PQB Fruit Tree Project is a Parksville / Qualicum non-profit organization committed to identifying and making use of our local food sources, including fruit trees and gardens, and distributing them to our local community. Through our MAC Community Garden, a 4000 square foot public garden, we help teach and inspire local citizens to grow more food.
We broke ground on the Community Garden in March 2023. We incorporate fruit trees and berries, hydroponics, a 16 by 20 BC Greenhouse, traditional raised beds, a food forest, and demonstration compost and compost tea stations.
In 2025, we doubled our output from 2024 and gleaned and distributed 4000 free seedlings, 3000 meal units of produce, and 7644 pounds of local fruit. For more information, visit the garden at 133 McMillan St. in Parksville, or email pq******@***il.com. We are generally open from 10:00 ish to 6:00 ish, 7 days a week.
It’s September, and we are slammed at the Community Garden, the Gleaning Project, and the Farmers Market. It’s our busiest time of year, without a doubt.
We’ve been quite pleased with our new Farmers Market, here in our 15th week since May 31st this year. Our biggest challenge has been in attracting vendors to something new, since we started soliciting vendors a little late in the season after they’d already committed to other regional markets.
The appetite is definitely there from shoppers, however. There are literally thousands of people within a 2 km radius who are eager to support local farms and food producers, and we are dead certain that our existence doesn’t impact the other established and excellent markets in the region. In fact, having more choice can only improve the local food community by adding to the conversation and creating more options.
Our anchor tenants at Dashwood Farms, The Big Bread Box sourdough, and No Big Dill Jams and Jellies have really come through with their consistently high quality products, and we’ve enjoyed drop in visits from other vendors, like Robin’s Nest Gluten-Free Baked Goods, Tea Infused Granola, Eat Well Farms, Harpers Honey, Vancouver Island Berries, and a bunch more. We’re still accepting drop-in vendors for the rest of the season.
Meanwhile, our gleaning program, which is the original impetus behind our entire organization, has been incredibly busy picking backyard fruit and distributing it through our MAC Community Garden. We’ve had double the amount of gleaning requests over last year (2025) and as of today, Sept 2, we have collected 4600 pounds of fruit that might otherwise go to waste. In 2025 we picked a total of 7644 pounds, which was a crazy amount, and we stand to smash that record this year. We appreciate and thank our volunteers for giving their time to spend on this task, including Gloria, Norm, Bimala, Diane, Don, Rob, Lonnie, Joyce, Jon and others that I’ve forgotten.
Fruit picking season is in full swing, and we’re getting double the requests for trees, and double the offers to volunteer this year over 2025.
As of today we’ve picked 3400 pounds of fruit and shared it directly through the gates of the community garden, which is open from 10-ish to 6-ish every day at 133 McMillan St in Parksville. Last year, 2025, our total was 7644 pounds of fresh fruit, an astounding number already.
Follow the links to register your tree, or to volunteer to pick. We’re doing our best to get back to everyone in a timely fashion, but kept in mind that we’re volunteers, and it’s a busy time of year. Please be patient.
Struggling with food costs in Oceanside? Here’s a list of free and low-cost food resources available in our region, compiled last October by a local VIHA dietician.
Is your resource incorrect, or outdated? Let me know and I’ll pass it on to the author for an updated list.
We are 4 weeks into the launch of the Parksville Downtown Farmers Market, in the parking of the MAC Community Garden at 133 McMillan St in downtown Parksville. Hours are from 9:30-1:00, Sunday from May 31 to Oct 25. We are a member of the BC Association of Farmers Markets. Traffic has been steady and growing, as have the number of vendors attending on a weekly basis.
We are the only Sunday market north of Cedar and South of Cumberland. Click here to apply, or email pq*****@***il.com for any questions or feedback.
Red Barn Klopper Farms – Market produce, wool dryer balls, cut flowers, plants and cut flowers
Vortex Spice Co. – Sooke – hot sauce, black garlic, pickled garlic
Farmers and food producers are encouraged to sign up here. Cost will be $25. per market for drop in or $400 for the full 22 week season. All vendors are expected to understand and comply with the BC CDC guidelines for food sales at temporary markets, available here. Vendors will also be required to carry commercial liability insurance, as either a standalone product, or as a rider on their existing home insurance.
