Spring is in the air at Erin Garden Club

As published in The Erin Advocate

In the middle of winter, when the great outdoors is looking a bit dreary, a meeting of the Erin Garden Club is just the thing to stir up hopes of springtime.

The group normally meets in the Wellington Room at Centre 2000, providing an opportunity each month for education and inspiration on all aspects of gardening.

“We are a service group and we need new volunteers to help in planting and maintaining gardens in the village of Erin,” said President Jenny Frankland, at the January meeting.

Birdhouse Building was the topic for speaker JoAnne Howes, but not the traditional style of construction. She took on the creative challenge of making birdhouses out of natural material such as gourds, or household objects just waiting to be re-used.

“We went to Wastewise and got all kinds of junk,” said Howes, showing off a series of unique creations. “We had fun making these, and I think we spent $10.”

Howes showed off several bird shelters made from unlikely items, such as a teapot, a jelly mould, an olive oil can and children’s rubber boots. You can even make a birdhouse out of a 2-litre plastic pop bottle, painted to suit your garden décor. Step-by-step instructions for various projects are readily available on-line.

Nest-friendly enclosures will normally have a hole of 1 to 1.5 inches, and an interior area of 4 to 5 inches square, depending on the type of bird you want to attract. An outside perch is needed, and some ventilation and drainage holes inside are a good idea.

Instead of creating complete birdhouses, some gardeners simply like to create sheltered nooks for birds that are willing to build more open nests. Just make sure that cats can’t get at them.

Birds will use a wide variety of materials for nests, including sticks, moss, grasses, leaves, feathers, dog hair, dryer lint, pine needles, bits of string and cedar chips. Providing a nearby supply could encourage a building project.

The Garden Club has a series of flower shows with different themes, where members can compete with entries that they have grown or designed.

There are various guest speakers throughout the year, with Garden Ergonomics featured at the February 24 meeting. Other topics include the growing of cacti and other succulents, plant spirit medicine and home landscape principles.

Some sessions provide hands-on workshops, such as Fairy Garden Planting, Garden Hedgehogs and Seasonal Decorations.

Other events are field trips to special gardens, and there’s the Garden House Tour on July 16, which is open to the public. On September 9-10, the club will have their Plant Sale at McMillan Park in Erin village. The Annual Meeting in October features a Photography Show.

Members are entitled to discounts at Country Crops, Country Garden Concrete, the Dufferin Garden Centre, Greenscape Nursery and Meadowville Garden Centre.

More information about the club, also known as the Erin Horticultural Society, is available at eringardenclub.ca.

Food strategy discussion at Family Farm screening

As published in The Erin Advocate

The creative ways in which small family farms can prosper in an era of industrialized agriculture will be the topic of a film screening and panel discussion hosted by Transition Erin.

The showing of the CBC-sponsored documentary The Family Farm will take place at 7 pm this Friday, February 13, at the Legion Hall on Dundas Street East. Admission is free.

Created by Ari Cohen, the film explores the farm-to-table process through the lens of Canadian small farmers and identifies the systemic barriers they face in running a profitable farm.

“There’s got to be a better way of growing food, something that makes us feel responsible and proud of what we’re doing,” said one farmer in the documentary.

“We’re a dying breed,” said another. “The corporate farm is slowly taking us over and there doesn’t seem to be too much concern about it. It’s not only the production of food, but we are looking after the environment and the land. When it gets into corporate hands, things get lost.”

Discussion after the screening will centre on how a coordinated plan for a sustainable food system can be promoted in Erin and Guelph-Wellington.

“These are creative times for farmers, and I’m surprised at how many young people are involved,” said organizer Jay Mowat. “If you get out to the farmers’ markets, you’ll get to know the person who is selling you your food. Family farms can still be made profitable.”

The panelists will include Mark Skinner, Manager at Everdale Organic Farm, Matt Setzkorn, Executive Director at Ontario Farmland Trust and Pam Fanjoy, Owner of The Friendly Chef Adventures and the Mill Run Eatery in Erin.

The event is co-sponsored by the Guelph-Wellington Food Round Table (www.gwfrt.com), which seeks to build up production, distribution and consumption of local food. The group hopes to increase self-sufficiency, reduce impact on the environment and preserve rural communities. They support the Community Gardens Network and initiatives such as Taste Real and the Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT).

The other sponsor is the Guelph chapter of the Ontario Public Interest Research Group (www.opirgguelph.org), part of an international network on social and environmental issues, founded by activist Ralph Nader.

It is difficult to adopt a conserving farm lifestyle in today’s society, and a variety of projects plus outside jobs are often needed to ensure year-round income.

In some ways, the challenges of farmers are similar to those of many other small businesses. But it other ways they are unique, because of the demanding way of life, the close connection with the power of nature and the proud tradition of public service.

Family farms remain an important part of Canada’s economic backbone, and they play a role in ensuring the survival and well-being of local communities and environments. It is a heritage worth preserving, both with government policy and our consumer dollars.

Gourmet groceries at new downtown restaurant

As published in The Erin Advocate

Chef Pam Fanjoy has taken an opportunity to combine her passion for local food with an interest in local history by opening the Mill Run Eatery on Main Street in downtown Erin village.

It is part gourmet grocery store, with some products not normally available in a small town, and a 14-seat breakfast-lunch restaurant that offers Sunday brunch and features a large community table.

Located in the building vacated by Carver’s Block, the Mill Run is two doors up from The Friendly Chef Adventures (formerly What’s Cookin’), which Fanjoy started just a year ago. The locations are on either side of Erin’s historic millrace, which once diverted water from Hull’s Dam on Church Blvd. to the mill behind Budson Farm and Feed, running directly under Debora’s Chocolates.

“I was concerned as a new business owner that Carver’s Block had closed, and I saw an opportunity to expand,” said Fanjoy, whose motto is, “Eat well with friends.” She says the new location has been doing OK even though they haven’t got a sign up yet.

Her primary business was already expanding and in need of more space. In addition to prepared foods, gift baskets and kitchen-related products, Friendly Chef Adventures is now fully licensed and serving lunch, providing catering, offering cooking classes and renting out space for parties.

The Mill Run Eatery has its restaurant seating by the window, then inside are displays that include a selection of cheeses and fresh meats. Each Friday, they bring in a different supply of fresh seafood for the weekend. There are also sections for frozen foods, and fresh produce such as lemon grass.

“I asked the community what they wanted,” said Fanjoy, who is a partner in the Taste•Real initiative for Guelph and Wellington, promoting the benefits of local, organic products. Information on events and incoming specials is available at www.thefriendlychef.ca.

The décor pays homage to Erin’s village history, with a large historical downtown map showing the millrace and photos of four mills from the 1800s. The location even has a trap door leading to the old water route.

While premium offerings do cost a bit more, Fanjoy said she has making an effort to offer people choices and to keep prices reasonable.

The Mill Run sells the Planet Bean line of coffee from Guelph – Fair Trade and Certified Organic – ready to drink or as beans. They have been carrying products from Everdale Farm near Hillsburgh, and meat from Wellington County farms that do not use hormones and antibiotics to enhance growth.

