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Virginia Rasch writer profile

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Virginia is a writer and copy editor with Koocanusa Publications. She is an avid outdoor recreationist in all seasons and has lived in the Kootenays for 10 years. With degrees in the natural sciences, she has worked as a tour guide, an environmentalist, a writer, and a copy editor of scientific publications. Virginia now brings her passion for everything green to Kootenay Business.

Most recent articles by Virginia Rasch

Ashley Taylor is leaning over a green bin that she collects food waste in.
East Kootenay, Fernie, Agriculture, Environment A step forward for food security in Fernie

Valley Vitals owner Ashley Taylor has a passion to connect people back with their environment and their community through food.

The Heartbeet Catering food truck is a brilliant light blue, with the owners, Michel Kuhn and Nicole Vogt, standing nearby.
East Kootenay, Kimberley, Cuisine, Small Business The HeartBeet Burger is back!

Two well-loved local foodies, Michel Kuhn and Nicole Vogt, have switched from a restaurant to a food truck—Heartbeet Catering based in Kimberley

Dana DiPonio and Kevin Hagel are shown in a health food store. They are co-owners of Nelson Naturals, producing a natural toothpaste.
West Kootenay, Nelson, Environment, Health & Wellness, Small Business, 40 Under 40 Think outside the tube

Kevin Hagel and Dana DiPonio of Nelson Naturals create natural toothpaste. But don’t expect to find any tacky, distasteful plastic tubes in their business.

Natasha Benson (L) and Julie Taylor, owners of The Raw House, are standing in a field of beets.
East Kootenay, Cranbrook, Environment, Health & Wellness, Small Business Drink your plants!

The Raw House in Cranbrook, B.C., offers unique, healthy cold-pressed juices and nut mylks

A headshot of Forrest Campbell, owner of Freewheeling Energy in Invermere, B.C.
East Kootenay, Invermere, Energy, Environment, Small Business Sun-kissed lemons and buckets of optimism

Based in Invermere, B.C., Forrest Campbell formed Freewheeling Energy

A covered log and timber pedestrian bridge is covered in snow.
East Kootenay, Kimberley, Small Business Functionality meets beauty

Tyee Log & Timber has built five log and timber pedestrian bridges in the City of Kimberley, B.C.

Brandi O'Neill (L), owner, and one of her staff stand next to a tall shelf of books.
East Kootenay, Kimberley, Cuisine, Retail, Small Business A boutique bookstore

Paper and Cup is a new bookstore and café in Kimberley, B.C.

A headshot of Monica Swagar with snow in the background
East Kootenay, Kimberley, Environment, Health & Wellness, Small Business Monica Swagar thrives on growth

The Swag Hair Studio won a green award from the Kimberley and District Chamber of Commerce

Michelle Tucker is standing next to an evergreen tree in the snow.
East Kootenay, West Kootenay, Nelson, Health & Wellness A catalyst for moving forward

The Still North Retreat Co. offers customized workshops and retreats

Connie Lawrence, owner of The New West Trading Co. 1985 in Grand Forks, is standing outside her store with three staff members.
West Kootenay, Grand Forks, Health & Wellness, Retail, Small Business For a local gem, visit this health food store in Grand Forks, B.C.

For great health choices, visit Grand Forks’s New West Trading Co. 1985

A water bomber is flying over Moyie Lake with the sun filtered by smoke.
East Kootenay, West Kootenay, Environment, Forestry Historic B.C. wildfire season

The unprecedented wildfire season in B.C. will affect the forest industry

Melanie Buerge is standing outside in a row that is between huge benches of evergreen tree seedlings.
West Kootenay, Forestry Growing our future forests

Harrop, B.C.’s nursery is part of PRT Growing Services Ltd.

A photo of the moon covering most of the sun during a solar eclipse
Environment Where will you be during Monday’s eclipse?

Watch wild animals during the solar eclipse on Monday, August 21 and become part of the citizen scientist project.

Janet Borger is standing at her booth at the Kimberley Farmers Market, selling her chocolate bars.
East Kootenay, Kimberley, Cuisine, Small Business Take a taste on the wild side

Wild Wholeistic Chocolate is a new Kimberley, B.C., business that makes raw chocolate bars

Sarah Osadetz, WildSafeBC community co-ordinator for Golden, is standing next to a bear-resistant garbage bin.
East Kootenay, Environment Saving bears . . . one garbage bin at a time

Golden, B.C., is distributing bear-resistant garbage bins to decrease bear destruction

The Bolter family (parents and two kids) stand in a pasture with their beef cows in the background.
East Kootenay, Agriculture, Cuisine, Environment A celebration of citizenship—of Canada and food

It’s a great time to be a food citizen in Canada

Ornamental kale is in the foreground of a traditional flower garden. The green, purple and pink kale is edible.
Agriculture, Environment Edimentals: edible, ornamental plants

Landscape your yard for beauty and for food with edimentals—edible, ornamental plants

Co-owner Wendy Lyn holds out a two-scoop ice cream cone while standing in front of the Happy Cow Ice Cream's logo.
East Kootenay, Cranbrook, Fernie, Cuisine, Small Business Happy cows and happy eaters

Taste the delicious, decadent difference when indulging in premium Happy Cow ice cream in Fernie and now Cranbrook.

