Portable pyramids producing food for those in need in Victoria
Portable pyramids producing food for those in need in Victoria
You could call it a literal pyramid scheme: 28 physical pyramids set up on the grounds of Government House in Victoria.
Unlike in a metaphorical pyramid scheme, however, the people behind these pyramids aren't trying to get rich. They're trying to feed those in need.
Each of the 28 pyramids holds 136 plants, which the Harvest and Share Food Society distributes to local food banks when they're mature. When the weather co-operates, the group harvests as many as 600 plants per week.
"The City of Victoria Get Growing Victoria program provides us with the seedlings," said Allan Murr, the society's president, who first designed the pods on the back of a napkin 10 years ago.
The patented pyramids give the plants a healthy dose of nutrient-rich water every hour.
“The water drips back down into our trays and drains back into our reservoir and (gets) reused," Murr explained.
He initially launched a business with his design, growing 15,000 basil plants at a time.
"I was kind of dubbed the basil man at that point," Murr said.
Unfortunately for him, the idea didn't really catch on.
"(It was) not well received; perhaps ahead of its time," he said.
Murr – whose background is in IT – took a break from the basil business and put the pods in storage. But when the pandemic hit, he started thinking about how he could use them again.
"(Victoria City) Councillor Ben Isitt was talking about food security and I was just thinking, 'I have these pods stored and they should be used for something,'" Murr said.
A team of volunteers – including Murr and his daughter – maintain the plants and distribute them around the city.
One of the places they deliver their goods is the Quadra Village Community Centre's food share program, which has been seeing 1,000 people per month looking for help.
Kelly Greenwell, the centre's executive director, appreciates the work the Harvest and Share Food Society is doing.
"People like Allan that are looking for opportunities to give back to community and recognize the needs around them is so essential right now," Greenwell said.
Others are taking notice of the green pyramid scheme too.
"We do have about 20 of these at Microsoft's Seattle campus where they grow food for their employees," Murr said.
He's hoping this time around the pods will catch on and help more people gain access to fresh food.
With files from CTV Vancouver Island's Todd Harmer
The Justice Department has asked a court to unseal the search warrant the FBI received before searching the Florida estate of former President Donald Trump, Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday.
A widespread power outage is currently affecting the downtown core in Toronto and officials say it may have been caused by a large crane that struck a high-voltage transmission line.
A national tracking system for health-care workers, with information on what training they have, where they're located and what their career plans are, would make a 'significant difference' in addressing future staffing challenges, the president of the Canadian Medical Association says.
A Brampton, Ont. media personality who was attacked with a machete and axe in his driveway will need months of physical rehabilitation to recover, a close friend says.
A Canadian Armed Forces veteran has been charged with murder in connection to a mass shooting in Belize that left two people dead and eight others injured.
The Edmonton Oilers shared memories of superfan Ben Stelter on Thursday. Connor McDavid, Zach Hyman and head coach Jay Woodcroft held a virtual press conference to speak about the six-year-old.
A widespread power outage is currently affecting the downtown core in Toronto and officials say it may have been caused by a large crane that struck a high-voltage transmission line.
A Brampton, Ont. media personality who was attacked with a machete and axe in his driveway will need months of physical rehabilitation to recover, a close friend says.
While a supermoon is expected to wash out all but the very brightest of this year's Perseids meteor shower, astronomy experts say if you choose your spot well, you will still be able to enjoy it.
An American teenager who was seriously injured in a drive-by shooting in Laval, Que. during a family vacation three months ago was finally released from hospital, but still isn't able to walk on his own.
A new study shows that religious minorities in Quebec, particularly women, feel less safe and less welcome in the social fabric of society since the adoption of the province's secularism law, commonly known as Bill 21.
A climatologist says the wildfires that have been burning for more than two weeks in central Newfoundland could be a sign of what's to come as the province feels the impacts of climate change.
The suspect at the centre of Saskatchewan's recent Amber Alert was working campground security for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally when police arrested him, according to campers.
Ask people driving and walking in the area of the Erb St. West and Ira Needles Blvd. roundabout, and it’s not hard to find someone with concerns or the story of a close call.
The suspect at the centre of Saskatchewan's recent Amber Alert was working campground security for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally when police arrested him, according to campers.
Saskatchewan's education ministry is appointing an administrator to oversee a Saskatoon Christian school at the centre of a criminal investigation of a proposed class action lawsuit.
The family of J.R. Smith, locked up in a Belize prison for nearly two weeks, is hoping the Canadian government steps up for the military veteran charged with murder in a mass shooting at a nightclub.
The suspect at the centre of Saskatchewan's recent Amber Alert was working campground security for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally when police arrested him, according to campers.
