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.
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.
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.
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.
You are warmly invited to a special film screening at Rocket in St. John's: All Around the Table, A New Film Series from Food Security Network of NL. A vegetable garden, laying hens, a fishing boat, berry grounds: when our grandparents were younger, the grocery store was out the back door. Since then, however, Newfoundland and Labrador has become increasingly dependent upon an uncertain global food system, leading communities to seek more sustainable and healthy local alternatives.
The Turk's Gut Heritage House is a lovely spot that locals, people from across the province and tourists from away stop at to enjoy excellent company, delicious home cooked meals prepared with local vegetables, and social activities. The Heritage House will be container gardening this summer with seniors and plans to soon create a community garden that will be open to seniors, children and the general public. Community meals and fun social events happen regularly at the Heritage House.
The Food Security Network of Newfoundland and Labrador (FSN) is thrilled to launch a new collection of short films called All Around the Table, which highlight traditional food skills and knowledge of seniors in Eastern Newfoundland. The films will be available for free viewing online beginning today, Wednesday May 1st, 2013, on the Root Cellars Rock blog. Film screenings are planned for throughout the spring to take place in multiple communities on the Avalon Peninsula.
For the past year FSN and partners have been putting together a new series of short films. Twelve amazing seniors from the Avalon Peninsula were interviewed to share their food stories, tips and traditions on camera. We are very excited to launch the new films in Carbonear on May 3rd! Full event details are below, please join us! More screening events will take place this spring and the videos will be launched for free viewing online on this blog and the RCR YouTube channel starting May 1st- we'll update you as things happen. Please spread the word!
