Organic Gardening Workshop

Better late than never, I suppose, but I completely forgot to fill you in on the details of the upcoming (this Saturday!):

Organic Gardening Workshop
to:
- Learn about the general principles involved in growing food organically
- Get inspired to create your own family garden or community garden
- Share ideas with others about sustainable agriculture

When: 9am to 3pm Saturday, Sept 26/09
Where: Birchy Head Recreation Center

FREE lunch provided prepared with local, organic food
FREE registration (participants will be asked to complete a short survey in lieu of fees)

Please register with:
Ryan Hermens @638-9846 or nlorganicworkshops@gmail.com

Hope to see you there!

Weeding, Watering & Weiners

Paula called us all together on Wednesday night @ 6:30 to meet up at the garden for an evening of weeding together, watering together, and otherwise checking up on the progress of our gardens.

There was a bunch of us all together again:
Paula, Hailey, and Samantha
Melissa, Glynn, and Patrick
Michelle, Brandon, and Brody
Tony, Stephanie, Emily, and Aaron
Lynn and Phillip
and
Yours truly, Myrna, and Sarah

I believe we are all pleased with the progress so far. With the exception of Paula, gardener extraordinaire, I think we all have something that seems to be "failing". But overall, we are getting great results and "failing" is certainly not a term we would use at all to describe what we are doing. We are learning! We are progressing! We are figuring out which are weeds and which are not. We (I should say, I) are discovering that spinach is not to be confused with romaine lettuce. Boy, how embarrassing!

Tony, Stephanie and their family even found a mystery plant in their garden which appears to be parsley. You see, Stephanie's father had come with granddaughter, Emily, back when we were planting, and left behind a "surprise! Look what we planted!" garden.
Melissa is absolutely thrilled with her cabbage. She is the only one of us who planted it and it's doing very well. But Paula had a little mini cabbage101 session with us and showed us all how to look deep inside the head to find these little green worms and pick them out. They're super hard to see (being green and all, smart little buggers) but if they stay in the cabbage, they'll eat the whole thing from the inside out. Who Knew!!?? We are just learning all kinds of neat stuff.

Then there's Michelle and her family who decided to just throw a whole bunch of leftover seed potatoes up the side of our pile of DIRT and just LOOK at how they are growing! Guess it just goes to show a garden can be just about anywhere one wishes to plant a seed.
And poor little Phillip, running around like all our kids do, slipped and fell down and ended up with a scraped and swollen lip. Before his mom had a chance to kiss it better, he was off and running again.
Of course, Sarah, did what she does best - she ate! She would pick the leaves of lettuce and much away! Yum!

Did I mention our pumpkins are starting to grow? Let's hope we get enough for everyone to carve a jack-o-lantern for Halloween!

Then, we were in for a treat when Brandon got a fire going and Michelle broke out the weiners and marshmellows. Who doesn't love the chance to get together with a group of friends to roast treats over an open fire. It was a beautiful evening (with not TOO many black flies) and we chatted away about our common interests - our rambunctious children and our sprouting gardens.
Melissa, a nurse, shared a few healthy eating tips in conversation and assured us that the occasional hotdog and sugary treat were okay as long as they were combined with a healthy diet including those delicious veggies!

I shared the story of my sister's youngest daughter, who, when camping, thought she could sit on the edge of the scorching hot firepit, and burned the backs of her legs AND her little hands. Luckily my sister was right there in front of her to immediately scoop her up and rush her off to the emergency room, where she was treated. It may be a sad story, a difficult one to hear, but it proves that you can never be too careful around fire. Children are quick, usually much quicker than their parents, and can come in harms way in the blink of an eye. So, please please please be careful if you're planning an activity like this for your little gardeners.

Before we knew it, it was time to head home. Poor little Aaron was sooo tired. Look at those tears, oh my! Good Night little sprouts! Sleep well!

Featured - Food Security Network

Michelle sent me an email letting me know that our blog has been featured on The Food Security Network of NL e-news.