Packaged products include Roasted Chickpeas, Bomba Rice, Soup Girl mixes, 00 Pasta Flour, Smoked Paprika Powder (spicy or mild), and there are natural soda drinks with flavours like Blackberry-Pomegranate-Ginger and Pineapple-Coconut-Nutmeg.

Bottled products include All-Natural Mayonnaise, Rice and Fig Balsamic Vinegar, and various oils – Almond, Sesame, Hazelnut and Walnut.

The eatery is open every day from 9 am to 5 pm, except Friday when they are open until 6 pm. Sunday Brunch ($12.50 for adults, $10.50 for kids) is served 9 am to 2 pm.

Bioswales and rain gardens reduce stormwater impact

As published in The Erin Advocate

Credit Valley Conservation is urging municipalities and landowners to use techniques that allow more rainwater to soak into the ground, instead of simply dumping it into the closest stream.

It’s part of a trend called Low Impact Development (LID) that sees the asphalt and concrete surfaces of urban areas as a threat, leading to excessive sediment and chemicals in waterways.

“We want to reconnect the natural hydrological cycling within our urban areas,” said Cassie Corrigan, a CVC Water Resource Specialist, at a workshop last fall.

Biorention planters and swales allow
more rainwater to soak into the ground.
Photo courtesy of CVC.

Some measures can be required by planning regulations, while others are optional. Not every municipality is forcing developers to incorporate LID features.

“If a developer isn’t forced to do it, they’re not going to do it,” said Corrigan.

LID practices do not just apply to new housing developments. They can be used when roads are reconstructed, when parks or commercial zones are improved and when buildings are retrofitted.

Grants are sometimes available to offset the added costs of LID and municipalities can offer incentives through their water rates to encourage property owners to make specific changes.

In practice, LID starts by dealing with some of the rain where it lands, installing permeable paving, directing residential downspouts away from driveways and sewers, harvesting rainwater for other uses (such as water gardens or flushing toilets) and installing vegetation-covered green roofs on suitable buildings.

The risk of flooding on streets and properties can be reduced with bioswales – the new name for shallow grassy ditches. Other strips of land engineered with good drainage and a variety of low-maintenance plants, shrubs and trees are called rain gardens or bioretention swales.

These slow the run-off and filter out pollutants from roads and parking areas. They improve stream habitat and ease the burden on municipal infrastructure, extending its life and reducing the investment needed to build and maintain the system.

The goal is to allow as much water as possible to infiltrate the ground or evaporate before it ends up in a storm sewer, with the benefit of adding attractive greenery to urban areas.

Even where underground servicing is needed, it may be possible to use perforated pipes that allow some of the water to return to the ground.

Flood control still requires the use of ponds, which can be either dry or partially filled between major storms.

These are not ideal, however, since the discharged water is warmer than normal and not completely filtered, and there can be a build-up of sediment. Vegetated wetlands can also be created, though these have the potential of increasing phosphorus in the discharge.

Former Town of Erin Water Superintendent Frank Smedley said in 2012 that LID would not be suitable for the planned Solmar subdivision north of Erin village, due to the high groundwater and low permeability of the soils in the area.

For case studies, guidelines and more information on Low Impact Development, go to www.bealeader.ca.

Permaculture author predicts major upheaval

As published in The Erin Advocate

It’s difficult to put your finger on permaculture. It’s more than a way of gardening, but it’s not a formal science. It’s more than an attitude, but it’s not quite a religion. In its purer forms, it is too radical for most people, but it is having an influence on our culture, and it could become more prominent if things really start to fall apart.

Permaculture author Peter Bane was in Erin last week promoting the core strategies of this “way of thinking” to a receptive audience of about 50 at All Saints Church. The meeting was hosted by Transition Erin, which is part of a movement that sprang from the ideals of permaculture.

Bane is the author of The Permaculture Handbook and publisher of Permaculture Activist journal. Farmer Val Steinmann introduced him as a North American leader in the field, helping make permaculture a global movement, taking it “from the fringes, to the mainstream of church basements”.

Bane calls permaculture “a design system rooted in ecological science”, focused on care of the earth, care of people and fair distribution of surplus. This is linked to awareness of limits within nature, and the need to limit population and consumption.

“It’s a way of thinking about problems and turning them into solutions holistically – we can do it in our lives, we can do it in our businesses, we can do it in our communities,” he said.

“Permaculture is fundamentally about economic democracy, about recreating resources at the local level so that everyone has enough. The problem with our economy is that is continues to concentrate wealth in a few hands. There are more than a billion people on this planet who are hungry every single day.

“In the process of building the industrial economy over the last 200 years, we have destroyed large parts of the earth. We have to recreate the wealth that our ancestors inherited and used up to bring us to where we are today.”

The idealism of the movement can be seen in goals such full employment, with full enjoyment of worthwhile work.

“If we were all doing more of what we really liked and loved to do, those would be those jobs that need doing. Planting trees, cultivating gardens, taking care of people, building community among wonderful people like this,” he said.

“The answers are in our front and back yards, in our neighbourhoods. By turning our attention to building soil at home, growing food, processing and trading it locally, we can build the local economy, rebuild our health and restore the basis for economic democracy by creating real resilience. Food sovereignty means political sovereignty.”

The message also has that familiar apocalyptic tone. The ravages of climate change, energy shortages, overpopulation and depleted soils will destroy the wasteful economy that we know, and if we survive, we will all have to manage with less of everything. Bane says the problems are too entrenched to be solved by governments, and that it will take grassroots movements to make progress.

“Now, we’re living in the time of the whirlwind – all these things are squeezing us into smaller and smaller space,” he said. “What we’re about is redesigning human culture. It’s a complete cultural transformation we’re after. Everyone is going to go through a traumatic and amazing cultural upheaval over the next two decades. We’d better be prepared, because it’s coming at us, like it or not.”

In practical terms at home, permaculture means taking control and looking for opportunities to conserve water and energy, recycle waste of every sort, grow food or buy from local producers and let nature do more work for us. Within the economy, it means shifting from oil to wind, solar and biomass energy and producing much of what we need locally.

The ideas are already well known, but we have not been forced to really take them seriously. When the crunch comes, the permaculture folks want to be ready to throw humanity a lifeline.

Stories needed for $5,000 grant competition

As published in The Erin Advocate

Donations of money and food are always welcome at the East Wellington Community Services (EWCS) Food Bank, but as part of a competition for a $5,000 grant, Erin and Rockwood residents are being asked to donate a few words to the cause.

The Guelph-based Oak Tree Project will award $5,000 to one charity for a new initiative.

EWCS wants to start a program called Growing, Giving & Getting Healthy. It will provide 520 Food Bank clients with a better quality of life through workshops on healthy eating and meal planning, including training and equipment for gardening and food preservation.

“It comes down to barriers and access,” said Erika Westcott, EWCS Manager of Community Services and Volunteers, noting that healthy eating can be difficult for clients in a time of high stress and a tight budget. “The more we can do to help them better their health, the more we help them get back on their feet.”

