Growing project
Cumberland House First Nations will launch a growing project this spring.
Produce will be sold daily at a market stand in the central Saskatchewan community at reduced prices.
About 10 acres have been prepared for the garden operation, which will include high tunnels to extend the growing season.
Murray Gray, project manager, said it will include one tunnel of grape, roma and slicing tomatoes, peppers and strawberries and two tunnels of cantaloupe.
Two aces of potatoes, one-half acre of carrots, one-half acre of corn, lettuce, beets, turnips, onions, and peas will also be planted, with the peas and corn seeded into plastic mulch for frost protection and early harvest.
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In addition, 10,000 strawberry plants will be planted outside for the community U-pick.
“We want to be able to become self-sufficient in vegetables for the community,” said Gray.
The group plans to buy a corn planter, transplanter, harvester and mulch spreader. Currently, five full-time employees and two technical instructors are involved in the project.
OYF
Abbotsford chicken producers Kerry and Anita Froese were named the B.C. and Yukon Outstanding Young Farmers this month.
Kerry is a second generation broiler chicken farmer in Abbotsford who helped found B.C. Young Farmers and is the president of the Canadian Young Farmers Forum. He has also served on the B.C. Chicken Growers Association and B.C. Chicken Marketing board. His parents began with a broiler breeder and raspberry farm and later added a broiler farm. He began managing the farm in his teens.
The family consolidated the quotas into Triple F (Froese Family Farm) Enterprises and built two double-decker barns on a 20 acre property. The farm produces 1.9 million kilograms of chicken per year.
The Froeses have added cameras, weigh scales and lighting to improve production and an air compressor and thermal jet fogger to make the operation more efficient.
OYF candidates between 19 and 39 years old are judged on conservation practices, production history, financial and management practices and community service. A national winner will be chosen from regional winners at the group’s conference in November in Edmonton.
Seedy Saturday
Seed saving is the theme of the 15th annual Winnipeg Seedy Saturday celebration of local seeds, native plants, regional food and the beginning of a new growing season.
It will take place Feb. 14 at Canadian Mennonite University and include seed vendors and local organizations involved in food, farming and seed issues.
For more information, visit www.winnipegseedysaturday.wordpress.com.
Donation
A $2,500 donation to the Herschel Quilting and Recycling Group by Enbridge is helping the Saskatchewan group buy sewing machines.
The group keeps cloth material out of the landfill by recycling it into quilts each year from January to April.
Women from Herschel and surrounding communities meet twice a week to create quilts, which are in turn donated and sold at an annual quilt sale in April or in a raffle.
Money raised goes to help those in need in the local community and overseas.