Some pretty big news from us, announcing the launch of our new Sunday Parksville Downtown Farmers Market from May 31st to October 25th. It will be held in the lot beside the McMillan Arts Centre at 133 McMillan St, in Parksville, where our MAC Community Garden is located. We want to focus on food producers, so farmers, bakers, jam and pickle makers, etc. Cost will be $25 per Sunday drop-in, plus a $10 yearly membership fee. The market will run from 9:30 am – 1:00 pm, and will be the only Sunday Market in the region, between Cedar and Cumberland .
We want to secure some strong anchor tenants, and reach some smaller backyard producers to help bring their product to market. Consignment opportunities will be available for smaller producers who might not have the time or wherewithal to run a full market stall, as members of the Community Harvest Collective. Full market rules and application available here.
For more information, email us at pq******@***il.com
Support local food security in our community and get a chance to win cash!
Our April 50/50 raffle is now live. Half the jackpot goes to one lucky winner, and the other half helps us grow more food, stock the community pantry, and expand programs like gleaning, the community garden, and our free food initiatives across District 69.
We’re busily planting seeds, splitting perennials, cleaning up and booking workshops and events.
Saturday March 7th – Chicken Compost Fundraiser
We’re bringing in a truckload of Ben Lazar’s Famous Chicken Manure Compost and selling it in 25 Litre bags to help fund our tool lending library, our Community Pantry and our other garden efforts. Reserve yours today by e-transfering $11 per bag or 5 for $50 to pq******@***il.com. Pickup Saturday March 7th from 11 to 3 pm.
Planting The Urban Food Forest Workshop , March 27th at 10 am
Farmer Brown is back with this popular workshop, Planning and Planting the Urban Food Forest, Friday March 27th, 10 am at the MAC Community Garden. Register here at Eventbrite
Chris will show us how to plan and plant an urban food forest, using permaculture and perennial plants and techniques, and regenerative soil practices.
Chris Brown is an educator, farmer and food sovereignty activist, who understands that “we all eat for a living,” He aims to inspire and educate a new generation of ecologically-minded farmers in our community, aware that local food solves global problems.
It’s been a big week for us and we’re happy to announce a bunch of exciting gardening workshops coming up in February and March.
First, don’t forget our Fruit Tree Pruning workshop with Connie Kuramoto, Feb 6th or 8th from 1 pm to 2:30 at the Arrowsmith Lodge Heritage Orchard. Connie is a fantastic presenter and has offered this class for us the past number of years, it’s a proven winner. Click here for Friday or here for Sunday‘s class
Next will be a Fruit Tree Grafting Workshop Feb 28th at 1 pm, with Katie Janeway from Denman Island Heritage Apples. Katie is a regional orchard expert and she’ll teach us proper fruit tree grafting tools and methods in a small class setting. There will be hands-on training showing various techniques, with plenty of practice material on-hand. Tickets are $35. plus Eventbrite fees. Click here for registration.
After that will be Soil Building 101, on March 5 from 6:30-8:00, a new workshop developed for us by Al Chomica, local soil guru and whisperer. He’s going to explore soil health and soil building techniques and concepts, including composting, bokashi, humus, living microbes biochar and much more. Intended for beginner and intermediate soil stewards, Al puts on a fantastic workshop, and will fill you with knowledge you can put into practice in your garden. Click here for the class registration.
Finally, Michalina Hunter from Cicada Seeds is back with her Perennial Vegetables Workshop, March 12 from 6:30-8:00 Michalina is a local Errington seed saver, grower and distributor, and she’ll explore the how, why and which of incorporating perennial vegetables into your garden. Perennial vegetable advantages include: less work, more resilient, store more carbon, fill the early spring Hunger Gap, preserve soil health, and then some. Go here for your tickets.
Join Master Gardener and educator Connie Kuramoto at the Arrowsmith Lodge Heritage Orchard. You’ll learn about proper tools and techniques to help maintain and maximize the health and yields of your fruit trees. Choose either Friday Feb 6th or Sunday Feb 8th at 1 pm. Tickets are $25, follow the Eventbrite links to reserve your spot.
Note, we always retain a couple workshops admissions for anyone limited by funds, please just send us a dm so we can accommodate you.