Groups will make it to a short list of five depending on the number of on-line nominations they get. Final judging will be based on the stories that people provide in their nominations, about why this charity is important to them.

“Originality counts in our judging – put some thought into your story,” says the website, www.oaktreeguelph.ca, in the Nominate section. Submissions are accepted from June 15 to July 31, and people can only vote once.

“We just need a short paragraph,” said Westcott. Nominators can also include a picture and a YouTube video link in their submission.

She said the competition provides a fun alternative to traditional grant applications. They are hoping to work with organizations like Transition Erin and Everdale that already have an interest in local, sustainable food production.

“It’s a chance to reach out and build partnerships with others, and make people aware of what we want to do,” said Westcott.

The program is organized by The Mactaggart Team, which provides investment management through Richardson GMP. They will make a primary donation of $5,000 and a second one of $1,000.

“We’re not just handing over a cheque to a worthwhile organization,” they said. “We’re encouraging the community to identify the needs that matter to them – and we’re expecting to hear some amazing stories of impact along the way.

“This will help our community’s charities spread to word long after the contest ends. When charities have strong roots beneath them, they are more resilient with the best infrastructure, people, tools and resources to do their work.”

Erin FoodShed project promotes local sources

As published in Country Routes

Cathy Hansen is on a mission to change people's eating habits, promoting the benefits of choosing local, seasonal foods through the Erin FoodShed project.

Unlike a river watershed, a foodshed is not so much a defined geographic territory as it is a way to think about the sources of food. The whole world has become a foodshed for a prosperous nation like Canada, but critics say the long-distance food system is too expensive and harmful to the environment.

Hansen is an organic farmer and chef based in Ospringe, known for her efforts to educate people about the links between food and the effects of climate change, especially at Erin's Fast Forward film nights.

"One of the actions we can take to try to alleviate some of these catastrophes that seem to be coming down the pipe towards us, is to learn to feed ourselves well," she said recently.

Cathy Hansen teaching kids at St. John Brebeuf school about organic veggies.

LolaJean Gentles

"Climatic variation will inevitably alter the production and availability of food worldwide. The way we fertilize our fields and transport food around the globe has already had a big impact on the rising concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

"We'd like you to start thinking about food as something that comes from something similar to what you would think of as your watershed. It's food from nearby, and if it's going to help us with some of these dilemmas, it should be organically grown."

Organic farming uses practices that preserve water, and is done without the use of pesticides or fossil fuel based fertilizers.

"It takes 32,000 cubic feet of natural gas to make one ton of granular nitrogen fertilizer. In organic growing, the nutrients come from biological fertility. I know we've been talking about things that seem insurmountable, but organic food is a route that we can all take to try to avoid some of these seemingly catastrophic circumstances in the future."

Consumer demand for non-local, non-seasonal food results not only in a waste of energy, but in direct damage to the environment. Many of the foods we eat travel more than 3,000 kilometers to get from the producer to the dinner table. One third of all greenhouse gases produced in Canada are created by using fossil fuels to grow, process and deliver food.

The FoodShed project has been developed by Hansen with her daughter Emily, Heidi Matthews and LolaJean Gentles. They added to the hospitality of the film nights this year by providing simple, nutritious snacks, along with recipes for people to take home.

"One of our principles is 'Simple' – we wanted to make sure that the recipes are easy for people to adopt and enjoy with their families," said Emily.

Local food has the advantage of using minimal fuel to transport it to market, and requires less petroleum-based plastic packaging. Choosing seasonal food means adapting your diet to what is currently available fresh, or what can be practically preserved and stored for the winter.

The advocates of local food do not suggest that people should abandon foods that cannot be grown in Ontario. Products such as lemons, chocolate, curry or pepper add valuable variety to any diet.

"The final principle is 'Storied Food' – food that comes from our community that has a face," said Cathy. Many people appreciate knowing details about their food – the farms, people and growing methods in the FoodShed.

There is a plan to carry on the Erin FoodShed effort through Transition Erin, an umbrella group for a wide range of activities including the film festival, climate change issues, sustainable development, wastewater solutions and skills for a conserving lifestyle. They have created a FoodShed working group, and their website, www.transitionerin.ca, has an introduction and all the current recipes.

Hansen is active with the Canadian Organic Growers (www.cog.ca) and recently presented an Organic Backyard workshop for Transition Guelph. She is also a Canadian Red Seal Chef, a program that sets inter-provincial standards and administers exams in various fields.

She and her husband Kaj operate Bernway Farm near Ospringe, specializing in organically grown vegetables and eggs from their flock of free-range hens. They also have a CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) plan, where people buy shares in the produce and get a regular batch of seasonal vegetables.

Bernway Farm is a founding member of Erin’s Homegrown Harvest, a local network that includes All Sorts Acres, Deerfields, Everdale Farm & Environmental Learning Centre, Golden Innisfree Farms, Heartwood Farm, Mockingbird Farm, Whole Circle Farm, Whole Village Farm, Willow Creek, and 5 Acre Farm.

You can find out more at www.homegrownharvest.ca. It includes information on the 200 Kilometre Lunch project, where Hansen went into schools to teach kids about the value of local food.

That effort also motivated the creation of a curriculum package for Ontario schools called "Take a Healthy Bite out of Climate Change" by Hansen, with Liz Armstrong, Heidi Matthews  and Amy Oucheterlony of the Climate Change Action Group of Erin. It is a free package that teachers can choose, to help students learn about climate change and develop healthier eating habits.

"Food is one part of life where kids can actually make some direct (+ delicious) decisions which have an impact on their carbon footprint," said Armstrong.

Piloted at area schools, the program is a tool to help meet Grade 5-6 curriculum objectives in areas like Language, Science & Technology, Geography, Social Studies, Math and Health.

Of course, there are many different efforts to promote the benefits of buying local food. At the Erin Fair Grounds on Main Street, the Erin Agricultural Society will once again host its Friday Farmers' Market, 3-7pm every Friday from June 14 until September 27. Vendors are being recruited, with the priority on local (Ontario) food. For more details, go to www.erinfair.ca.

The Rural Romp, a self guided tour to farms, nurseries and food businesses in North Wellington, will be held on Saturday, May 25, 11am - 4pm. The 8th Annual "taste•real" Guelph Wellington Local Food Fest will take place on Sunday, June 23.

More details will be published soon at their website, www.guelphwellingtonlocalfood.ca, where you can learn about other agricultural and culinary events and download a copy of the Local Food Map with information on a variety of farm and market outlets. Get a copy of the map mailed to you by calling 1-800-334-4519.

