HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 2016-09-21, Page 38 Lucknow Sentinel • Wednesday, September 21, 2016
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The Bruce Botancial Food Gardens aw dozens of supporters out to its 3rd Annual Harvest Dinner on Sept. 15, 2016.
Good news to be shared at 3rd Bruce Botanical Food Gardens Harvest Dinner
The Bruce Botancial Food
Garden's (BBFG) 3rd annual
Harvest Dinner saw chefs
donate time to treat guests to
a colourful meal.
Dozens turned out for the
event at the Ripley Huron
Community Centre on Sept.
15, 2016, with numerous
businesses and individuals
donating items, food and
homemade desserts that
were auctioned off during
the event.
"You have made this even-
ing not only a celebration of
the harvest at the garden but
a tribute to all of the hard
working farmers in our area
who have managed to suc-
ceed with a healthful harvest
inspite of the demands of a
fierce drought experienced
this season," said organizer
Lynne Taylor. "Thankyou for
supporting them...and us."
Farm Credit Canada sup-
plied bags received filled
with goodies and Ryan Berry
of Whenever Events enter-
tained guests for the
evening.
Taylor said there has been
alot of progress at the site
this year, with the Ontario
Horticultural Society spon-
soring the construction of a
water harvesting demonstra-
tor at the front gate.
"You might not realize that
water is shed from the gate
house roof, is directed by an
eaves trough around the per-
gola and into a trough hid-
den in the bench," said Tay-
lor. "The water pump
accesses the water which is
then used to water the
planter and nearby plants."
Nuclear Waste
Management Organization
supported the new mud
oven construction, which
will allow BBFG to demon-
strate off -grid cooking of the
vegetables and fruits they
grow.
Taylor said the financial
assistance of the Grey Bruce
Community Fund enabled
them to complete the ends
to two new hoophouses,
which allowed for the com-
pletion of a new learning
centre which opens up
opportunities to deliver
seminars, workshops, like a
recent paint party put on by
Jessican Cormier, with part
of the proceeds to the
garden.
"Besides enjoying well
over a thousand focused
visitors this season, our
body of health garden set
the stage for developing the
gardens as a learning place
about food nutrition and
how good health is sup-
ported by the foods we eat -
more to develop in the
coming seasons," said Tay-
lor. "We have had an
extraordinary year of net-
working and partnership
development. We have
been successful in engag-
ing Fanshawe College to
use the BBFG as their sec-
ond year studio project."
Students will be respon-
sible for the research of
heirloom rare and endan-
gered food varieties, rota-
tion plans, plant plan, seed
sourcing and master plan
development as they learn
about edible landscaping,
she said.
Through the support of
NWMO, 50 landscape design
students will be descending
on
Ripley on Oct. 21 to under-
take the work, benefits the
garden, Fanshawe's pro-
gramming and the Township
of Huron Kinloss.
"We hope this is the bud-
ding of a strong relationship
with Fanshawe," she said.
In addition, BBFG has
begun engagement with the
University of Windsor and
their dandelion research
project into treating cancer.
Taylor said the BBFG's
focus is still on maintaining a
readily available source
of fresh, safe, healthy,
nutritious and 'culturally -
appropriate' foods to all resi-
dents of the area as well as to
our valued visitors.
"Our living marketplace
saw much of its produce
taken up this year, but we
still need more users of
the garden," she said.
"Please consider taking
some to people you know
who may be in need -shut
ins, elderly, families with
small children, the ill, and
family friends or
new -comers."
The BBFG always has the
need for more volunteers,
especially as the garden
demand grows and its pro-
gramming expands.
"We had extraordinary
success with our adoption
project this year," she said.
"The dedication and com-
mitment of those who took
on a plot was nothing short
of spectacular."
For more information on
the garden visit www.bbfg.org