The author is sitting on top of Mount Brewer near Invermere with a sea of mountains in the background.
Environment, Health & Wellness Time to play . . . on Earth Day!

This year’s theme for Earth Day—April 22nd—is EarthPlay

A Chevy Bolt is parked next to the newly unveiled DC fast-charging station in Cranbrook, B.C.
East Kootenay, Cranbrook, Energy, Environment, Tourism, Transportation Accelerating the future of electric vehicles in the Kootenays

Accelerate Kootenay is a two-year $1.5-million project to install over 50 electric vehicle chargers along Highway 3

The pot is into a plastic bag that is inside the solar collector.
East Kootenay, Fernie, Cuisine, Energy, Environment Faisal Jhandir of Fernie, B.C., has invented a portable solar kitchen

Retired physician Faisal Jhandir is on a mission to save the planet with solar cooking

A mother is reading a book to her young son.
West Kootenay, Nelson, Energy, Environment Celebrate Earth Hour by reading aloud by candlelight

Revive the lost art of reading aloud during Earth Hour—Saturday, March 25th starting at 8:30 p.m.

Steven Thomson enjoys the challenges and diversity of his career, even sitting in the office, as he is here
West Kootenay, Nelson, Developments, Energy, Environment, Small Business, 40 Under 40 Steven Thomson: Meet this maverick engineer

9dot Engineering Inc., based in Nelson, B.C., has talented innovators such as CEO Steven Thomson

Jocelyn Brunner stands in front of her Invermere store, Summit Footwear & Fashion.
East Kootenay, Invermere, Retail, 40 Under 40 Jocelyn Brunner: A creative and strategic shop owner

Jocelyn Brunner offers something for everyone—without sacrificing quality, comfort and design—at her store, Summit Footwear & Fashion.

A head shot of Fraser Blyth.
West Kootenay, Revelstoke, Small Business, 40 Under 40 Fraser Blyth: Designing memorable places

Fraser Blyth of Selkirk Planning & Design helps mountain communities maintain and enhance their sense of place

Robin Dixon is standing in the middle of her store, The Grater Good in Kimberley’s Platzl, surrounded by a rainbow of colourful kitchen items—from dishware and linens to kitchen appliances, gadgets, and pots and pans.
East Kootenay, Kimberley, Cuisine, Retail “For the love of food, family and friends” is the tagline of this new kitchen shop

For Robin Dixon, opening The Grater Good in Kimberley has allowed her to share her love of cooking and entertaining

A herd of big-horn sheep are running across a road.
East Kootenay, Elkford, Fernie, Sparwood, Environment, Transportation Here’s a wild idea: Grab your phone and report wildlife

Road Watch BC is recruiting citizen scientists to gather data that will reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions

A woman is one of the many volunteers planting tulip bulbs last October.
East Kootenay, Fernie, Agriculture Fernie is coming up tulips

The EcoGarden in Fernie was awarded 1,000 red and white tulip bulbs to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary

Ingrid Hope, president/owner of Hall Printing, stands beside an environmentally friendly, energy-efficient printer that uses no processing chemicals or water.
West Kootenay, Nelson, Trail, Environment, Forestry Lightening its print on the planet

Hall Printing in Trail, B.C., won the Go Green Award from the local chamber of commerce

Kayte Rock’s soups meet the health and nutritional demands of today’s educated consumers. Here, she stands in her kitchen.
West Kootenay, New Denver, Cuisine, Environment, Health & Wellness, Small Business Follow the seasons with soups made in New Denver, B.C.

Soup du Jar in New Denver, B.C., is Kayte Rock’s pride and joy

Don Langvand, owner of Atlantis Antiques in Marysville, is standing beside a very old painting of an emperor executed on parchment.
East Kootenay, Cranbrook, Kimberley, Retail, Small Business, Tourism Three antique stores, one busy guy for Cranbrook’s Don Langvand

Atlantis Antiques in Marysville and Phoenix Antiques in Cranbrook are the latest additions for Don Langvand, also owner of Dragon Antiques

Gail and Lorne Knutson stand in front of the duplex that contains their bed-and-breakfast suite, B&B@228 in Kimberley, B.C.
East Kootenay, Kimberley, Entertainment and Hospitality, Tourism An alpine B&B at the base of the Kimberley Alpine Resort

The [email protected] in Kimberley, B.C., gets lots of its business from its Airbnb listing

Custom jeweler Kara Clarke has won several chamber awards from the Kimberley Chamber of Commerce including Home Business of the Year. She stands in front of a wall full of hanging necklaces.
East Kootenay, West Kootenay, Environment, Retail, Small Business Analyzing the accolades

