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.
Doing a germination test is a great idea before planting seeds that you're not sure are still viable (able to grow). That may be the case because the seeds are old, or have been exposed to water, light, heat, insects or other conditions that aren't ideal. Germination tests give you a good idea of how resilient your seeds are, so that you can make a plan for how many of them to plant or whether it is worth planting them at all.
Like a lot of skills related to local food, seed saving is an old idea that's deservedly getting lots of new attention. Saving seeds from your home or community garden makes sense for a lot of reasons and we want to convince you to give it a try. People are starting to get excited, daydreaming about the growing season and perusing seed catalogues, and we recommend that you read up a bit on seed saving and then factor that into your garden plans and seed purchases this year.
Canadian gardeners– this first survey is for you! Do the survey and turn 30 minutes of your time into generations of good food in Canada. USC Canada aims to lay the foundation for a more secure and diverse seed system in Canada.
