Yes it is summer but in most of Alberta this means cold wet weather (plus 9 today in Calgary). Out East they had similar weather all July. "Only three days all month without rain in July" said our friends from Montreal. All this weather talk is partially why we pack up and come to the west coast for August.
One of the things I love to do here is go to the farmer's market. All the great produce, happy hogs and truly free range eggs are right here. Imagine my joy when Kathy Zipp from the Qualicum Beach farmer's market encouraged me to come to her farm. I was curious - of course- about local farming methods and jumped right on it.
Now imagine my amazement when I arrived at Kathy's farm and everything was being grown in greenhouses in what I consider the warmest and mildest climate in Canada. From seeds started indoors in January and planted out into the greenhouse in spring Kathy has produced huge onions. She also has carrots, corn and edible flowers in bloom as well. And everything is growing under cover. I guess this keeps the deer out and keeps the temperature moderate. All the beds are raised but otherwise look like they are outdoors and the crop is fabulous.
Of course when I got lost going to Kathy's I came upon a strawberry farm. Learning that all their fertilizing was done by helicopter based on tissue analysis was fun and educational. Okay - seriously - it is warmer here and people also garden differently. If I am going to learn it all I might need a bit more time.
No comments:
Post a Comment