Vegetable garden with mulch
Hoping to beautify your garden or landscape with affordable trees and mulch? Then look no further than Clean North’s 2nd Annual ‘Green Side Up’ Event which will be held on Saturday, August 23rd, 2008 from 9 am to 12 Noon at Lemieux’s Composting, located at 764 Black Road.
For a small donation, the general public can bring containers and pick up Christmas tree mulch. There will be a variety of trees (Norway Spruce, Red Oak, Bur Oak, White Cedar and Red Pine) for sale along with rain barrels, worm composter kits, and coir blocks.
For more information, contact Clean North at (705) 945-1573.
At the market this week you might find:
- lettuce
- peas
- spinach
- radishes
- onions
- potatoes
- beets
- bok choy
- swiss chard
- rhubarb
- cabbage
- flowers
- broccoli
- cauliflower
Film on Future of Food this Friday
This week, also check out the film The Future of Food, part of the Cinema Politica series. This is a must-see film for those interested in the industrial production of food and its growing trends and a perfect response to those who wonder “What am I eating?”
After the showing, hand around for a discussion panel, which includes my good friend Lee-Ann Chevrette (creator of the Algoma Food Network), David Trivers (agriculture representative from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), and Jennie Pearce (vice president of the Algoma Farmers’ Market and CSA grower).
“The Future of Food offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled our grocery store shelves for the past decade,” Chevrette said.
I also recommend listening to CBC’s series Diet for a Hungry Planet, in particular Episode 2 where author Michael Pollan serves up his view on what we should eat (mostly plants), and takes a stroll down the supermarket lanes.
Jennie Pearce from the Algoma Farmer’s market sent in this list of local produce you can take home and enjoy. This week you can take home broccoli, bok choy, baby kale and potatoes for the first time:
- Bok choy
- Potatoes
- Baby kale
- Lettuce
- Radishes
- Spring onions
- Spinach
- Peas
- Beets
- Swiss chard
Find out where and when the Market is open on the Green Means calendar.
Wow, some positive and exciting news for a change, and it’s happening right here in northern Ontario. Ontario has made the largest conservation commitment in Canadian history, setting aside at least half the Northern Boreal region – 225,000 square kilometres – for permanent protection from development.
According to the Toronto Star article, the announcement is globally significant in the fight against climate change, since nearly 100 billion tonnes of carbon are stored in the Northern Boreal region and another 12.5 million tonnes are absorbed each year.
What are your thoughts on this announcement?
Ontario to Protect Vast Tract [Toronto Star]
Photo credit: Peter Gorrie for the Toronto Star
Jennie Pearce from the Algoma Farmer’s market sent in this list of local produce you can take home and enjoy:
- Lettuce
- Radishes
- Spring onions
- Spinach
- Peas
- Strawberries
- Beets
- Swiss chard
Be sure to get there early! The demand is greater than the supply, especially after the big success of last week’s Family Day. View photo gallery of event at SooToday.
Find out where and when the Market is open on the Green Means calendar.
First off, congratulations to Suzanne Hanna and the people who organize the Allard Street Community Garden. They received a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to replace the deteriorated wooden retaining walls and paving slabs around the existing raised garden plots in order to improve accessibility and safety for users. I heard the new fence is made of cedar, which is a very durable wood without the nasty chemicals found in pressurized lumber.
As well, the number of garden plots has been increased from 32 to 45, enabling more people to participate and grow food.
The Allard Street Community Garden currently provides space for 120 participants, many of whom are low income and without outdoor garden space to grow their own food.
It also provides social and recreational opportunities for Sault residents living with disabilities.
Read more of David Orazietti’s media release on SooToday.
Come for the food, stay for the fun
The Rocks and Trees group, a network of local people interested in healthy, sustainable living is having its social this month at the community garden. This is a family-friendly gathering for people who like good food and conversation. Toys for the kids!
What : Potluck for people interested in green living. Bring the family.
When : Friday, July 18, 6-9 pm
Where : Allard St. Community Garden, located next to the Canadian Red Cross, 105 Allard Steet (map)
No dishes will be provided and this is a garbage free event so please bring your own reuseable dishes or, if necessary, paper plates, cups and napkins which can be recycled.