Here are some of the Foodshed recipes:

Bumpkin Cake

2 cups organic butternut squash or pumpkin (pureed)
1 cup fair trade organic sugar  OR  ½ cup honey
½ cup organic applesauce
¼ cup organic light cooking oil (Ontario sunflower)
4 organic eggs
½ tsp salt
Beat until well blended.
In a separate bowl combine:
1 cup organic all purpose flour
1 cup organic whole-wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp organic ground cinnamon *
½ tsp organic ground ginger *
* organic spices are readily available from natural food stores.
Add the wet to the dry ingredients.  Stir until well blended.
Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 cake pan.  Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 40-45 min or until well browned and firm to the touch.
Freezes really well.
Tip for cooking pumpkins and hollow squashes:
Remove stem and poke holes with a fork.  Bake in a covered roast pan with ½" of water until very tender.  Butternut squash should be cut in half lengthwise, baked cut side down.  When cool, remove seeds, scrape out the flesh, and puree.  Pack in 2-cup portions.  Keeps 1 year in the freezer.

Maple Oatmeal Cookies - makes 3-4 dozen

½ cup butter, softened
¾ cup maple syrup (darker the better)
1 egg
¼ cup plain yoghurt
¼ tsp salt
1 cup all purpose flour
¾ cup whole wheat or whole spelt flour
¼ tsp each cinnamon and ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1¼ cup oatmeal
Beat butter and maple syrup until well blended.  Add the egg, yoghurt and salt and continue beating until well combined.
Mix the dry ingredients (not the oatmeal) and add to the butter mixture.
Finally stir in the oats until just blended.
Drop by small spoonfuls on a lined baking sheet.  Bake at 375 F 10-12 minutes or until dark golden brown.

Potato Cookies

1 lb. organic potatoes - cooked
½ cup nuts *
½ cup local honey
2 organic eggs
chopped nuts
* one local Black and Persian walnuts source is Grimo Nut Nursery in Niagara - they ship!
Grind nuts and add honey, one egg, and one egg yolk (save the egg white).
Mash in potatoes until mixed well.  Roll into 1-inch balls and then roll them in chopped nuts.
Brush with egg whites.  Bake at 350 F for 15 min.

Red Cabbage

1 head of organic red cabbage
2 TBSP organic apple cider vinegar
¼ cup Fair Trade organic sugar
1 tsp salt
½ cup red currant jelly  OR  ½ cup organic apple cider
1 organic apple (sliced thin)
Cut cabbage into 4 parts, cut into thin strips. Add cabbage to large pot along with all remaining ingredients.
Cook for 15 minutes, stirring often.
Simmer uncovered for about an hour stirring occasionally.  Prepare in advance and refrigerate.  Reheat in oven or on stove top.

Beet Hummus - makes about 3 cups

4 cups cooked, peeled and cubed local, organic beets
2 TBSP organic tahini
½ - ¾ tsp ground cumin
1½ tsp organic lemon juice
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp local, organic garlic, finely minced
Boil the beets until very tender then peel and chop into 1" chunks.
Put the beets, garlic, and tahini in a food processor and blend until quite smooth.  Add lemon, cumin, and salt.  Continue blending until thoroughly mixed.
Adjust seasoning.
Tastes better after 1 day!

Great Green Dip

1 cup of Greek or strained yogurt
2 TBSP mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic (roasted or fresh)
Combine yogurt, mayonnaise and garlic in food processor until blended.
1 cup finely chopped kale (fresh of frozen)
½ cup finely chopped spinach or other seasonal greens (fresh or frozen)
2 chopped green onions
¼ cup chopped radish
¼ cup chopped carrot
Combine chopped veggies in a bowl and stir in yogurt mixture.
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp ground pepper
¼ paprika
Season dip to taste.
Serve with fresh veggies, corn chips, or toasted pita.

Raise Your Eyebrows, Knock your Socks Off, Apple Cider-Chili-Bean Dip

Prep. time: 10 min   Makes approximately 2 cups
2 cups organic beans cooked & drained (Kidney & Pinto beans work well together)
     OR BEGIN WITH
1 cup organic dry beans.  Cook and drain.

¼ cup organic olive oil or local organic sunflower oil
1 TBSP organic apple cider vinegar
1 tsp organic lemon juice (or to taste)
2 tsp organic chili powder
½ tsp organic ground cumin *
1 TBSP organic tomato paste
Pinch of salt
* organic spices are readily available from natural food stores.
In food processor (fitted with a blending blade) combine all of the ingredients.  Blend until smooth.  Taste and adjust flavours until it knocks your socks off!
This is great as a snack with crackers, pita, or carrot sticks.

Parsnip Chips

Did you know...  Parsnips are sweeter after a frost!  They can be left in the garden after the frost date and harvested through the winter and spring.
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Slice parsnips into approx. 1/8 inch pieces.
Toss in a bowl with organic olive oil or local organic sunflower oil.
Spread out on cookie sheet in a single layer.  Sprinkle with salt if desired.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until parsnips are soft and golden brown.
Serve warm!

Beekeepers helps farmers improve crop yields

As published in Country Routes

For Stacey Holland, beekeeping is not just about the joys of tending these fascinating little creatures and harvesting some wonderful honey. It is part of an organic farming lifestyle and an effective means of boosting the output of nearby crops.

While collecting nectar and pollen from flowers, honey bees pollinate the plants that supply about one third of the human diet, from apples and almonds to strawberries and soybeans, as well as cotton.

Stacey in her protective suit

"Humans need bees more than bees need humans," said Stacey. Bees have been around for about 30 million years, but the normal lifespan of a female worker bee in the summertime is less than 40 days.

Honey bees are not native to North America, and would probably prefer a warmer climate if they weren't being tended as a semi-domesticated species.

For humans, bees have always had a special status, since they produce a food that is packed with more energy than sugar, plus vitamins and minerals. It is ready to eat out of the hive and doesn't go bad. Stacey was always fond of bees and honey, and impressed by their sense of community.

"The colony is a community that relies upon each other. It amazes me, what it can achieve. I love the fact that they are hard workers, how they build comb, how they attend to the queen – it's just this one big entity. Especially after living in Toronto, I didn't feel a sense of community any more there."

Pulling a flat

She encountered the folks from Everdale Farm back in 2005, when they were selling organic produce at Cabbagetown in Toronto, and she saw a notice about farming internships. She ended up taking a leave of absence from her job at CBC in 2007, to learn how to be a farmer. She spent seven and a half months at Everdale near Hillsburgh, and chose beekeeping as an extra activity

"Farming and beekeeping go hand in hand," said Stacey, who comes from a family of farmers on her father's side. "This is definitely my avocation – getting people excited about food. I'd always wanted to learn how to grow food on a larger scale."

She got beekeeping advice from mentors such as Erin's Jay Mowat, and decided to keep her own bees, working with the Toronto Beekeepers' Cooperative. Unfortunately, she lost her first hive. The bees used up their store of honey and did not make it through the winter.

Separating the hive

Bees become more dormant and cluster together for warmth in the winter, with the help of well-wrapped hives. But in a warmer winter they can be more active and eat through their food supply more quickly than expected, resulting in the need for a sugar water rescue.

"It's 40 per cent science and 60 per cent intuition; and I'm still honing in on the intuition," said Stacey. Although she's been in the business for a few years now, she still thinks of herself as an apprentice, relying on the advice of experienced beekeepers.

