I came to Newfoundland for the first time just over four years ago. I can still vividly recall taking the ferry across from Nova Scotia in the late winter, listening to the groaning sounds of the ice around the boat. Within two months of arriving I made my first trip to Bonne Bay, a remote fjord on the west coast of the island. I went to learn about the food system and fisheries in the region as part of a PhD program I was beginning at Memorial University that fall.
Maple syrup conjures up images of towering arboretums in places like Quebec or Vermont, but it’s a little known secret that the rugged and hardy maple trees of Newfoundland make darn fine maple syrup. With nothing more than a half dozen maple trees, some old salt beef containers and a handful of 25 cent metal tree taps, you’re good to go and can expect to end up with over a dozen bottles of hand made maple syrup.
Spectacular vistas, whales breaching, ice bergs floating by, and a foragers paradise. We are blessed with many wilderness areas that offer abundant edible plants. I rarely go on a hike without stopping to have a little taste of this or that. In this post, I will touch upon some of the edibles currently available in our wonderful wilderness.
Thanks to the listing from Seeds of Diversity, I was able to locate a gentleman in Newfoundland who has a great deal of experience growing a wide variety of potatoes here. Last week, I recieved by my set of samples from George, and here's what my benefactor told me about the varieties:
Red Dutch: A very dry, yellow flesh red from Holland in the 1940’s. An excellent potato. Late maturing.
Northern White: A white flesh variety, from Quebec apparently, from the early 1900’s. Very high yield. Good taste.
Get steamy in the kitchen! Steaming veggies until they’re tender-crisp helps keep their fresh taste, nutrients, colour, and crunch. Steaming takes very little time so you can get veggies to your table in a snap. If you don’t have a steaming basket, cook veggies in a small amount of water in a pot. Cover and cook for just a couple of minutes. Drain and enjoy!
March is Nutrition Month! Healthy eating begins at the grocery store, as this is where we purchase most of our food. Yet this is also where we are bombarded with thousands of choices. This year’s Nutrition Month Campaign – Best Food Forward: Plan Shop Cook Enjoy! – is dedicated to serving up practical advice on navigating the grocery store from Registered Dietitians, the food and nutrition experts.
Nutrition Month is an annual campaign of the Dietitians of Canada.
Dietitians across the province are organizing over 25 events, including grocery store tours, classroom activities, cooking classes, and film screenings. For the complete Nutrition Month Activity Map visit: http://www.dietitians.ca/Your-
When: Monday, March 25 Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm (Newfoundland Standard Time)
Join us for a teleconference that will bring together dietitians and the Food Security Network NL in providing advice on how to shop for nutritious food at the grocery store, the farm, and the garden. Plan for healthy meals while incorporating local food into your diet.
Who will benefit from this teleconference?
Presenters:
The presentation will be followed by an opportunity for questions and discussion.
REGISTER NOW, by contacting Rick Kelly at richardkelly@foodsecuritynews.
About FSN teleconferences: Participants call in to a free 1-800 number which connects them to the presenter and all the other participants. Before the teleconference FSN distributes, via email, the call-in instructions as well as a PDF presentation to follow along with on your own computer.
FSN is partnering with Dietitians in Newfoundland to support community screenings of the short documentary Nourish across the province throughout the month of March.
Showing this film in your community is a great way to bring together a group of people working on a common food initiative to plan for the coming year, or to spark discussion among the general public about improving access to healthy, local food in your community. Consider hosting a screening along with a healthy potluck, at an already planned meeting or event, or with a group of people interested in food issues in your community.
About Nourish: With beautiful visuals and inspiring stories, the Nourish film traces our relationship to food from a global perspective to personal action steps. Nourish illustrates how food connects to such issues as biodiversity, climate change, public health, and social justice. (Trailer: www.nourishlife.org/2011/03/
FSN has several copies of the film and will distribute it to community partners at no cost. Contact Rick Kelly at richardkelly@foodsecuritynews.
