Food for Thought

Hot August days often make us wish for a juicy slice of watermelon. If you are a farmer, you have probably decided that melons are not worth growing for market, given more profitable crops and unpredictable summer weather in our region. If you are a consumer, you are likely faced with buying one from our erstwhile friendly southern neighbour. In this month’s article, François Biron tells us why he grows tons of melons every year on his farm in the Outaouais. He also shares the secret of growing seedless watermelons.

If you sell or shop regularly in a farmers’ market you may have noticed that it has gradually become more colourful. No, it’s not the signage, it’s the flowers – buckets and bouquets of locally grown cut flowers, many of them grown organically. Farmers have increasingly added flowers, often as an additional source of income. At Franktown House Flower farm near Wakefield, it has been the principal income stream for over 10 years. From selling in local markets to wholesale to supporting the creation of the Ottawa Flower Market, Danielle has been a leading proponent of flower power on the farm. She tells us how she did it in this article.

Have you ever wondered where seeds that your grandparents planted have disappeared to? The assault on heritage farm crops has been going on for some time, as the multinational seed and pesticide giants gobble up smaller seed companies and trash the seeds that have no ‘commercial’ value for them. In this month’s article Mary Brittain not only describes the severe loss of heritage and other open-pollinated food plants but also shares with us some gems that can still be saved from extinction. Read about them and what you can do to save endangered seeds in her article here.

For vegetable farmers, the winter months aren’t all about rest — it’s when the crucial work of crop planning begins.

There are many purported benefits of using cover crops: preventing erosion, improving soil organic matter, reducing compaction, managing nutrients, suppressing weeds, controlling pests and disease, all leading to more resilient crops and increased crop yields.