"It doesn't cost a lot of money. It's one of the cheapest livestock that you can invest in," she said. "In my first year, I broke even after selling my honey."

She was surprised that she could get 250 pounds of honey from one hive. Bees are bred to create more honey than they need for themselves.

She was also pleasantly surprised to win first place when she entered her honey in the Erin Fall Fair in 2010. She's been able to sell all of her product through the farm where she keeps her bees and to co-workers at CBC. Her honey is sold raw, as opposed to that which is heated to improve liquidity.

"People really, really like the honey," she said. "There are a lot of floral notes in raw honey, and I encourage people to taste the difference."

Honey connoisseurs (like wine experts) can taste the traces of the plants that helped create the final product. Stacey's bees draw their nectar not only from garden crops, but from apple blossoms, asters, dandelions, wildflowers, clover and sunflowers.

She gave up a city lifestyle for a rural home north of Rockwood. She has maintained her full-time duties doing program scheduling for CBC Television, but takes Fridays as vacation days from spring to autumn, to work at Bernway Farm just north of Ospringe.

She maintains two hives there and does other chores with farmers Cathy and Kaj Hansen, who specialize in organically-grown vegetables, and eggs from free-range hens, and have a CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) operation. They had been looking for a way to improve their crops yields, and knew bees could help.

"Having honey bees so close to our garden has made a big difference in the rate of pollination of our cucurbits (cucumber family of plants)," said Cathy. "These include cucumbers, winter squash, zucchini, watermelon and other melons. Raspberries are considered self-pollinating, but the fruit set has been much heavier since the bees arrived... We are happier farmers knowing our community is more diverse."

Other fruiting plants like tomatoes and peppers are not pollinated by honey bees, but do benefit from being "buzzed" to shake the pollen loose.

Lighting the smoker

"I try to stick with as many organic practices as possible, not using man-made chemicals to treat your hives," said Stacey. "Because we are providing them a home, there are responsibilities that go with that."

Organic-based compounds can be used, such as formic acid to combat Varroa mites, carriers of a virus which is a serious threat to the bee population. Chemical treatments are not to be used when bees are producing marketable honey.

The Climate Change Action Group of Erin recently presented the documentary film Queen of the Sun: What are the Bees Telling Us. It examined the problem of Colony Collapse Disorder, in which the normal behaviour of bees is disrupted. They stop maintaining their hives and die off in large numbers.

Stacey has not experienced this problem, but it has been a major issue for beekeepers in the past five years. The causes are not certain, but could be a combination of viruses, parasites and the stress of various agricultural pesticides in the environment.

Smoking the hive

A beehive in the summer can have 50,000 to 80,000 honey bees. Almost all are female workers who cannot reproduce – that job is reserved for the queen. She gets a constant diet of a special food called royal jelly, and lays 1,500 to 2,000 eggs per day. Only the females have stingers – used only in defense, since a sting will result in the bee's death.

There are relatively few male drones, who do no work in the hive, since their only responsibility is to mate with a virgin queen. In the fall, the drones are forced out of the hive by the workers, to lower the population and conserve food for themselves and the queen.

Worker bees start out as nurses for the larvae, then graduate to housekeeping, queen-tending and hive-guarding. Finally they become field bees, collecting pollen (protein), nectar (carbohydrate) and water for the colony. They communicate with chemical scents called pheromones and a special dance that conveys the direction to nectar sources, based on an angle relative to the position of the sun.

It takes about 2 million flower visits to make one pound of honey. Ontario had about 2,900 beekeepers last year, tending 87,000 colonies. They produced 8.8 million pounds of honey, valued at about $22 million.

The top of the brood chamber

Hive populations soar in the spring and summer, and beekeepers try to ensure there's enough room. If the queen senses overpopulation, she will signal the workers to create a new queen, then lead half of the bees away to create a new hive somewhere else.

Queens can also be purchased, either at the stage when they are almost ready to make their mating flight with the drones, or ones that are already mated (artificially inseminated).

Stacey expects to do two harvests, in August and September. She borrows an extractor, a machine that spins the wooden flats. She scrapes off the wax that seals the honeycomb cells, and the machine extracts the product with centrifugal force.

She skims off any foreign matter such as wax, plant bits or bee parts, and the honey can be put into jars for customers. No pasteurization is required, since bacteria and fungi cannot grow in honey.

The other products that some beekeepers produce include pollen, which is a beneficial food supplement for humans, and beeswax, which is used for candles.

Stacey Holland can be contacted by email at beehive_communications@sympatico.ca.

EDHS an Eco-School thanks to student efforts

As published in The Erin Advocate

Erin District High School has earned its first EcoSchool certification, thanks to the efforts of students in the Environmental Club.

The EcoSchools Program is part of an Ontario-wide initiative to save energy in the operation of schools, develop broad ecological literacy and encourage students to take leadership roles.

Students did an audit to see if lights, computers and televisions were being left on unnecessarily, and if waste handling could be improved. There’s a core group of about seven students in the club, plus others who help with various activities, under the direction of teacher Ross Watson.

After the initial assessment, they urged teachers and students to change their habits. Reminder stickers were placed on light switches and a pizza party was offered for the class that reduced energy use the most.

Ross Watson, Rachel Plant and Jake McEvoy

“Over the lunch hour, we had significant improvement - especially in the gym,” said Jake McEvoy.

After completing the program, the school’s score of 69.25 earned an EcoSchool certificate at the Silver level. They will be shooting for the Gold level next year.

“We’d like to have a garden, with herbs and spices, and fruits and veggies for the cafeteria,” said Rachel Plant. They would like to support that garden with a large composter, which can be turned to mix food scraps from the cafeteria.

A filling station for re-usable water bottles would promote the drinking of filtered tap water instead of commercially-bottled water.

Other related activities have included community work - cleaning up garbage and planting trees. They did not score well for recycling, saying there are not enough bins in the cafeteria. There were also announcements with environmental tips, such as how to avoid wasteful Christmas gift wrapping.

The EcoSchool effort helps encourage best practices throughout the school system, and align school operations with what is taught in the classroom.

The current curriculum also allows students to major in specialties such as environmental studies by taking certain credits in Science and Geography, as well as completing a co-op work placement.

McEvoy and Plant are taking a course entitled Environmental Resource Management, and both are graduating this year.

He is planning to study Environmental Technology at Georgian College, and hopes to get a job related to waterways. She is planning on taking additional high school courses, then the Veterinary Technician program at Seneca College, and hopes to work in wildlife rehabilitation.

CVC enlists landowners to battle "super weeds"

As published in The Erin Advocate

Just because a species of plant is green and healthy does not mean it will be welcome when it moves into the neighbourhood, especially if it is an immigrant from Asia or Europe. An aggressive campaign has been mounted against invasive species, which can overwhelm native plants and take over large tracts of land.

Human activity has severely disrupted the slow, natural evolution of local ecosystems, creating opportunities for the invaders. Conservation authorities are now attempting to manage forests as one might tend a garden. It seems we must weed the wilderness if we want it to serve our needs.

Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) warns that aggressive new species can destroy the balance of ecosystems and reduce biodiversity, diminishing the goods and services we get from nature, including air and water regulation, recreation, crops, fish and wood products. The costs to Canada's agriculture and forestry sectors alone may be as high as $7.5 billion per year.

Teaching landowners about problem plants is a difficult task, so it is often presented as a war against intruders, or a hunt for criminals. The Ontario Invasive Plant Council publishes a series of "UN-WANTED" posters, with mug shots of plants like Dog-Strangling Vine, a member of the milkweed family that arrived from Europe about 120 years ago. It is currently invading backyards, altering natural areas "at an alarming rate" and has made it onto the CVC's Top Ten Troublemakers list.

The Town of Erin published a warning this year that Giant Hogweed (#1 on the CVC list) had been spotted in the area. This member of the carrot-parsley family, which grows 10-15 feet tall and looks like a giant Queen Anne's Lace, is a special public health hazard. Its watery sap has toxins that cause photo-dermatitis, meaning that skin contact followed by exposure to sunlight produces large, scar-causing blisters, and eye contact can cause blindness. Call County Weed Control if you encounter this plant.

Most of the aggressive newcomers, though, are not poisonous and are quite attractive on their own, with some available at your local nursery. CVC wants landowners to become aware of the most common ones, and to take action against them. That includes not planting them, digging them out (down to the root tips), trimming off seed pods before they open, mowing them down and attacking them with herbicides if necessary.

"People often don't care about this stuff until it actually affects them personally," said Rod Krick, a Natural Heritage Ecologist with CVC, at a recent seminar on invasive species. For example, a farmer would naturally be concerned about Dog-Strangling Vine if it threatened to make valuable pastureland unusable.

Often, these weeds don't simply grow among the native foliage, they obliterate it to create a monoculture. "These aren't just weeds, they are super weeds," said Krick.

While it may be necessary to battle these species, it is important to remember that the enemy is really our species. Humans have created the clear-cut and disturbed areas where invasives often thrive, and it is we who have transported most of them from their natural habitats, either accidentally or for ornamental and commercial purposes.

Sometimes, natural forces can help restore some balance. Do you remember Purple Loosestrife? It was a huge concern in the 1990s as it choked the life out of valuable wetlands under a sea of purple flowers. One of the reasons that invasives flourish is that they have been set free from their natural enemies. Severe infestations of purple loosestrife have been successfully controlled by introducing beetles that feed on it.

Others on the CVC hit list are Common Reed and Rough Manna Grass, which also invade wetlands, and Garlic Mustard, European Buckthorn and Non-Native Honeysuckles which take over forest floors, crowding out the native inhabitants.

CVC urges people who already have invasives to not let them "escape", and especially to not dump garden waste into or next to natural areas, where it could spread invasive seeds. CVC also suggests alternatives for gardeners and landscapers. For example, instead of aggressive ground covers like Periwinkle, English Ivy and Goutweed, consider Wild Ginger or Barren Strawberry.

Instead of Norway Maple, which grows so dense that it shades out all other native trees and shrubs, consider Freeman's Maple or Hackberry. Plant Joe-pye Weed instead of Japanese Knotweed, New England Aster instead of Himalayan Balsam, Blue Flag (Iris) instead of Flowering Rush, Switchgrass instead of Maiden Grass or Feather Grass, and Native Bush Honeysuckle or Witch-Hazel instead of Winged Euonymus (often sold as Burning Bush).

For more information, go to www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca, and the Watershed Science / Invasive Species section of the CVC site, www.creditvalleyca.ca.

Biodiversity will help us adapt to climate change

As published in The Erin Advocate

I can hardly wait to pick my Royal Burgundy Bush Beans. Of course, I still have to plant them, water them, weed them and thin them. But at picking time, they will be very easy to find among the green leaves, since they grow as violet-purple pods. The package promises that they will "magically turn an emerald green after cooking".

This version of the phaseolus vulgaris (common bean) was highly recommended when I attended a planting workshop with farmer Carl Keast. It was part of the annual Seedy Saturday event, on April 30 at Everdale Farm near Hillsburgh.

There were seed and plant vendors, a seed trading table, fun stuff for kids, advice on growing berries in your back yard from Ann Brown (the Plant Lady), and a chance to hear Cathy Nesbitt explain how red wigglers can quickly turn food scraps and paper into rich fertilizer. Her ventures include worm composting kits, compost consulting, manure management and even worm birthday parties. Check it out at www.cathyscomposters.com.

Our fruit and vegetable garden will expand this year, but there's no way it is going to feed us consistently. And since there is still no farmer's market in Erin, I took the plunge and bought into the Everdale Harvest Share program. I like the flexibility of the plan, which allows you to buy from 16 to 20 weeks worth of produce.

You get a certain number of "points", based on the size of share you buy. A small share works out to $18.64 per week and an extra large to $55.92 per week. The produce is priced in points, instead of dollars, and you spend your points as you please each week, starting June 16. Produce is available for pick-up at the farm only on Thursdays, 3-8 pm and Saturdays, 8:30-11 am. For more details, go to www.everdale.org.

The seeds I bought were "organic certified", which means the production process has been inspected to ensure it is generally free of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, with no use of genetically modified organisms or biosolids (sewage sludge fertilizer).

They were also "heirloom" seeds, meaning that they have been preserved within a longstanding seed line, and are normally pollinated naturally by insects, birds and wind.

They are less common in the seed market, which is controlled by a handful of companies that have phased out many types of seeds. A much narrower range of crops has been developed through closed pollination, breeding the ability to withstand specific weather conditions, pesticides, mechanical picking and cross-country shipping.

One of the most interesting events on Seedy Saturday was a discussion on biodiversity, hosted by Faris Ahmed, Director of Policy and Campaigns at USC Canada. The non-profit group promotes family farms, rural communities and healthy ecosystems in developing nations, and advocates reform of food policies in Canada. Learn more at www.usc-canada.org.

Last year was the United Nations Year of Biodiversity, with a focus on the accelerating loss of variety in plant and animal life due to human activity.

"It's not about biology, it's about life itself now," said Ahmed. "It is so important for health, our planet and for social justice. Biodiversity is the best measure of a healthy place. It is like an insurance policy...a system being resistant to shocks."

Biodiversity issues range from the need for a wide variety in the human diet for good nutrition, to the rights of farmers throughout the world to maintain fertile land and grow what is needed to sustain their local communities. Variety within crop types increases resilience to pests, disease and the warming climate, but USC Canada reports that 75 per cent of the world's crop varieties and thousands of livestock breeds have been lost in the last century.

Large-scale farming for international trade demands less biodiversity, and it is not working well for farmers in Canada or abroad. Canada lost 17,550 farms between 2001 and 2006 and the average farm income in Canada is now negative $20,000 per year, according to the website www.peoplesfoodpolicy.ca. Food exports have increased by 400 per cent in the last 20 years, and farm subsidies are an entrenched global reality, costing Canadian taxpayers billions each year, and putting poorer nations at a disadvantage.