Here's a copy and paste of that email newsletter: (I've made a note or two in RED)

Food Security E-News for Newfoundland & LabradorEvents

1. 2009 Agricultural Festivals & Newfoundland & LabradorEvents1. 2009 Agricultural Festivals & Events
August, September and October are months filled with agricultural activities. Events include: St. John's Farm Field Day (Aug. 15th), Happy Valley - Goose Bay Big Land Fair (Sept. 10-12), Springdale Craft & Trade Show (Sept. 10-12), and Trinity-Conception Bay Agricultural Fall Fair (Sept. 15-21).

For a full listing, visit: http://www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/festivals_events/2009%20Festivals%20and%20Events.pdf

2. Farmers' Markets across the Province Underway
HERE'S OUR FARMERS MARKET!!!!
Glenburnie - Birchy Head - Shoal Brook Farmers' Market - Saturdays from 9:30 - 1 pm, August - September. Come out and experience the second season of the Glenburnie-Birchy Head-Shoal Brook Farmers' Market - New producers are welcome! For more information, contact rcusson@nf.sympatico.ca

Conception Bay South Farmers' Market - 6 Sundays starting Labour Day weekend until the Thanksgiving weekend (September 6th - October 11). Market is to begin at 10am - 3:30pm at St. George's School located on 234 Conception Bay Highway. For more infomation, e-mail Tony Janes at ajanes@conceptionbaysouth.ca

Norris Point Farmers' Market - just finished their first try-out season in the month of July. Next year may be expanded into a flea market; with the new greenhouse being built and gardens digging in - keep an eye out for next season's fresh mix of crafts, greens, and foods! Details on this year's market and more, contact Joanie Cranston at 709.458.2120

Fogo Island Farmers' Market - recently formed a Fogo - Change Islands Farmers' Co-op! Islanders are looking to have the first market before the end of August & are getting their buckets ready for the Partridge Berry Festival in October. Contact Winston Osmond at 709.658.3418 for more details.

Corner Brook Farmers' Market - Every Saturday from 10 am - 2 pm until October 31st at the Majestic Lawn in Corner Brook! Volunteers wanted, contact info@wecnl.ca

St. John's Farmers' Market - Saturdays from 9am - 2pm at the Lion's Club Chalet on Bonaventure in St. John's! Educational workshops hosted weekly at 11am by FEASt (Food Education Action St. John's). Volunteers wanted, contact volunteer@stjohnsfarmersmarket.org

3. Edible Plant Hike at MUN Botanical Garden
When: Sunday, August 23, 2-4 pmWhere: MUN Botanical GardenInstructor: Todd Boland, Research HorticulturistJoin Todd Boland for a walk in the boreal forest, and discover the many hidden culinary treasures. Find our about uses for cattails, and why the best way to get rid of weeds is to eat them. Pre-registration is required for the workshop. To register, please contact 709.737.8590, Fee: $25 (HST included)

4. FEASt Open Garden Day
When: Sunday, August 30th, 1pm-5pmWhere: Around St. John'sCome out and join others on the first FEASt Open Garden Day! People are invited to walk and bicycle around and take a look at all of the different ways food is being grown in the city! If you are growing food and are interested in listing your garden as a space for the tour, contact local.feast@gmail.com.

Upcoming…

"FRESH!" The Movie in Communities across Newfoundland & LabradorFSN is bringing the new film "FRESH!" by Ana Sofia Joanes to communities across the province this fall. This film illustrates the current state of the industrial food system and what is being done to make positive change. It is a great example of what is possible through a little community action! Check out the preview at http://www.freshthemovie.com/
FSN Member groups can contact info@foodsecuritynews.com to host a screening.

