theOwen.com » Gardening

Backyard Agriculture, Zoning Bylaws and Chickens with David Adair

Deb — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:58:54 +0000

Many of us have gardens, now there is talk of allowing people to have chickens in their backyards… Recently we had the opportunity to have a discussion with Councillor David Adair.

The following is an extended version of the conversation with David concerning zoning bylaws, chickens etc.
[See post to listen to audio]

Feature Video, Food, Gardening, owen sound, the area, the City

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The FindItGreyBruce Homeshow

Deb — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:57:06 +0000

We have an exciting new project here at FindItGreyBruce. Take a look and see if you’d like to take part. You can find all the details at FindItGreyBruce.com/Homeshow.

Business, Feature Video, Gardening, owen sound, participation, Skills, video

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Strawberries and Asparagus… a summer harvest celebration on its way

Ryan — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:15:18 +0000

The following is cross posted from the Sustainability blog/podcast I also publish. You can see the original article + a bunch of other sustainably themed audio/video here www.besustainable.com

In addition to being a generally interesting topic, this post I hope will serve as the jumping off point for our own local festival this year. Read the article below/listen for some more details but the long story short…. Downtown Owen Sound, June 20th we are going to have a festival. So open call to those that would like to lend a hand or have something to contribute… We will keep everyone up to date here, on FinditGreyBruce.com and on the @owensound twitter feed…

June 20th , 2009 marks the date of this year’s Strawberries and Asparagus Festival in Cedarvale Park in Toronto. The event which has run for a number of years (having been re dubbed S&A 2 years back) brings together Toronto residents to celebrate the first harvests of the season and to learn/share/talk green/gardening/food and more.

After attending the festival for the past few years (even after moving away form Toronto) we have made the decision this year to not make the trip. Instead of renting the car and carbon… we have decided to spin off our own homegrown version of Strawberries and Asparagus here in Owen Sound Ontario. When I mentioned to Chris Chopik of Evolution Green that we would rather start our own festival than travel to his this June it took about a third of a second to agree it was the right thing to do.

In the following interview/conversation Chris and I discuss the details of the Cedarvale Park event and I get some practical background and organizational details needed to make our own festival a success. If others are interested in holding a Strawberries and Asparagus of their own this audio should serve as good place to get started and as Chris mentions… we should likely get around to publishing some guidelines and resources to see if we can’t get a few more community festivals to bloom next spring!

[See post to listen to audio]

community, features, Food, fun, Gardening, owen sound, participation, the area, The Environment, theowen, theowen features

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Around The Sound Local Food Market – “Sneak Preview”

Ryan — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:31:03 +0000

There’s a new store opening that is part of a rapidly growing local food movement. The store is to sell fresh fruit and vegetables in season as well as poultry, eggs, beef, lamb and fish. It is located at 972 First Ave. W. in Owen Sound. The “Sneak Preview” is scheduled for Dec. 18 – 21, 2008.

Owen Sound’s first local food retail store is to open Dec. 18 for what proprietor Anne Finlay-Stewart describes as a three-day, “sneak preview” of a three-day-a-week operation selling a wide variety of locally-grown produce

It’s a sole proprietorship business because that’s the quickest way to get the business going, but Finlay-Stewart has partners who have contributed funds and store fixtures.

She has purchased a freezer and has a long and growing list of suppliers. It’s part of a rapidly growing local food movement that is growing by leaps and bounds.

There are all sorts of reasons why people are looking closer to home for food supplies. Ontario Green Party vice-president Shane Jolley, who is an Owen Sound bicycle retailer and investor in the new store, said people have become increasingly concerned about the security and health of the large international food supply systems behind major retail supply chains.

Both Jolley and Finlay-Stewart predict that local food will find its way eventually into area supermarkets. However, both say it will take the introduction of new distribution and transportation systems that have not yet formed.

“The distribution system will be reinvented,” Finlay-Stewart said. “It has to be because that’s what we need to have happen to make this work,” she said.

Finlay-Stewart also denied that her shop represents a competitive threat to the existing Owen Sound Farmers Market, which operates Saturday mornings in the city’s downtown core. It provides another outlet for growers and is a good example of how to expand home-grown businesses.

So get on over there and check it out… for all your locally grown/raised food! Come visit us for a sneak preview December 18, 19 and 20, Thursday and Friday 10 – 7 and Saturday 10 – 4. For more information visit www.aroundthesoundfood.com

Downtown, events, features, Food, Gardening, Innovation, theowen, theowen features

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Vermicomposting

Jenna — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 23:37:58 +0000

Vermicomposting is a method of composting that we should really consider using in our area. During this process, red worms convert your organic waste into a usable, natural fertilizer. Vermicomposting is extremely easy and has many benefits.

One major incentive to start vermicomposting is that it will help reduce the amount of garbage in landfill sites. It is estimated that each year in Canada “1/2 to 1/3 of household waste [found in landfills] is organic matter” (Cathy’s Crawly Composters, 2008). Imagine just how much waste we could keep out of landfills if more people started vermicomposting! If we all chipped in, we could be making our world a cleaner, better place.

Another advantage to vermicomposting is that organic matter is decomposed quicker than it is with regular composting. This is because the worms used for vermicomposting, known as ‘Red Wigglers’ (Eisenia foetida), “speed up the process of decomposition to produce a richer end product” (Resource Conservation Manitoba, 2008). Red Wigglers tend to stay close to the surface when they eat, which is why they are preferred for this composting process. Also, because they eat a lot, red worms can spend the majority of the day feeding and as a result can process organic waste faster.

Vermicomposting can be done indoors and outdoors, making it easy to keep up all-year round. During the summer months you may opt to keep your vermicomposter outside, as long as the worms are getting air and the temperature is fairly warm (Resource Conservation Manitoba, 2008). When winter comes along, your vermicomposter needs to be moved indoors, otherwise the Red Wigglers will not survive. Vermicomposting doesn’t produce any unpleasant odours, so moving your container of Red Wigglers indoors isn’t a problem. Vermicomposters are also extremely portable, so there is no hassle in moving it.

Before beginning your own vermicomposter, there are a few things you need to know to get you started. First, put a thin layer of bedding along the bottom of the container. Mulched paper, mulched leaves, sawdust and grass clippings all make excellent beddings and help provide the worms with an adequate living environment (Soni Cochran, 2008). Make sure to add a small amount of water to ensure that the bedding is kept moist (not drenched!). When establishing the vermicomposter, start slowly and “gradually increase the amount of food as the bin becomes established” (Soni Cochran, 2008). Most foods including vegetables and fruits can be vermicomposted. “Citrus peels, coffee grounds, and tomatoes can be added, but only in moderation, as they can acidify the bedding” (Resource Conservation Manitoba, 2008). For more information about vermicomposting, go to:

All in all, vermicomposting is something everyone should seriously consider bringing into their home. With the help of vericomposting we can save money and help reduce the amount of garbage in landfills.

Gardening, Sustainability, theowen

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