We are back from Shop the Wild 2009 and I got to say it wasn’t really what I was hoping for. If there is some way to subsist entirely on lavender hand salves and pickled crimini mushrooms, then I guess I learned a lot, but other than some sweet face painting and the sweet memory of “Happy Birthday” being played on a cello, we didn’t walk away with much. Oh, except for some candied pineapple, papaya and banana chips, which I have a sneaking suspicion came from the wilds of the Thrifty Foods bulk bins, rather than the boreal forests of Vancouver Island.

Such is life, but this will not deter me from my quest for local, natural, vegan protein sources.

When I google “vegan protein sources, vancouver island,” I get articles about Edible Landscapes, vegetarian athletes and numerous event listings where “vegan options” are provided. These options most often consist of a “veggie chik’n thing,” which, while very tasty, is what I am trying to get away from.

So my next step will be to venture out into the wilds of Victoria on my own—well, I’ll probably have at least two kids strapped to me, but let’s not get too technical—and investigate the viability of our vegan survival when the global food system inevitably collapses. Wish me luck; I fear a future of raw pumpkin seeds is imminent.