A summary of the similarities and differences among all of the Kootenay chambers of commerce Business Excellence Awards

A Nissan Leaf is recharging at a unique electric car charging station at the Kettle River Museum Society in Midway. The charging station is located on the back of an old gasoline pump.
East Kootenay, West Kootenay, Castlegar, Nelson, Energy, Environment, Transportation Filling in the geographic gap for electric car charging stations in the Kootenays

Shifting to electric cars is needed in the Kootenays as our current transportation accounts for 60 per cent of our total greenhouse gas emissions

Taken by a drone, this aerial shot of Nelson Hydro’s Bonnington generating station also shows the clearcut (upper right) where the solar garden will be located.
West Kootenay, Nelson, Energy, Environment A successful sunny garden

Nelson, B.C., grew a solar garden in a year and a half with the help of its citizens

A logging truck is being loaded at a cut block.
Forestry Forests are fundamental to our economy, our culture and our future

During National Forest Week, Canadians are invited to learn more about this valuable renewable resource

John Managh, co-owner of Hellbent Geothermal, stands in front of a large piece of machinery.
West Kootenay, Golden, Energy, Environment The Kootenays are a potential hot zone for geothermal energy

Hellbent Geothermal is a leading-edge company offering geothermal systems in the East Kootenay, where the potential for this green energy is overflowing

Co-owner Leanna Spring of From the Ground Up in Cranbrook stands next to a shelf full of health foods.
East Kootenay, Cranbrook, Health & Wellness, Small Business Uprooted: From the Ground Up moves to downtown Cranbrook

From the Ground Up relocates to Cranbrook’s downtown core

Heddlestone Village has a pedestrian common path with homes on both sides. A woman is using a community cart and a boy is playing roller hockey.
Nelson, Developments, Energy, Environment Intentional community in Nelson, B.C., wins efficiency award

FortisBC awarded Nelson’s Heddlestone Village an Efficiency in Action award

Master butcher Uwe Gwinner is explaining the aging process, with meats hanging in the room.
Kimberley, Agriculture, Small Business Gwinner’s is a winner (butcher shop)

Gwinner's Butcher Shop offers natural, authentic European-style meats for every meal

The retreat centre has a large circular deck with trees close by.
Nelson, Education, Environment Retreating for artistic or business creativity

The Hidden Creek Art & Ecology Centre is a secluded retreat centre across the water from Nelson, B.C.

Celeste Needham stands in front of her store's displays of shoes, handbags, scarves and hats.
East Kootenay, Kimberley, Small Business Talaria Footwear in Kimberley, B.C., is for shoe lovers

A new shoe store in Kimberley, B.C., features quality footwear and adornments

Chantel Delaney is standing in front of the Sprout Grocery sign with birch tree wallpaper on the wall.
Kimberley, Health & Wellness, Small Business Sprout Grocery is uprooted to Kimberley’s Platzl

Sprout Grocery in Kimberley, B.C., has a new owner and a new location

Shrubs and trees in pots are lined up for sale at the Morris Flowers Garden Centre in Creston, B.C.
Agriculture, Environment, Forestry One tree does make a difference

Canada has committed to planting 35 million trees by 2020, one for each Canadian

An aerial view of the Mulvehill Creek Eco-Retreat on the shore of the Upper Arrow Lakes
Revelstoke, Developments, Environment, Real Estate, Tourism Green investment opportunity in Mulvehill Creek Eco-Retreat, Revelstoke, B.C.

Located on the shores of the Upper Arrow Lakes, the Mulvehill Creek Eco-Retreat is looking for residents, partners or investors

Several beeswax candles are burning with a soft golden glow. These candles are from Honey Candles near Kaslo, B.C.
Kaslo, Energy, Environment Earth Hour: What are you doing on March 19th at 8:30 p.m.?

Earth Hour encourages you to have a lights-off hour.

Four young business people.
40 under 40—Our first-ever salute to the Kootenays’ younger business people

We sought out the top 40 young business leaders in the Kootenays, Boundary Country and the Revelstoke area and found some fascinating trends.

Workers at Emco in Cranbrook are lined up and holding a green pipe made by Aquatherm.
Cranbrook, Fernie, Energy, Environment Greening your infrastructure pays off

Emco in Cranbrook has plumbing and heating solutions that reduce the carbon footprint of your home and business.

(L) MP Richard Cannings (South Okanagan-West Kootenay) and MP Wayne Stetski (Kootenay-Columbia)
Environment, Small Business A snapshot of the Kootenays’ MPs

Kootenay MPs Richard Cannings and Wayne Stetski talk about their hopes to help our region environmentally and economically

A rendering of street tree plantings along a boulevard with a multi-use pathway within Castlegar's Columbia Avenue Residential District
Castlegar, Environment, Forestry, Transportation On the shady side of the street

Castlegar's newly released Street Tree Master Plan makes trees top priority