Lakehead University Campus Garden Project

garlic scape pesto

From City Farmer News
New Stories from 'URBAN AGRICULTURE NOTES'

"Maria makes garlic scape pesto at the City Farmer Garden"
Linked by Michael Levenston

LU Garden ~ How does your garden grow?

Some of you have added windchimes to your garden to spook four legged visitors.

Desiree has added a laundry rack to support her cucumbers.

Gargoyles and Flamingoes have been called upon.

This one entertains me most.
Go Leafs Go better refer to the green leafs(leaves) of our garden! ;D

The Community or People Garden
Mike Shusterman

I started this year participating in a Community Garden, something I have always wanted to be involved with. This CG is located on Lakehead University’s campus in a former farmer’s field I believe, under the experienced direction of Amy Vervoort, LU Campus Garden Coordinator.

Amy outlined this Community Garden as follows: “The Campus Garden has been established to provide garden space for local individuals and groups. Participants will take an active role in this local food project by growing vegetables and herbs for personal use, or as produce for an organization.
Sustainable urban agriculture projects are appearing in great numbers as awareness for self-sufficiency grows. Campus gardens offer countless possibilities for education; not just in and for themselves, but for the greater communities at hand.
Promoting slow food systems by growing and sharing, buying local, and supporting our natural Northwestern Ontario ecosystem we will help reduce unnecessary food miles to the area.
It isn't just about food. The Campus Garden also serves the university's departments by providing research opportunities in soil science, agro-forestry, biological and environmental studies, food writing, and other disciplines.”

A Community Garden is a concept that I first experienced in Europe, and although the CG that I am participating in is somewhat different than I saw occurring in France and Germany, the idea is the same.

The concept as represented to me is about people from all walks of life and ages with a love of gardening coming together in a common garden with a common goal to produce fruits, vegetables and herbs for consumption and sharing, however as I am beginning to realize the people sharing gardening concepts and the love of gardening is the real draw to a community Garden.

Is it just me or are people starting to want a return to a simpler life? I see this everywhere in the number of people beginning to walk more, ride bicycles, and gardening, being more active. A Community Garden is another example of this change.
There are approximately 120 garden plots at LU’s CG, all 10 x 10 feet square. A 10 x 10 ft plot will provide sufficient vegetables for a family and although the plot is not large it does require a commitment to maintain the potential through watering and weeding. LU provides water and some tools and a lot of advice.

Another interesting observation is that even though most of the gardeners are strangers at the CG, everyone seems to be a friend, and willing to provide advice. Smiles are easily come-by in the garden.

The Community Gardens that I have experienced in Europe where I first came across this phenomenon were on a grander scale and many were located on railway right-of –ways. As you pass by on a train close to the urban centres, suddenly there were large gardens on both sides of the track with each family’s garden boasting a shelter and people gardening, preparing meals and socializing. Again, socializing was the main function with gardening, the common denominator. What a great concept utilizing the railway right-of –ways! In Canada, the railway right-of-ways are not used by anyone, and are possible grass fire opportunities.

Families would spend their free time congregating at the family gardens, each pitching-in do maintain the gardens and also share a meal together. It seemed to be similar to a family outing at the beach, or lake. All the large family members would get re-acquainted at the family garden. This is the potential of a Community Garden, families and strangers coming together for a common cause being gardening and one of man-kind’s and women-kind’s basics of life; providing food for their families. Gardening is such a simple concept, yet so beneficial.

Gardening provides many benefits; food, a social network, and exercise out-doors. How many ways are there to spend an afternoon and be rewarded with food as just one of the many results?

I was wondering if Community Gardens can exist in our regional communities or is this only a larger urban setting need. I think there is a need. Not everyone is a gardener, but may like to learn to be one. If a community developed its own garden, people that are not sure about gardening could join and learn by the sharing of knowledge. Many people in our communities reside in a house or are close to a gardening access however not all maintain a garden for a number of reasons. I could see a Community Garden providing knowledge for those wanting to learn gardening, and what a great way to provide food for those without.

Maybe there could even be competitions between communities for the best Community Garden. Each could be judged by a group of the local gardening community. Some of the prizes could be for most food generated for food banks for an example.
A Community Garden can transform an un-used piece of land into a beautiful sight, providing numerous benefits to the gardeners and a great opportunity to teach our youth how to provide food for themselves and others.

