Picking
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As We Fish and Farm

I came to Newfoundland for the first time just over four years ago. I can still vividly recall taking the ferry across from Nova Scotia in the late winter, listening to the groaning sounds of the ice around the boat. Within two months of arriving I made my first trip to Bonne Bay, a remote fjord on the west coast of the island. I went to learn about the food system and fisheries in the region as part of a PhD program I was beginning at Memorial University that fall.

As We Fish and Farm
Picking, Preparing
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DIY Maple Syrup

Maple syrup conjures up images of towering arboretums in places like Quebec or Vermont, but it’s a little known secret that the rugged and hardy maple trees of Newfoundland make darn fine maple syrup. With nothing more than a half dozen maple trees, some old salt beef containers and a handful of 25 cent metal tree taps, you’re good to go and can expect to end up with over a dozen bottles of hand made maple syrup.

DIY Maple Syrup
Picking, Planting, Preparing
Andreae C
My front yard grocery store
My front yard grocery store
Events, Picking, Planting
Costa Kasimos
Bits and Pieces: Along the Shore

Spectacular vistas, whales breaching, ice bergs floating by, and a foragers paradise. We are blessed with many wilderness areas that offer abundant edible plants. I rarely go on a hike without stopping to have a little taste of this or that. In this post, I will touch upon some of the edibles currently available in our wonderful wilderness.

Bits and Pieces: Along the Shore
Planting
Matthew Middleton
Growing In A Potato Box

Thanks to the listing from Seeds of Diversity, I was able to locate a gentleman in Newfoundland who has a great deal of experience growing a wide variety of potatoes here. Last week, I recieved by my set of samples from George, and here's what my benefactor told me about the varieties:

Red Dutch: A very dry, yellow flesh red from Holland in the 1940’s. An excellent potato. Late maturing.

Northern White: A white flesh variety, from Quebec apparently, from the early 1900’s. Very high yield. Good taste.

Growing In A Potato Box

Preparing

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Roots, Rants & Roars: Take a Food Hike!

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Roots, Rants & Roars: Take a Food Hike!

Can you imagine a whole weekend dedicated to celebrating the amazing food, culture, land and sea of Newfoundland? This is happened last weekend along the rugged coast line of the Bonavista Peninsula, where hundreds of root cellars that have survived many storms and many years are scattered throughout the landscape, adding an incredible charm to the region. The Roots, Rants and Roars Food Festival in Elliston was doing just that. During the weekend, Elliston was filled with passionate people and chefs from all around the country to celebrate the flavours of the land and sea, while local music was filling the air.

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8 Days a Week Kale Garlic Scape Pesto

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8 Days a Week Kale Garlic Scape Pesto

This recipe is a super food flavour high five for your mouth. That doesn't make much sense but neither does doing something 8 days a week or letting rampant kale and confusing garlic scapes go to waste because of lack of inspiration. Don't let them fall victim to a wilty death in your fridge! Thanks goes to Murray Meadows Farm for the kale that they're now selling in bulk for a great deal and The Natural Gardener for the kind gift of scapes that they dropped off to us at the office.

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To Market, To Market

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Tiny-Tim.jpg

This post is the second in a series that Sarah Campbell, an intern with FSN, will be doing around the International Year of Family Farming this summer, gathering stories of family farming from around the Avalon Peninsula. Look for more stories in the coming weeks! The weekend before last was the first one that I attended the St. John's Farmer's Market – always a good feeling. I didn't spend too much time inside – long enough to get a coffee – but I was happy to see vendors I remembered from last year – selling books, soap, and local art. I really appreciate having a local craft culture that I get to delve into every once and while. The market is a great place to do that (you can go to the market's website to find out which vendors will be at the market each week).

Most vendors were selling greens and herbs – the season, it seems, is still early. I picked up some green onions from Murray Meadow's Farms; The Organic Farm was selling greens as well.

Another great find: many farmers are selling plants for your own gardens. There's a whole variety of seedlings and small plants to take home with you. Ripple Trail Farms had some kale seedlings on the go, which I plan to get some of next week – nothing better than a plate of kale chips. I got a small tomato plant – the variety is called 'Tiny Tim' – from Jeremy at Mount Scio Farms. Unlike most tomato plants that need to be staked or supported in some way, this one is a dwarf variety that grows more like a bush – great for indoor/container gardeners like myself. I was also happy to find a lemon basil seedling at Bloom n' Greens.

Tiny Tim

And of course, I picked up some eggs from Del at Oliver's Farms. The line is always long at the white truck, but it's long for a reason!

The St. John's Farmers' Market runs June-December, every 9am to 2pm at the Lion's Club Chalet between Bonaventure and Newtown. Check them out on Facebook as well for regular updates! And for schedules and updates for this and other farmers' and community markets happening across Newfoundland and Labrador this year, you can sign up for the FSN Monthly E-News!

Connecting families with healthy food: Trinity Conception Family Resource Centre

Connecting families with healthy food: Trinity Conception Family Resource Centre

With the help of the Food Security Network, during Parents Night we hosted a food skills workshop about preserving foods. Our participants had a wonderful evening preserving fruit and making strawberry and blueberry jam. It was a fun experience for everyone. With the grant money we received we were able to purchase equipment to provide the workshop again to encourage more people to learn about and continue this tradition.