[Garden] Garden Update - February 2009

[Candace Wormsbecker]

Garden Update - February 20, 2009 

(Please Circulate)

 

 

Resources

 

-          Victoria Hills Community Garden has extra spent mushroom compost
they are willing to sell cheaply.   This isn't as nutrient rich as real
compost but is an excellent soil amendment for clay and sandy soil.  Need to
provide own transportation.  Please contact Heather at 519-745-7242.

 

Volunteering

 

-          Community Garden Fest - "Growing Together" - The Community Garden
Council has received funds to put on the first annual Community Garden Fest.
This is going to be an event for the whole family/community.  It will be an
opportunity to celebrate urban agriculture and the diversity of our gardens,
as well as to promote community gardening opportunities in the city.  We are
aiming our goals high and anticipating up to 500 people!  For those of you
who know of or have heard me talk of Jim Diers, we are fortunate enough to
bring him here as our keynote speaker!  The Festival will be held May 2nd
from 10-3pm.  This is a really exciting time to get involved.  We are
looking for people to help with the planning of this event as well as for
the day of.  If you are interested and available please contact me at
candace at owr.ca or 519-883-2353 ext. 5984 for opportunities.  

 

-          Woolwhich Green Technology Fair happening on April 18th, 2009
from 11 am to 5 pm.  The Fair will be held at the St. Jacobs Arena, located
at 29 Parkside Dr. in St. Jacobs.  The purpose of the Fair is to raise
awareness of projects, products and services that are environmentally
friendly and to offer you an opportunity to promote the work of your
department.  Your help with staffing the Community Garden booth would be
greatly appreciated and help us get the word out about each of your gardens.
If you are interested in helping staff the Community Garden booth please let
Carol Popovic (plcarol at region.waterloo.on.ca) know by March 5th.

 

-          Sunoco Earth Day Event - Laurel Creek Conservation Area April
26th from 1-4pm.  Your help with staffing the Community Garden booth would
be greatly appreciated.  If you are available and interested please let
Carol Popovic (plcarol at region.waterloo.on.ca) know by February 26th. 

 

Events

 

-          Canning & Preserving Foods - Learn how easy it is to preserve
foods in your own kitchen, and then you too can make your own pickles,
sauces or other specialty items all year long. This workshop will cover the
physics, chemistry and biology of high acid canning as well as recipe
selection, equipment, sourcing supplies and of course, hands on canning for
everyone to take home! There will be a short discussion on other types of
preserving, including freezing and drying. March 7, 2009, 10:00am-4:00pm.
Fee: $85. The Working Centre at St. Johns Kitchen - 97 Victoria Street
North, Kitchener Ontario

 

-          Planning Your Organic Vegetable Garden -  Join us for this day
long workshop and learn how to grow delicious organic vegetables right in
your own backyard. This workshop will discuss various backyard garden
styles, planning for space needs, soil building, crop rotations, seed buying
and selecting the right plants and varieties for your garden for a steady &
delicious harvest from spring. March 28th, 10:00am-4:00 pm  Fee: $85. St.
Marks Lutheran Church - 825 King St. W. Kitchener, Ontario 

 

Interesting Links

 

-          Heart & Stroke Society Report Card 2009 Released.  The Foundation
reveals some startling discrepancies between the cost and accessibility of
basic healthy food within provinces and across the country.
http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=ikIQLcMWJtE
<http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=ikIQLcMWJtE&b
=4955951&ct=6715269> &b=4955951&ct=6715269

 

-          A Year of Food Life.  Video Clip interviewing Barbara Kingsolver
about her book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and a year of her life eating
locally.  http://climate.weather.com/video/

 

-          Food Freedom Day comes almost two weeks later due to recent price
hikes.  Food Freedom Day is the day when the Canadian Federation of
Agriculture says the average consumer has earned enough money to buy food
for the entire year.
http://www.nationalpost.com/todays_paper/story.html?id=1279667

 

-          Trust frees land for allotments.  The National Trust releases
land on country estates which could be used for up to 1,000 allotments.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/7898314.stm

 

 

Happy Garden Planning!

 

Candace

 

Please feel free to forward any events, interesting links, funding
opportunities, etc. to me for circulation.

 

________________________

 

Candace Wormsbecker

Community Garden Capacity Builder

 

Opportunities Waterloo Region

235  King St. E., Main Floor

Kitchener, ON

N2G 4N5

 

Tel: 519-883-2353 ext. 5984

Fax: 519-568-8587

 

"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today".
     ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

 

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