Bonita Jo Magee is the Project Manager at FarmFolk/CityFolkSociety – a non-profit organization that works with food communities toward a local, sustainable food system (these are the fine people who bring us Feast of Fields). With a diploma in Environmental Studies, her work experience is diverse. It includes computer consulting, health food manufacturing, and campaigning for the protection of wilderness and wildlife. While working with FarmFolk/CityFolk, Bonita is educating herself about farming and is making plans to purchase farm and ranchland with her family and a handful of friends.

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Scout Q&A

Three things about your neighbourhood that make you want to live there: South Cambie. Close to amenities, work and most of my friends.

Spring tastes like: Fresh anything.

Most unusual place you have seen a food producing garden: In 1997, in my 3rd floor north-facing, balcony-less apartment near Main & 16th

FarmFolk/CityFolk has been a driving force in teaching Vancouverites about the concepts of eating locally and managing resources sustainably, and we’re starting to get it, so tell us what is next: Building community. People coming together to take back control of our food system.

The one thing that you grow better than anyone else: Tomatoes during the 2008 season – we’ll see about this year.

Favourite Vancouver bridge: The floating bridge at Van Dusen Botanical Garden.

Best Vancouver beach: Sunset. It was the beach of my childhood and is still my favorite.

One thing you’d like to change about Vancouver: Our public transit system.

Every year FarmFolk/CityFolk holds Feast of Fields, an event that connects farmers, restaurateurs and food lovers with the land. This year, the Okanagan is joining in. Is there a single food item that says ‘Okanagan’ to you? To me, the one food that says ‘Okanagan’, is peaches. It will be interesting to see the diversity the Okanagan will highlight.

Cheap place for dinner: We don’t dine out very often, so when we do go out, we splurge a bit.

Book you’re reading: In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan.

Last place traveled: The Okanagan – to hire our new Feast Coordinator.

Biggest fear:That this green consciousness will fade away like it did in the mid-90s.

Favourite season:Autumn.

If you could rename yourself: Almost anything another than “Bonita.”

Best sneaker in the world: My old Reebok Energy Return Systems. Wore them completely out and was so disappointed to find they didn’t exist any longer. Should have bought a few pairs.

Your ancestry: Scottish, Irish, English, Polish – split evenly 4 ways.

Under what circumstances would you join the army: To fight for something I believed in so intensely that I’d rather take a chance and die than do nothing at all.

Your paternal grandfather’s personal story: Unknown.

How did your connection to food and gardens begin: When I was 10, I was fascinated with my great aunt’s garden and her ability to produce food.

Dumbest purchase ever: Two leather recliners which didn’t fit in our living room. One went back immediately (for a store credit) and the other we kept for a few years, then gave to a friend.

What are you proud of: My work.

The thing that makes you the angriest: Bad work ethics.

The view from your favourite window: A quarter section of wilderness an hour northwest of Clinton (from the window of my friend’s cabin that I helped her build.)

Ice cream flavour of choice: French vanilla.

Most beautiful body of water you have ever seen: Emerald Lake, Yukon.

Food your mom makes better than anyone: Perogies, apparently, but I think my dad made them better.

Talent you wish you possessed: A singing voice.

The trend you wish you never followed, but did: Straight-legged pants in high school.

Musical instrument you long to play: Guitar (better than I do now.)

Sport you gave up: Volley ball.

What is it about your job that gets you in to work everyday: An alarm clock and being able to promote farmers that work so hard to produce our food.

The game you’re best at: Air hockey – never lost a game.

Mac or PC: Mac

Favourite sports team: Dare I say any team other than the Canucks?

The number of fist fights you’ve been in: None, thank goodness.

The scariest situation you’ve ever been in: New York subway platform during rush hour with a lunatic running through waving a gun and crowds of people rushing like cattle tripping over baby carriages and elderly people.

Three things of no value that you will keep until you die: My Brownie notebook (because it’s always a good laugh), my uncle’s World War II dog tags, metals, notebooks, etc., and ticket stubs from every concert and play I’ve ever been to.

Local person you admire most: David Suzuki.

The thing you’re most ashamed of: One of my closest friends has lived in Bella Coola for 10 years and I see him twice a year when he’s here, but I’ve never made the time or effort to get up there to see him or this beautiful area.

Best concert experience ever: David Bowie, Vancouver, 2004.

Describe your favourite meal: Anything with a warm entree and a really fresh salad.

Favourite insect and why: Spiders – fascinating.

Favourite park: Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park.

The dish you’re proud of: My tofu-pot pie.

The thing that makes you the most nervous: Bad drivers.

Town you were born in: Vancouver.

Old television shows you can tolerate re-runs of: Frasier.

First memory: My mother eating an ice-cream cone when I was 9 or 10 months old.

What are you listening to as you answer these questions: Traffic noise from outside and the occasional “Horray!” (I guess the hockey game is on.)

Album that first made you love music: Something by Sonny & Cher probably.

Best garage sale find: A pie plate handmade of pottery. It’s gorgeous and it was only $2.

The career path you considered but never followed: An airline pilot.

Three words that best describe you at age 14: Responsible, Respectful, Rebellious.

Three words that best describe your garden: Small, simple, productive.

The first three things you do every morning: Coffee, crosswords, computer.

The thing you’re addicted to: Autumn colours. There is no purple, blue, grey, or pink allowed in our home.

Biggest hope: That when I retire, I’m still fit and healthy enough to build my own home.

Luckiest moment of your life: My wedding day.

Favourite book as a child: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House in the Big Woods series.

This was the 44th interview of what will eventually amount to 500 profiles of people who have made life in BC that much more interesting. At the rate we’re going it’ll take three years, at which time we’ll probably just start shooting for 1,000.

Other Cool People

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