MIKE SHUSTERMAN

what's growing on

Pascal

Pascal at work

Pascal at rest

Musings From BIG LAKE Country

Musings...
From BIG LAKE Country

Mike Shusterman
Lakehead University Campus Garden
Plot # 104

Accessing the Plentiful Food Resources that Surround Us

I was walking through China- town in Toronto a week ago and it struck me. Here you can find every type of fish, and every part of a fish you can name from all over the world. Why is that? Further more, why is it possible to have access to this fish while back home I can’t find a filet of pickerel, trout, herring, whitefish or salmon from the some of the largest fresh water lakes in the world in a local store or restaurant?

I think the time that this set-off a bell in the far recesses of my mind was when I ordered pickerel at a certain Café in a community on our north-shore to find out that the fish was from the Ukraine! I had this thought cross my mind again lately when I inquired into the origins of a typically local fish found at a large grocery store in Thunder Bay and discovered that the fish actually originated from Poland! A fish we can catch usually 20 minutes from our door, and we have to go across the ocean and then some, to Poland to get the same fish. Does this make any sense to you? What was the situation of that fish stock, what was the water like, was it farmed, and how long has it been frozen? These questions are just some of the thoughts as I processed this absurdity.

I recall mentioning this in an article about Grand Marais a while back that it is possible to eat locally caught fish in a restaurant there as well finding it in their local fish shops. Not in Ontario though.

I can understand about food security, but come on! Isn’t this just one more of the many opportunities for us to create employment that is sadly stifled by the province through a number of regulations? It is a tourist opportunity for sure. I know that you can order Ostrich from a certain restaurant in Thunder Bay, but can you order what is a world renowned delicacy-Lake Superior Herring in the same establishment? NO, but you can in Chicago!

That is the fish side of food. What about wild game? If you were a tourist and could have the opportunity to eat roughed grouse, or venison if you were so inclined would that not be a memorable tourist experience?

In a world where we are starting to realize that it is better to be self-sufficient for a number of reasons such as less energy to provide similar products if they are local and the fact that these foods can be safer, it makes you wonder why we can’t question what is seen as normal.

I inquired into why this is so from our provincial and federal food agencies. Well you can imagine what kind of quagmire I became immersed into trying to decipher this issue. Provincially you have to go through the Ministry of Natural Resources and the local Health Unit, the Ontario Wildlife Act and the Conservation Act. Federally you must go through the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. They all referred you back to either the provincial or federal department that you started with. I felt like I was in the middle of a Ron James skit.

We can purchase locally picked blueberries, and we can visit “u-pick em” berry farms. These appear safe. You can visit a local farmer’s market and purchase locally grown vegetables. The province seems to be okay with this scenario. Fish which is very good for you, especially from our pristine waters is not available. Wild game that is also very good for you, not available.

I would think that for starters, there is an opportunity to create employment through the harvesting and marketing of locally caught fish and game. Not everyone hunts and fish. The fact that is better than anything you will find in a store should be compelling enough to provide.

Secondly it is a real tourist draw. I know that when I visit a new place I try to eat the local foods. It is an essential part of the tourist experience, to be introduced into the local culture through its people and their food.

Are we to be known for our off-shore delicacies only? Is that our legacy; is that our northern Ontario tourist experience? I think not. Not when we have such natural food resources right on our shores, or in our forests.

I wonder if others feel the same way. Surely we can look at this differently. We can create year-round employment through the harvesting of these foods; we can improve our tourist traffic through our local eateries; and have a healthier local choice for our diets. Unfortunately, there are too many agencies to wade through to get to a solution on this. In our current economy, it would make sense to find a way to offer these local foods in a SIMPLE safe regulated way.

MIKE SHUSTERMAN

Backyard Coops

City residents illegally keep chickens

Sarah Elton

Globe and Mail Wednesday, Jun. 24, 2009

I once had a neighbour who kept chickens in her backyard. She has since passed, but the knowledge she passed along to me will continue. She saved seeds, developed compost, and had incredible kowledge of growing vegetables in our area. Before she left, she had moved to B.C. to be with her children, and took her chickens with her.