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.
FEASt Open Garden Day is a great opportunity to tour some of the edible gardens of St. John’s, share skills and discover new ways to grow food. Open Garden Day 2013 will take place on August 25th, from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. If you grow food (vegetables, fruit, herbs, edible flowers, or urban livestock) and would like to share your garden with the community, please fill out a registration form
Garden Mind returns with another workshop on gardening techniques. FSN is pleased to have Danilo Gonzalez and Luis Reyes providing their expertise on greenhouse design and management. Learn basic information about building and managing a greenhouse for your home or community garden in Newfoundland and Labrador.
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.
This one-day workshop will help you create a year-round garden so you can raise and harvest food all year round, by planting seasonally in raised beds with protective structures like cloches, cold frames, tunnels, row cover and greenhouses. By planting different crops in succession and protecting your plants with simple structures, you can harvest food all through the year, even in the winter.
