Monday, July 30, 2012

Preparing for the Farmer's Market for Charity

The beans are ready to pick, zucchini is plentiful and beets are just perfect for making beet pickles. You know what that means - our fifth annual Farmer's Market is just around the corner.

This annual tradition is a summer highlight for me, and for many gardeners too. In the wee hours of the morning, we close off the street, bring out wheelbarrows of beets, potatoes, carrots and swiss chard, set up table after table of delicious home-made baking and welcome our neighbours to join us. Hundreds of people peruse our markets, chatting over coffee, strolling through the gardens and picking up a zucchini or two.

Our community gardeners love the city of Moose Jaw. That's why all the proceeds go back into our community with 25% going to Riverside Mission, 25% to Hunger in Moose Jaw's Nutrition Program and 50% going back into our gardens program. Other community-minded businesses are getting on board too - in fact our coffee this year is being donated by our very own Java Express.

Come and join us, won't you? The coffee is hot and the cookies are delicious!

August 18, September 8
8:30 - Noon
200 Home Street West

Monday, July 16, 2012

The "Curious Cook" speaks in the Park


As part of the Saskatchewan Festival of Words, this Saturday July 21st, Moose Jaw will be welcoming the renowned food author - dee Hobsbawn-Smith. To our delight, dee will be speaking in Crescent Park's amphitheatre on local food. The event is free, open to the public, and promises to entice your taste buds.  Come on out from 12 - 1:15pm (and feel free to bring your lunch!).

Here's a little bit about dee, to get you acquainted (courtesy of her website):

dee Hobsbawn-Smith is a farmer’s daughter who has cultivated her passion for food into multi-faceted culinary career. Her work as a classically trained chef, caterer, talented baker and restaurateur has been succeeded by a second successful career as a best-selling author, award-winning food writer and popular culinary educator and speaker. dee is a fifth-generation prairie dweller and she has two sons.

See you there!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Update to Event Calendar

Some of the details of the summer events have changed, so I've updated our event calendar for you to save, print off or upload.

Please note there has been quite a few changes in the September/October events. (Most importantly, the introduction of our Harvest Festival on September 29th!).

Hope this helps with your summer vacation planning!

Follow this link to the  Updated Summer Event Calendar. See you at the gardens!

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Fertilizers and Plant Health Workshop and Lunch Potluck

Join us this Saturday, July 7th at 12 noon for a potluck feast and workshop. We're meeting under the trees at the Grey Avenue Gardens (1000 block Grey Ave - on block east of 7th NE and Oxford), so it's definitely a kid-friendly event. Please bring sandwiches, salad, cut-up veggies or fruit, etc. to share plus your own reusable plate and cutlery. Gail Ennis, a former greenhouse owner and steering member, will be sharing with us about different fertilizers and how to use them for the health of your plants while we eat.

Please note that we are having a gardener membership meeting at 1:30pm (after our lunch event) on Grey Ave. This is for all gardeners, regardless of garden location, and should be about 45 minutes. Please note the change, since the meeting was originally scheduled for next week, July 14th.

Here's the important details:

Lunch Potluck and Fertilizer Workshop
Saturday, July 7
Grey Avenue Gardens
12 noon - 1:30
Bring something to share and your own reusable plate and cutlery

Membership Meeting (for all gardens)
Saturday, July 7
Grey Avenue Gardens
1:30 - 2:30

See you there! (I'll bring some sandwiches and Sophie too!)