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
admin
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

MUN Botanical Garden

Ken Proudfood Potato Festival

Ken Proudfoot

Head over to the Memorial University Botanical Garden next Saturday, September26th from 10am - 4pm to take part in the festivities of the Ken Proudfoot Potato Festival!

The event will include:

  • Newfoundland and Labrador Horticultural Society Fall Vegetable Show
  • Jiggs Dinner
  • Cooking Demonstrations
  • Potato Displays
  • Potato Experts
  • Live Music
  • Potato Tasting
  • Vegetable Stand
  • Children’s Activities
  • Compost Challenge Awards

Admission to the event is donation of a non-perishable food item, or funds. All proceeds go to support the Food Sharing Association of NL.

This food drive, held the weekend before Thanksgiving, is vital in the Food Sharing Association's efforts to raise awareness, funds and food for Thanksgiving and the fall season. For additional information, please call 737-8950.  We look forward to seeing you at our Potato Festival!

Three Cheers for Composting!

Keynote Blogger: Anne Madden, Education Coordinator, Memorial University of Newfoundland & Labrador Botanical Garden

Composting your yard and kitchen waste doesn't have to be expensive or inconvenient; believe it or not, it's not really that hard. A compost bin can be as simple as a chicken-wire enclosure or a hole dug in the ground. You can even enlist the help of red-wiggler worms to create compost year-round, in the comfort of your own home. And for those people who are hesitant to give it a try, it is important to keep in mind that composting is a natural process. Microorganisms, insects, and worms help decompose (break down) dead plants and animals, returning the nutrients to the earth so that other plants may grow. When we compost at home and work, we are simply utilizing these natural processes. Having said that, some basic information will help get you started, while avoiding some common mistakes. But the best way to learn is to give it a try.

MUN Botanical Garden was, in part, created with compost. We have been composting leaves and other organic matter to help create our garden soil since 1971. In addition to enhancing the soil, composting also has many other environmental benefits. For example, soil created from compost is full of organic matter. When organic matter is added to soil, as in the case of adding compost, it helps soil hold or retain water. In other words, you will not have to water your garden as much or as often.

In Newfoundland, one of our biggest challenges (besides the weather), is locating local information which is relevant to our somewhat unique climate. For example, most sources of compost information recommend placing an outdoor bin in a location that will get shade in the afternoon. Here on the eastern Avalon Peninsula, we actually recommend the opposite; it is best to place your bin in the sunniest and warmest location you can find!

Interested in learning more about composting? MUN Botanical Garden has produced a series of leaflets on composting, including information on vermicomposting or worm composting. These leaflets are posted on our website http://www.mun.ca/botgarden/plant_bio/compost/. The Botanical Garden also offers a variety of school and family programming which encourages composting and we even celebrate composting every May during International Compost Awareness Week by offering free lunchtime lectures, family programs and more. Drop by the Botanical Garden some time and see for yourself how well compost works.

Happy composting!

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Anne Madden is the Education Coordinator at the MUN Botanical Garden in St. John's, NL

www.mun.ca/botgarden