation to succeed in an
academic environment. Many had experienced considerable social
marginalization and often had difficulty “belonging” in an ableist world. What
linked them all was their desire to work in horticulture, work out of doors and take
responsibility for being part of a group. The learning process focused on doing.
Whilst a student may not have sophisticated verbal skills, they could demonstrate
the proper way to pot up a plant, use a watering system or prune a shrub.

The BIGS learners where characterized by significant diversity. Students of

indigenous ancestry, who had faced difficulties in the education system and
wanted to learn experientially, shared stories of how they learned in community.
The gardening program fit with what they knew and were comfortable with.

Other students had graduated high school with a leaving certificate but with
courses that were not deemed academic. Whilst their cognitive abilities did not
translate to academic success, their enthusiasm and commitment to work made
them valuable employees in the right setting.

Other students fell along the Autism

spectrum and did not have the academic
prerequisites nor the self awareness to
meet the demands of an academic
environment. However, their attention to
detail was so valuable in a greenhouse
environment where they could see what
others missed and their perfection in
planting was truly awe inspiring.

Some other students had university

Laura and Mayu in the greenhouse
degrees but mental health challenges
prevented full engagement in an ableist
world. Working with plants supported self
regulation and they could work at a pace
with which they were comfortable. Over
time, increased confidence correlated with
a faster pace.
We also hosted students who were on disability pensions but wanted to gain the
skills and knowledge to work in private gardens to make extra income. Some
would carry their tools in a bucket on a bus to get to their regular clients.

Finally, we also had students with degrees

who spoke English as an additional
language. They wanted to learn gardening
and nursery skills in order to secure work.

Many of the ideas for the program had their

roots in earlier days when I managed a farm
at the Carcross Community Education
Centre, an alternative high school situated
on Tlingit First Nations Territory in the Yukon.
We raised chickens, goats and pigs; had
potato fields and vegetable beds. Students
came to understand the world of small scale
farming. There is nothing like getting up first
thing in the morning to collect fresh eggs,
milk the goats by hand, feed the livestock.

Laura in 2015 In hindsight I used a similar pedagogical

approach when I taught in the village of
Pelly Crossing in the Yukon in the early 80’s.
Pelly is the centre of the Selkirk First Nation and home of the Northern Tutchone
culture. At that time I was a newly minted elementary school teacher hired to
teach grades 4 to 7. Being couped up in a classroom for the whole day was
challenging for me and my students. Quickly, I learned from the kids and the
community that learning can happen outdoors as well as in the classroom. I still
remember vividly a camping trip with a group of boys. The youngsters created, in
my mind, feats of engineering marvels in the form of bridges at the fish camp on
the Pelly River. Where, in a settler-orientated curriculum, was there a place to
honour and to celebrate these ways of knowing? My pedagogy evolved to focus
on how learning could be measured in accordance with the application of
knowledge.
 Growing up in Verdun, Quebec, I had been
given the opportunity to attend CEGEP (the
community colleges in that province) where I
experienced firsthand what it was like to
participate in a humanistic approach to adult
education. As a student in the first year of the
New School of Dawson College in 1973, I joined
a group who prepared two old buildings for the
start of the school year. We sanded and
painted; created curriculums with the instructors;
sat on educational development and
assessment meetings; and generally did what
was necessary for the doors to open. This
experience provided a template for all my work
with adult students. I employed the philosophy that adults, no matter what level,
are lifelong learners. To apply
what I had learned as a student
and an educator to a program
where student assessment was
largely skills based, felt like a
tremendous accomplishment. My
learning about how to learn lay
the foundation for a deeply
entrenched pedagogy of respect,
fun, creativity, and ever-evolving
curriculum with the notion of
community at its centre. My aim
was to create an environment that
nurtured a sense of place and
belonging. Relationships were
essential to the BIGS program.

My work encompassed
relationships within Camosun as
well as the broader horticultural
David with children from the Interurban day care with community. These early
the big worm picture they made for him following
David’s playful presentation about earth worms
connections were fostered by Laurie Hardy and later by Jody Isaac, Laura
Friesen, Mayu Tomandi and Atula Kennedy. We depended on others to enable us
to create and provide learning opportunities for the people in our programs.
Each year Camosun college staff, faculty and students purchased our tomatoes,
hanging baskets, plant
starts, Sea Soil as well as
other items that had been
donated by local and Island
businesses. We partnered
wherever we could,
including with the City of
Victoria Beacon Hill
Nursery (under the head
grower David Grayson), the
owners of Sea Soil and
community groups who
believed in what we were
doing.

