Carol Battaglio’s 30-acre farm on Cranberry Road is alive with activity. A small herd of cashmere goats “maah-maah” in the brush, while a llama hums in the nearby trees. Two Great Pyrenees mountain dog puppies run circles around two young men, working on installing a fence post.
In 2010, Battaglio moved to Powell River from Surrey to fulfill her dream of establishing a farm. As a school counsellor with a PhD in psychology, Battaglio wanted the farm to serve as a place where people with mental illnesses could participate in activities and work on a community garden.
Now, three years later, the Sunflower Wellness Society is set to do exactly that.
Much progress has been made. According to Battaglio, the garden has almost doubled in size since its first incarnation. Participants have already started their own plots with the volunteers who serve as their mentors, and more plots will be set to go next year.
The garden uses permaculture concepts. Cardboard is layered over the brambles, with grass clippings piled on top. Over a year, the grass will mulch down into fertile soil, fit for planting.
The farm is also now home to a greenhouse, the project of Valen Asher. The greenhouse is specially designed to have more sun in the winter, and less in the summer, so that plants can be grown year-round.
In a description of the project Asher posted on FundRazr, a crowd-funding website that allows those interested to donate a small amount, he said, “I dream to create a space where people of all walks of life can share and learn together.”
The greenhouse was a success, but sadly, Asher passed away last spring after a battle with lymphoma. “It’s like a legacy to him,” said Battaglio.
In addition to a greenhouse, a stage and a large open area for events has also been created.
Some musical performances have already been hosted at the venue, but in the future, Battaglio would also like to hold events, such as picnics and social gatherings.
Foremost on Battaglio’s mind though is safety. “It’s about having respect for the community,” she explained. “We live close to the community and we don’t want to be attracting predators.”
To this end, she has cleared large areas of the land and put a fence around the perimeter. She now has two dogs and a nightwatchman, and all animals go indoors at night.
Helping her with clearing and fencing have been two young men from Germany, Marvin Guenther and Ohle Zyber. Battaglio hired them through the website Help Exchange. For room and board, the pair will provide free labour on her farm for four weeks.
“We worked already on another farm on Pender Island, and it was a great time,” explained Guenther. When looking for another farm to work on, the unusual animals of the Sunflower Wellness Society attracted their attention. Battaglio said their help has been indispensable.
Due to the progress made, big things are in store for the fall. “We want to have an event here so the people at the Source Club can come and see what it’s like,” she explained. “They can see if they want to work with somebody here.”
Participation in the project, said Battaglio, empowers mentally ill people and shows them what they can accomplish. “Part of the recovery from things like depression and anxiety is a belief that you can do things, and that you can be a useful person,” she added.
Tasks can involve weeding, planting and watering, but are not limited to the garden. For example, she is thinking of having an activity where people can walk her llama, Jason.
“We work with people with what they’re interested in doing,” she explained. “They can come and say, ‘Could I do this?’ and we can see if we can accommodate that.”
Battaglio said the society is always looking for more volunteers, but cautioned they have to be ready to work as a mentor to someone with a disability, whether it be physical, emotional, or developmental.
For Battaglio, though the farm helps others, it also gives her great fulfillment. “It’s such an opportunity to be able to materialize your own dream,” she said. “Instead of retiring, I have a whole new avenue of doing something.”
For more information about the Sunflower Wellness Society, interested readers can contact Battaglio at [email protected].
