Susan Davidson

Farmer Susan Davidson lives on a 20 acre co-operatively owned farm in Aldergrove, BC where the Glorious Garnish and Seasonal Salad Co. Ltd. has been growing organic salads, flower, herbs, fruits and vegetables since 1985. As one of the founding members of the BC Association for Regenerative Agriculture, she helped develop standards and a verification program for certifying organic farms in the Fraser Valley starting in 1990.

Susan's mother, although not a culinary guru, did her best to instill two essential life skills in the hearts and minds of her five offspring—a love of gardening and a passion for playing bridge. Susan stuck with the gardening. She was active in the 4-H organization in northern Ontario and got wonderful flower and vegetable seeds from the University of Guelph, (along with DDT!), to trial in her home plot. Her father, an adult educator with the Community Programmes Branch of the Ontario Government was a keen advocate of life long learning and self actualization. He helped rural communities all over Northwestern Ontario identify their priorities and bring in suitable resource people/teachers.

And so, Susan's calling has emerged—to protect land for ecologically sound farming, to grow food in ways that respect the earth and revere the farmers, and to work face to face with folks who eat the food she grows. She is familiar with many of the restaurant receiving bays in Vancouver, where chefs eagerly await deliveries from Glorious Salads. As a veteran vendor at the East Vancouver Farmers' Market with Langley Organic Growers, she has developed, collected and given away recipes to help customers enjoy her farm fresh produce.

In the kitchen, Susan has a very cavalier style. Recipes are used only as a rough inspiration of what to use and do. Her grown children still delight in recounting the time they caught out their mother's stock-using habit when they found bits of broccoli in their breakfast pancakes!