While at Camosun, I
gained certification as a
Registered Horticultural Therapist (HTR) in both Canada and the United States. I
also became a Certified Organic Urban Landcare Professional, a Certified Soil
Steward and a Master Composter. Additionally, I embraced my love and passion
for red wiggler worms and vemicomposting.

Since retiring, I have focused on the creation of an urban farm on our residential
lot in Fairfield. Like all good farms, I needed livestock and my chosen animal, of
course, was worms. All our food scraps goes to our 27 worm bins. I also get
food scraps from friends as my little darlings love to eat and often. I have kept
records since 2013 of how much I have fed my worms and this quantity of ‘waste’
food now measures in the tons. The vermicasts are used in our plantings and
sold to provide organic nutrients and microorganisms for other gardens.

I also grow and sell tomato starts. This spring I grew, from seed, over 90 varieties
of organic tomato plants with the majority of these being hard to find heirloom
varieties. All the seeds that I use are non-GMO. I used to collect seed, but as I
Above: some of David’s heirloom
tomatoes

Right: beautiful dahlias

increased the number of tomatoes I grow, I could not guarantee that they did not
cross pollinate producing tomatoes different than what I said was being sold.

I also grow Dahlias and sell the tubers in the spring. I grow dahlias because they
make such lovely cut flowers. Yvonne can have fresh flowers for our house and
ready-made gifts for our friends throughout the summer and well into the fall.

Last but not least, I have a passion for composting. Because so much of my life
is centered on our residential urban lot, I use compost in addition to vermicasts to
amend our soils and all our plantings. We moved into our house over 25 years
ago and, during this span of time, I have worked the soil to make it microbially
rich and productive and to demonstrate what can be done without chemicals. It
is my labour of love which consumes much of my time so, if you want to find me,
look in our back yard or in my small greenhouse.

Prior to my full retirement, I had the privilege of doing a phased retirement

process. I joined the Friends of Abkhazi Garden Board as well as volunteering to
run their compost facility. I continue to volunteer there every Tuesday morning
where I get a good physical workout, socialize with an extraordinary group of
 volunteers, and have the opportunity to practice my
composting techniques. As for the Friends of
Abkhazi Garden Board, we achieved our mission
and disbanded although we meet quarterly to
discuss how we can be involved in this gem of an
urban garden.

At the beginning of my retirement, I served for many

years on the professional registration committee for
the Canadian Horticultural Therapy Association as
well as being Vice President of the Society of
Organic Urban Landcare. I have also taken
courses in soils, tomatoes, horticulture, and
personal development. I continue to do
presentations on organic soil management,
composting and vermicomposting, garden

consultations and working

as an HTR with people who
need some extra aid to
garden successfully.

I’ve been blessed to have

my lifelong partner, Yvonne
on this journey (40 years
next year) and our two
daughters, Zoe and Mischa,
live not too far away.
Yvonne and I sea kayak,
cycle, travel when we can
and negotiate how we will
share our garden space.

Being able to give back to

the community and having
L to R: David’s partner Yvonne Haist; daughters Zoe (in black time to do what I want has
toque) and Misha; and David during a visit to Thetis Island been the best part of
retirement. I say this,
although during the springtime harvesting, planting and selling times, freedom
takes a backseat to what needs to be done right now. I constantly give away so
much that my business model would fail a basic economics test. Still, I’m smiling
when I write this because I am so grateful that I can be busy doing what I love.
Thanks to Camosun, I have the economic means to pursue my passions and my
learnings.

Addendum

I must mention other people not included in this writing as they

influenced my path. These people represent other stories within my
story but need to be mentioned as I remember the past through
these people. At the New School, Greta Nemiroff my instructor,
discovered I could not read and helped me navigate success in
school. At Trent University in the Native Studies Department, Fred
Wheatley taught me Nishnaabemowin for two years and mentored
the young man that I was, who was searching for meaning. Marlene
Brant Castellano guided me in how to work in community but
allowed me to fail with dignity, so I could truly learn. Len Vikars, a
retired agronomist and dear friend, mentored me when I managed
the farm at the Carcross Community Education Centre. Heide
Hermary, Society of Organic Urban Landcare, furthered my
understanding of organic practices that I still use today and
Christine Winter taught and supported me as I learned and worked
toward being an HTR. And,finally a big thanks to all those in the
School of Access who provided a home for students entering
Camosun and a place for those of us who see the need that this
school fulfils.

Thank you,