Rain or shine as we can meet underneath the shade structure.
Small gas BBQ will be available as well as outlets for one or two crock pots. Washrooms will be accessible in the Red Cross building.
No real need to RSVP but it would be nice to know how many people to expect. Please email Don @ mcgormd AT cleannorth DOT org if you plan to attend and the number of people coming with you.
This Saturday, July 12 is Family Day at the Algoma Farmers’ Market. There will be face painting, children’s crafts, live animals and live music for all the family to enjoy as well as fresh vegetables (including strawberries) and locally produced goods.
Jennie, the AFM coordinator tells me there will be lettuce, radishes, rhubarb, spring onions, spinach, strawberries, and maybe some bok choy, baby beets and swiss chard. Mmm my mouth is salivating already.
Come out between 8 am and 12 pm, but best to get there early to get your choice of strawberries and veggies!
Wow, what an action packed week, something for the environmentalist in each of us. Check out the calendar for information on:
- Potential nuclear expansion in the north
- Workshops for consumers and businesses on how to save money in the face of rising gas prices
- A coming of summer celebration up at Searchmont, with everything from nature hikes to live music and arts and crafts
See the calendar for more information.
Have an eco-friendly, healthy living event you’d like to promote? Fill out the community event form.
Come and meet local farmers and obtain fresh local produce grown right here in Algoma district. Besides vegetables, you will also find a variety of baking, crafts, honey, maple syrup, cheese, preserves, and local fruits in season. Support local farmers, healthy foods, and local food security.
The market is open on Saturdays from 8 am – 12 pm, and later in July opens on Wednesdays. See the events calendar for more details.
Earlier this week I was fortunate to record Mary Eaton, a local beekeeper on CBC Radio, talking about her favourite hobby. If you missed it, have a listen and learn more about what it takes to care for bees.
photo courtesy of View Through My Lens
Jeff Arbus, a local organizer of a citizens’ committee on air quality in the Sault sent the following message after attending tonight’s Algoma Steel open house on their efforts to address their (negative) environmental impact:
Tonight’s open house on Air Quality, hosted by Algoma Steel, was in Bayview. About 50 people came through, which I think was a decent, but not overwhelming turnout.
There is another open house tomorrow night (Wednesday) from 4 – 8 p.m. at the Great Northern Resort and Conference Centre (formerly Best Western) on Great Northern Road.
I urge you to attend, even if only for a few minutes. Bring a friend. It is a “come and go” and not a formal meeting. Representatives from ASI are there to answer questions and explain their display material, also a rep. from the Ministry of the Environment. If you can go, and even better if you can bring family members or a friend, be sure to sign the attendance roster so that there is a record of the number of people who attend.
This is having an impact on ASI. The company is responding responsibly and while that is a good thing, there is more to do. The voice of the community needs to continue to be raised. The message is to encourage ASI in continuing to implement measures to lower air emissions, and to maintain the controls they are implementing, even while they expand production. There is every reason to believe that this can be done.
I echo Jeff’s comments – it is well worth the time to learn first-hand what ASI is doing.
A few rocks and trees groupies were there, including Frank McGillivray, Carol Martin and myself. I finally got to meet David Trowbridge, a recognized local expert on air quality. David wrote several studies on air quality in the Sault and is the scientist behind the air quality monitoring station at Sault College.
Networking with other people passionate about the environment was the main highlight for me. We discussed the need for different groups to work more together. This is the direction we greenies need to move in. That’s why I started rocks and trees as well as this web site. That work is starting to bear fruit.
The other takeaway for me is that Algoma Steel has people working on environmental issues who really do care about doing the right thing. Frank and I chatted with a guy named Jerry who has been with Algoma Steel for over 20 years. He was thoughtful, open, informative – an excellent ambassador for the company.
I also spoke with Brenda Stenta, their communications person who is interested in having a follow-up conversation on how to work together to educate and engage the public on ASI’s environmental issues.
My sense is Algoma Steel is now taking some important steps to reduce emissions, and it was helpful to see that up close. I’m no expert, though, so I look forward to learning more from people like David in the coming weeks. There is much more to be done, and we citizens of Sault Ste. Marie have an important role to play. Look for some big announcements on this blog in the coming months.