News

1. Job Opportunity: Workshop Coordinator, Bonne Bay Marine Station, Norris Point
The coordinator will work with a steering committee consisting of researchers and local stakeholders to help with the organization, design, advertising and delivery of a public town hall meeting and workshop to be held at the Bonne Bay Marine Station in Norris Point in late October 2009. The meeting will profile some of the existing and new research findings on the Bonne Bay marine ecosystem, food security and fisheries.
Time: August 31st - November 13th; 35 hours/week
Salary: at the rate of $32,872 per annum/ $18.06 per hour
For more information, contact Janet Oliver at joliver@mun.ca or 709.737.7551

2. Support Local Food Banks!
Food Banks from across Newfoundland & Labrador are having difficulty keeping their shelves stocked. There are many ways people can help serve their local food banks, from donating where you can to allowing discounts on purchases for event tickets when people bring a non-perishable food item. To learn more about food sharing, and what you can do visit: http://www.cfsa.nf.net/

3. FSN has moved offices!
After a great year in the downtown St. John's area, FSN has moved offices to a new location -
44 Torbay Rd, Suite 110 St. John's, NLA1A 2G4
Office hours are 9am-4pm, Monday - Friday starting September 1st. Phone lines aren't running yet (soon!), but we look forward to welcoming you to our new space!

4. "Buying Local: Supporting Local Producers"
Teleconference Available On-LineFSN hosted our first teleconference of an ongoing series on Monday, July 27th around the important topic of Buying-local, with Keynote Speaker Stephen Moss from the Kittiwake Economic Development Corporation presenting the "Keep it in Kittiwake!" Campaign. For those who were unable to attend the event, you can access the powerpoint and recorded presentation, along with links to the "Keep it in Kittiwake!" campaign at: http://foodsecuritynews.com/food-security-events.html

5. New FSN Food Security Initiative Inventory Now Available!
FSN has been working on developing an inventory of Food Security Initiatives from across the Province and it is now available for the public! The inventory includes community gardens, kitchens, food banks, networks, and more. It will be continually growing, changing, and adapting so please contact us with any new information that should be included.
View the Inventory at: http://foodsecuritynews.com/Publications/FSN%20Inventory.pdf

6. Start Snapping: 2nd Annual FEASt Photo Contest
If anyone from our treehouse garden is interested, let's choose a photo and submit it! What do you think?
This summer, be sure to capture your best local food moments - growing, harvesting, preparing, and/or eating. A dozen photos with be selected and featured on FEASt's 2009 Local Food is Beautiful cards, with a grand prize of a wonderful gift basket of local goodies!
Email photos to local.feast@gmail.com, along with your name and contact info. Deadline: October 1, 2009

FS Initiatives in NL…

Highlighting: The Gros Morne Region (That's US!!)
The Gros Morne region has been busy planning, designing and implementing several food security initiatives over the past couple years. From a Food Security Workshop hosted by the Food Security Network of Newfoundland & Labrador as part of the "Put Food First!" project and by the Gros Morne Institute for Sustainable Tourism, to several community gardens and farmers' markets in both Glenburnie-Birchy Head-Shoal Brook and Norris Point. This is another great example of the amazing work that can happen when communities come together to realize their dreams!

Resources

1. Treehouse Garden: A community Garden Blog from the Treehouse Family Resource Centre in Norris Point: http://www.treehousegarden.blogspot.com/

2. Local Food isn't as Expensive as people think!http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/274391
3. The Sustainable Table: Serving Up Healthy Food Choiceshttp://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/eatlocal/#what
4. The adverse effects of food insecurity in Canadahttp://journal.cpha.ca/index.php/cjph/article/view/1661/1845
5. Lisa M. Hamilton's Books: "Deeply Rooted: Unconventional Farmers in the Age of Agribusiness" & "Farming to Create Heaven on Earth"http://www.lisamhamilton.com/book/book.html
6. Would Menu Labels Help us Eat Healthier?http://www.lavidalocavore.org/diary/2220/do-menu-labels-help-us-eat-better



http://www.foodsecuritynews.com/



Thanks Michelle for sending along more proof that word is getting out about the success of our Community Garden!

Fresh Pickins

A few days ago, Michelle and I happened to be at the garden at the same time. Well, actually I was leaving as she was pulling in, but we won't argue over the small details. That's how it is now - everyone individually going in here and there to check on their little family gardens.