Climate change is expected to have a huge impact on drylands, mountain regions and seacoasts, and on the small-scale farmers who feed the majority of people in the world. If we cannot give priority to biodiversity over short term gain, the risks for our species, and others, appear to be severe.

Everdale gives students hands-on farm lessons

As published in The Erin Advocate

The best learning seems to happen when students not only have access to the facts, but a chance to see and hear and touch and smell the objects of their lesson.

That's how things work at Everdale Organic Farm near Hillsburgh, which has a range of farm trip programs designed for students from Kindergarten to Grade 12.

The Ontario school curriculum requires that students learn about sustainable ecosystems and the impact of human activities on the environment.

"Teachers are scrambling, looking for how to teach about it," said Karen Campbell, one of the founders of Everdale's Environmental Learning Centre. "They are trying to find out how to make activities cross-curricular, involving things like literacy and math."

The programs are designed to support the curriculum, providing a fun experience and showing students how they can take action related to what they have learned. Everdale also alerts young people to a possible career choice – you do not have to grow up on a farm to become a farmer yourself.

Thousands of students have visited in the last ten years, from a radius that includes Guelph and Brampton. The program has a mandate to stay small-scale, hosting only one school at a time and serving about 50 schools per year from early May through late October.

Students up to Grade 6 can interact with livestock, do some farm chores, explore ecosystems, learn about 19th-century farming, study soil ecology and find out where food comes from.

"The livestock gets the most comments," said Campbell. "Sometimes, kids are a bit frightened at first of physically touching the animals. They are out of their comfort zone."

Older students can work alongside the farm's regular workers in the field, study animal rearing and nutrition, or learn about the process of getting products from the field to the marketplace.

Fancy attire is discouraged in their dress code: "You are visiting a farm; you and your group will hopefully get dirty."

During the chillier months of November through April, Everdale goes on the road with its Farmers in the Schools program, with elementary-level workshops that include visiting chickens, a rotten apple party (about composting), a local food lesson that traces all the ingredients of pizza from their sources, and a bread and butter party that features flour grinding, dough kneading and butter making.

There is a popular Grade 3 Intensive Program that has three visits to the classroom by a farmer to interactively discover soils, plants and animals, followed by a final unit at the farm. A comparison of pictures drawn by students at the beginning and end of the program shows substantial increases in understanding, said Campbell.

The cost for farm trips is $7 per student for half days, and $13.50 for full days. In-school workshops are $3 per student. In addition, parents can register children for a farm day camp in July ($190 per week). Co-op placements are possible for high school students, and non-school groups can arrange visits.

There are lots of other things going on at Everdale, including events like Seedy Saturday (April 30), education for adults and the sale of produce to the public through "harvest shares". The farm is at 5812 on the Sixth Line, north of Wellington Road 22, west of Hillsburgh.

For more information, go to www.everdale.org or call 519-855-4859.

Harness native plants for spectacular landscaping

As published in The Erin Advocate

If you going to try your hand at naturescaping, be sure to let your neighbours know it is part of a plan. Who knows, they may even want to get in on the project, extending an area of ground cover, wildflowers, ferns and flowering shrubs over multiple properties.

"Keep it neat and communicate with your neighbours," said Melanie Kramer, a residential greening specialist with Credit Valley Conservation (CVC). "If you trim the area or use a border, it looks more intentional."

Plants should not be too orderly within a naturalized landscape, but you can still treat your land like a living, three-dimensional canvas, with groupings of colour and varieties of texture. Planning the view from different vantage points (your window, the street or a bench in the middle of the zone), you can plant taller elements in the background and shorter ones near the front.

"Ask yourself what is missing from your yard, and look for opportunities," said Kramer, who presented the Your Green Yard Workshop recently in Orangeville. "Over time you can build it up. Start with hardy species that you know will survive."

Become familiar with your soil type, how the water drains and what may be buried underground, like well pipes, septic systems and cables. The Ontario One Call utility notification service has a toll-free line: 1-800-400-2255.

If converting a lawn area, it is recommended that you remove the grass or kill it off by covering it with plastic, or a layer of newspaper and soil. It is a dramatic commitment, so it is perhaps best to start with a small area.

Low maintenance is one of the goals, so it makes sense to use native plants that thrived in this area for thousands of years before European settlement. Native species are drought tolerant and will not require chemical pesticides or fertilizers.

Groupings of trees or shrubs provide shelter and resting sites for birds, butterflies and small mammals – berry or nut-producing shrubs will attract wildlife year-round.

More trees are always good news – only about 12 per cent of this area has tree cover, and Environment Canada recommends 30 per cent. Species like Sugar Maple, Black Cherry, Yellow or White Birch, Basswood and White Ash should do well if you want to create a deciduous canopy.

For primarily sunny areas, pick prairie and meadow plants like the purple Wild Bergamot, the yellow Black-eyed Susan, the orange Butterfly Weed or the pink Spotted Joe-pye Weed. There are many attractive tall grasses as well. Learn more through the native plant database at www.evergreen.ca or try the Canadian Wildlife Federation site: www.wildaboutgardening.org. Photos of various plants are easily accessed through Google Images.

For shady areas, choose woodland plants like the blue Wild Geranium, the red Wild Columbine or the showy white Bloodroot; some are better suited to moist conditions. For shrubbery, consider Serviceberry, Chokecherry or Flowering Raspberry. You can also cultivate a rain garden by directing water run-off to a low area well away from the house.

There are many plants that are considered "invasive" – not just the poisonous ones like Giant Hogweed, but more common ground covers like English Ivy and Periwinkle. These two are acceptable if they are not allowed to "escape" to a natural area where their aggressive growth could crowd out other plant species. Others, like Curly Pondweed, Goutweed and Japanese Knotweed are considered a risk anywhere. Check out www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca.

If buying plants from a nursery, consider native varieties instead of "cultivars" that have been grown to enhance specific characteristics. Also, plants like Queen Anne's Lace are not encouraged, since they were imported from Europe and are not true "natives". Learn more from the Ontario Society for Ecological Restoration: www.serontario. Also, the Canadian Wildlife Service has "Planting the Seed" guides on aquatic plants and meadow communities at www.on.ec.gc.ca/wildlife (click Publications).

CVC's ecological landscaping web page has a list of landscape architects that can assist with large projects, which could include low-maintenance lawns, permeable paving and "green" structures. Go to www.creditvalleyca.ca/landscaping. You will also find there a list of Native Plant Nurseries and Seed Sources where you can get advice, ranging from Humber Nurseries in Brampton (www.gardencentre.com) to Baker Forestry in Erin (905-877-9390).

Additional fact sheets will soon be added to the CVC site, including lists of which plants grow best in various soil types. More workshops are planned for this fall.

Take care of your land (and save your planet)

As published in The Erin Advocate

I've been thinking of letting part of my back yard grow a little wild, but really don't know where to start. The goal is to have it look attractive – not like a weedy patch of untended grass that I was too lazy to cut.