I hadn't been there for a little while and I was so excited to see how much growth had taken place. I actually had onions and carrots and lettuce - Oh My!

Michelle told me she had her first salad a few days prior to that from the fresh lettuce harvested from her garden. How great is that?!

Today, I had the day off - hooray for Civic Holidays! I decided that Sarah and I should take advantage of the day together to go down for a little look. The first thing we saw was this bright yellow bug flying around. At first I couldn't figure out what it was and then it stopped on a zuccini flower - a bumblebee!! So covered in pollen we couldn't see the black stripes anymore. Can we stop here and give a shout-out to the little worker bees and their importance to our world - Yay bees!

And then we noticed a gorgeous zuccini sitting there on the ground just begging to be picked. So we did! Then we noticed we had some beautiful spinach and lettuce (don't ask me what types they are - I just planted a whole bunch of different kinds) ready to be picked as well. I'm now with Michelle - having freshly picked lettuce for lunch - oh, what a treat! I never imagined I'd ever say "lettuce" and "treat" in the same sentence but there it is people - we have made definite progress.

And oh how wonderful everyone's gardens are coming along. There are beets, tomatoes, potatoes (Paula's look absolutely wonderful!), beans (those that have survived the birds plucking them out of the ground), turnip, radishes, and just all manner of wonderful green things sprouting out of the earth. Sarah and I came home and immediately started on our fresh lunch. After playing in the dirt, don't forget to wash your hands first!

Then came the veggie washing. And honestly, I don't even think it would have NEEDED washing when it was first picked, it looked so good. That is, until Sarah threw a handful of dirt in our bowl. Oops! Then we searched our fridge for some things to add to our greens. I personally think a salad can contain just about anything. And because I love sweetness - especially to offset some of those "strong" flavoured types - I decided to add juicy sliced plum. One half of the plum was thrown in with the greens. The other half I squeezed for juice to add to my oil and vinegar dressing. This was brand new for me in the salad department but can we simply say "YUM!". It was absolutely DE-lish with a capital D-E!Enjoying the fruits of our labour.

Remember that zuccini we picked? We actually don't like zuccini so we disguised it in the form of a homemade super moist zuccini-chocolate cake & muffins. Now, that's what I call eating your veggies! And enjoying them to boot!

Here is where I'd like to take a moment to send a big thanks to our local Glenburnie-Birchy Head-Shoal Brook town council for graciously allowing us to use the vacant land behind the recreation building. We greatly appreciate the generosity and hope you know how much it means to those of us who are involved in this family-friendly community project. Without land to borrow this splendid idea would, obviously, have never come to fruition. Thanks!

Families, if any of you have pictures or stories of your own that you would like added to this blog, PLEASE send them along to me via email at gbstownoffice@eastlink.ca and I'd be more than happy to post them.

Happy Harvesting,

Myrna

We're in The Western Star

Hello All,
It's been a little while and today I'm very excited to announce our little garden project made it in The Western Star - Read the article on page 2 of today's issue.

Shout out to Ashley Fitzpatrick, Star Staff Writer, for putting our community garden out there for all to see.

(I tried finding the article on thewesternstar.com website for you, our readers, but to no avail - Why is that? Perhaps, Ashley, you could provide us a link?)

I hope everyone reading will be inspired to do something similar to our garden project - be it a "large-scale" community, such as ours, or simply a little plot in their own backyards. It's sad to see, with each new generation, the lack of desire for putting in the hard work of a garden. It may be so much easier to head to the grocery store but consider how absolutely gratifying it is to harvest an organic crop you and your family have carefully tended.

I admit I haven't been the most diligent in weeding and watering my garden but I'm excited just the same. My wonderful grandmother taught me the joys of gardening and eating those freshly pulled carrots straight from the ground - I want my little girl to have the same experience. I think all families involved would agree with that sentiment.

I personally think this quote may be fitting, particularly in Newfoundland, where gardening was once (and may be again) a matter of need more than desire. Here's hoping the joy of the harvest will plant a seed of desire that far outweighs all else.

Unemployment is capitalism's way of getting you to plant a garden. ~Orson Scott Card

__________________________________________________
I have since spoken with Ashley and here is the online link to the article. Thanks Ashley!
http://www.thewesternstar.com/index.cfm?sid=272915&sc=25

Bring the Rain

It has been a very hot week indeed. Trust me, I'm not complaining about the sun.

But, I have admittedly been a serious slacker when it comes to visting my little garden plot and doing some much needed watering during this dry spell.

All week it had been calling for rain and I was putting off the visit just hoping nature would do the job.

(And this, my friends, would be the reason why it was decided that the best option would be to have individual family plots making everyone responsible for their own. If I decide to be a slacker then the only one suffering is ME.)

And today, finally, the rains came. I wouldn't normally be this excited over such crappy weather. But this year, because of our little vegetable plot, I am ecstatic for the downpour. I now have at least a tiny inkling of the joy brought to the heart of a farmer when he sees those gray clouds in the sky.

Gardening quote for the day:
“If the rain spoils our picnic, but saves a farmer's crop, who are we to say it shouldn't rain?”
Tom Barrett

Seeds

Yay! Finally, it was time to plant our seeds.

A bunch of us met again on Monday evening at 6:30 to get started on the entire reason for this whole process - to grow veggies. And since you reap what you sow, it's rather obvious how important this "step #3" is.

Thank you once again to Treehouse for buying a ton of stuff for us - garden toys for the kiddies, gardening gloves, watering cans, soil, and seeds galore! We got to choose from green beans, wax beans, carrot, spinach, a bunch of lettuce types, radish, turnip, turnip greens, beets, onions, etc.

Michelle was able to bring Brody with her this time and he was a great helper getting water from the rec building.








































Iona came out to check on her little garden box and helped us all out.





















I personally decided to plant onions, carrot, spinach, green beans, and a bunch of different types of lettuce. Sarah was such a great little helper. She actually put in about half of the onion sets herself. I would make the little hole and then she would drop the seed in. The only thing is I can't guarantee is that the little onions weren't put in upside down - oops! And then she helped water, mostly I suspect because she loves to play with water.





















But really the point is that this is such a great experience for all of our children. They just so enjoy getting outside and you can really tell how valued they feel when we take the time to allow them to share in the "adult" things we do. Little Emily, for example, was very adamant about planting Swiss Chard with the help of her Mom and Poppy and made certain to let everyone know the very important spot in which it was planted. What a fantastic learning experience!


Thank you to Doug Halfyard for giving Paula a bucket of seed potatoes. With the help of Mr. Eldon King, Paula used most of her plot to set potatoes for her family. Mr. King had some great tips since he's a seasoned gardener and, though now retired, still has that undeniable ability to teach. You can't really notice in the photo but the potato rows have a seed every 8 inches or so with a bunch of kelp in between for fertilizer.
















One of the ladies just looked around at one point and said, "Wow! Just imagine how far we've come in 2 weeks." Our garden was an empty grassy space a short time ago and after lots of hard work, we are now well on our way to a harvest. And we had lots of rain last night and this morning, so let's hope those tiny little seeds are germination to their hearts content and making us proud!

I like this quote - kinda about how we have to wait for our seeds to sprout because WE never know what the yield will be.

Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed. Robert H. Schuller


I will be away for a few days, back next Monday, and I will post upon my return.

Happy Gardening!

Compost and Peat Moss

Some of us were able to meet again on Saturday morning at 10am to start step#2 in our gardening process.

Lynn & Phillip
Paula, Samantha, & Hailey
Melissa
and Moi

And please take my "step #'s" with very loose interpretation as there are many other little steps in between my own personal visits where Paula may go down to the garden to water, Iona tends her own little "garden box" on the side, and Lisa, Tony, and some of the others head down on their own because they were unable to attend as a group.