Of course, one person's weed is another's wildflower, but I really need a plan that will give some design to the project. So when I heard that Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) is hosting a free workshop on ecological landscaping, Your Green Yard – Discover the Possibilities, I signed up to attend.

It is on June 16, 7-9 pm, at the Orangeville and District Seniors Centre, 26 Bythia Street, presented in partnership with the Orangeville Sustainability Action Team. Register on the CVC Stewardship Hotline, 1-800-668-5557, ext. 221, or at www.creditvalleyca.ca/bulletin/events.htm.

Of interest to both urban and rural residents, the event will provide fact sheets, design tips and plant lists. The idea is to create a diverse landscape that will improve local air, water and soil quality, conserve energy and water, avoid flooding and even reduce the impact of global warming.

Using native plants, you can have a low-maintenance area that enhances the habitat for birds, butterflies and other wildlife. You can branch out, so to speak, with green walls, living fences, natural pools and permeable paving.

The workshop is one of many presented by the CVC during the year, for those who are keen to learn about the local environment. There is a monthly email newsletter from CVC called The Source, covering various events.

Another of particular interest is a free workshop called Your Guide to Caring for the Credit, helping rural residents who are not farmers learn how to be better "stewards" of their land. Designed for those with more than two acres of land, it will be held at Terra Cotta Conservation Area on Winston Churchill Blvd., June 24, 7-9:30 pm. Register by June 17 at 1-800-668-5557, ext. 221. There will be another one on November 13 in Alton.

Participants get a self-assessment manual produced by the University of Guelph, aerial photos and maps showing natural areas and features on their own property and a stewardship kit with free samples of environment-friendly household products. They will also be eligible for free on-site advice from CVC experts and free admission to a follow-up expert speaker series.

People sometimes buy rural property without a full understanding of how to care for the land, and how their actions could either enhance the environment or put themselves and their neighbours at risk. The workshop will help people see how their property fits into the local ecosystem.

A series of worksheets will deal with rural issues like wells, septic systems, ponds, woodlots, drainage, meadows, wetlands, wildlife, wind breaks, stream banks, energy conservation, fertilizers, fuels, pesticides, invasive plants and the benefits of native plants. The goal is an action plan, tailored to the individual property.

The CVC is concerned about the impact of climate change on the watershed, which is already under a lot of stress. Since most of the land is privately owned, the CVC has increased its educational efforts in recent years, urging residents to take more responsibility.

"We need to get the watershed into the best shape possible, to withstand the effects of climate change," said Lisa Brusse, CVC's Headwaters Stewardship Coordinator.

On the final night of the Fast Forward Environmental Film Festival at the Erin Legion last month, Liz Armstrong of the Climate Change Action Group of Erin, urged both governments and individuals to act boldly to reduce the negative impact of human activity on the planet.

"Climate change is real, and happening faster than most scientists predicted," she said, claiming that the Baby Boom generation, which was spared the trauma of war, is now "rolling the dice" on the well-being of their descendants.

"Previous generations put their lives on the line in the face of grave danger. We need to take radical action that will have future generations thanking us, instead of spitting on our graves. Let's answer the call, and be remarkable."

Breaking your lawn's addiction to pesticides

As published in The Erin Advocate

Every year, I look forward to the burst of colour on my lawn that confirms the arrival of warm, spring weather. Living out in the country, I have made a virtue of necessity, learning to love the dandelion and its many cousins. There are too many to pluck and I have no desire to attack them with chemicals.

For those who maintain formal distinctions between the "good" and "bad" plants, things have just become more complicated. To celebrate Earth Day today (April 22), the Ontario government has put into effect its Cosmetic Pesticide Ban Act. More than 250 products are now banned from sale, including many popular insecticides, herbicides and weed-and-feed mixtures.

Golf courses are exempt, along with specialty turf users such as lawn bowling clubs, but even these must make public their plans to minimize pesticide use. Farming and forestry are exempt, and you can still use chemicals to control poison ivy, giant hogweed, stinging insects and various indoor pests.

Ontario Environment Minister John Gerretsen says the new rules eliminate an "unnecessary risk to our environment, our families, and especially our children". According to the David Suzuki Foundation, "Researchers have found that pesticides can be associated with serious illnesses, including cancer, damage to the immune system and neurological problems."

Although there is the possibility of lower-risk biopesticides, many people may revert to old-fashioned methods of developing a healthy lawn. Naturally, there are businesses ready to help.

Dave Dittmar of Backyard Organics in Guelph was the guest speaker at the first of three events sponsored by the Climate Change Action Group of Erin (CCAGE), held recently at Centre 2000. His firm helps clients "grow healthy food and landscapes using ecologically sound methods".

Many lawns have become dependent on pesticides, requiring high levels of watering and maintenance to appear healthy, he said. Fertilizers that are not well-absorbed by your lawn are likely to be washed away by the rain, adding to pollution in our waterways. Some people have replaced their lawns with attractive alternatives, but the idea of a green open space is still very appealing.

"Lawns should not be toxic zones or water hogs," said Dittmar. "These are not intrinsic qualities of a lawn, but the result of chemical lawn maintenance. It requires a shift in the way you think about a lawn, look at a lawn and feed your lawn."

A truly healthy lawn requires lots of microbes in the soil to enable plants to absorb nutrients, but pesticides kill off many microbes. Dittmarr advocates a boost in microbes and slow-release nutrients by coating the lawn with lots of high-quality compost in the spring and fall, especially if you are trying to make the transition away from chemicals.

"If there only one thing you're going to do, top-dress with compost as thick as possible, even two to three inches. Hammer it on there, and your lawn will thank you for it," he said.

Follow up with over-seeding, using a mixture of different seeds that will be more hardy than a single species. The initial cost of this process will pay off with reduced maintenance costs in the long term, he said.

When you cut your lawn, set your mower to its highest possible level, and leave the clippings as free fertilizer. Thicker, longer grass, with strong, deep roots will crowd out many weeds and make your lawn less vulnerable to insect damage. Longer grass also shades the soil, allowing it to retain more moisture and still look good during dry spells. You can also aerate, with a machine that removes plugs of soil from a lawn to help water and nutrients reach the roots.

For those not ready to go for the full compost treatment, Dittmar suggests Compost Tea. You will need a special machine to brew it ($140 US at www.simplici-tea.com). Essentially, a pump bubbles air through a container with water and a small amount of compost, producing a supply of microbe-rich liquid that you can spray on your lawn.

Find out more about healthy lawns at www.backyardorganics.ca, www.organiclandscape.org, or search out lawns on the Health Canada website, www.hc-sc.gc.ca.

Lorraine Johnson, author of "100 Easy-To-Grow Native Plants for Canadian Gardens", is the next speaker in the CCAGE Environmentally Sustainable Gardening Series. It is on Wednesday, May 13, 7-9 p.m., in the Shamrock Room at Centre 2000. Admission is $5.00. She will show how it is possible to achieve beautiful, low-maintenance gardens – naturally resistant to pests and requiring little or no watering. CCAGE is also planning a self-guided Organic Gardening Tour in June.