First things first and Samantha and I measured out each garden plot for the individual families with 7 in total each measuring 22 ft long by 7 ft wide with a 1 ft trench in between. And then we all began digging the separating trenches. (I'm not sure if trenches is the correct word to use here but you get the idea).

After separating the individual beds we then worked at adding a bag each of compost material and peat moss for added nutritional value to our somewhat pathetic soil. And after some elbow grease and lots of shoveling and raking, that was all mixed in and our gardens looked SO much better already.

Next, the ladies decided how they wanted to separate their plots - most of us choosing 5 smaller beds within that plot, some choosing to do one large bed of potatoes, some choosing to do 2 long beds, etc. I'm not sure there are any rules here and we are all doing whatever we feel best for the needs of our families.

Unfortunately I had to leave at this point for a prior engagement so I have to give a big shout-out to Paula's daughter, Samantha, for taking over in my section and dividing my plot for me. That was super awesome of you, Samantha, I really appreciate it!

There's already at least one section that has been designated for the "community" and Paula took the time to get the pumpkins seedlings started there. They already look lovely! And I think (correct me if I'm wrong, ladies and gents) that there is still a big potato garden for the group in the works on that space where there is currently a huge pile of dirt to be spread out :) Potatoes -yum!

I'm told everyone worked away in the sun and the flies until close to 1:30 Saturday afternoon...wow! This really is a lot of work and takes a great deal of time and devotion. I'm very thankful to have Paula's guidance and dedication and am very excited to be a part of this effort. We know the hard work will pay off in the end when we see our beautiful veggies.

And that, my friends, brings me to our next meeting, when we actually get to plant our little seeds! Hip Hip Hooray!

And a quote suitable to the amount of time gardening requires...
"In order to live off a garden, you practically have to live in it.- Frank McKinney Hubbard



NOTE: I have to apologize for the lack of photos - I have lots and have been trying but blogger will not allow me to post them for some reason. Will try and fix this as soon as I can.

Welcome

Thanks for joining us as we venture into the unknown. This is the first year of our community garden project and we have a lot of learning to do.

Just last week the land being used for our garden, located behind the recreation center in Birchy Head, was "turned" (Thanks to Pike's excavator) giving us a good sized space to work with. A truckload of topsoil was delivered to the site as well.

And so we begin the first steps to prepare our garden for planting. And yes, we have the blisters to prove our hard work - particularly those of us who forgot our garden gloves - I told you we have a lot to learn!

We met on Tuesday night, June 16th at 6:30 to start raking the rocks away from our ground -and we no longer have to question why Newfoundland is nicknamed "the Rock" for any of us who may have been wondering! Eek!














And then we began shoveling the dark topsoil along the middle. This will be the section for individual family planting lots and will give everyone a chance to sow the seeds they feel most suited for their individual needs. The outside sections will be used for communal potato and pumpkin gardens for all the families to share.














I want to give a special shout out to Michelle Harris, our local "Booky The Bear" (Family Resource Center) co-ordinator. And to our faithful leader, Paula Alexander, for putting herself up as our patient teacher of all things veggie garden related. Paula keeps her own gardens - that girl sure knows her stuff - and even had a good chuckle at my expense for the way I was using my garden rake. Who knew? Thanks Paula!

Currently, there are 7 or 8 families who will be joining our community garden adventure.

Thanks to the families who were able to come out and help with Step #1:

Paula & Hailey
Michelle
Melissa
Lisa & Kristi
Tony, Stephanie, Emily, & Aaron
Lynn & Phillip
Ed & Iona
and yours truly, Myrna, and my little one, Sarah

Next time, we'll be fertilizing with all things organic - bucket loads of kelp that Paula and her daughter, Hailey, gathered from the beach, and possibly some caplin (apparantly, they're "rolling" now).

I'll leave you with a quote that seems appropriate as we take this step towards helping the families in our communities:

The happiness of any society begins with the well being of the families that live in it. -– Kofi Annan