All the Dirt: Reflections on Successful, Cooperative Organic Farming

A Reading and Discussion with Farmer Robin Tunnicliffe
Monday, January 30, 7:00 p.m.
Canadian Mennonite University (500 Shaftsbury Avenue, Winnipeg), in the Great Hall

*Free Admission *

Come meet Robin Tunnicliffe – Farmer, USC Canada Board Member, a founder of Saanich Organics, and author of the brand new book, All the Dirt.

Join Robin as she reads from her book and relates the experiences of three young women following their dreams to become successful organic farmers and business partners. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.

This is a free event, sponsored by USC Canada. For further information, please contact Kenton Lobe.

Growing Local Conference

Registration is now open for the 5th annual Growing Local Conference, which will be held February 23 - 25, 2012. Check out the website for all the details on speakers, workshops, displays and social events.

Inner City Community Garden Tour

The Annual Inner City Community Garden Tour is coming up!
Date: Thursday, August 25th
Time: 5:30-8:30pm

Meet at:
Orioles Community Center 444 Burnell St. at 5pm for snacks and a stroll around their gardens built on an old tennis court before taking off on a bus at 5:30 for a tour of 8 inner city community gardens.

Take the low floor bus or bring your bike for an evening of garden wisdom, inspiring stories, and to see some of the incredible changes that come with greening a community. All are welcome!

Donations accepted at the door for the Community Gardens that we visit.

Kids Gardening

Kids programming is making a comeback at DMSMCA!

Join us on Tuesdays (12pm - 5pm) and Wednesdays (10am - 5pm) at Orioles Community Gardens at 444 Burnell St (Orioles CC)

Garden and nature themed activities will be offered including potato tower building, berry picking, regular trips to the Orioles garden and more!

Join us! Drop in! Its FREE!!

Plus 5 books to get your kids gardening (all available at Winnipeg Pulic Library):

1. Grow It, Cook it with Kids by Amanda Grant J 635 GRA 2010
2. Gardening with Kids by Catherine Woram J 635 WOR 2008
3. How Does Your Garden Grow? : Great Gardening for Green-Fingered Kids by Clare Matthews J 635 MAT 2005
4. Dinner from Dirt : 10 Meals Kids Can Grow and Cook by Emily Scott J 641.65 SCO 1998
5. The Kids Can Press Jumbo Book of Gardening by Karyn Morris J 635 MOR 2000

Where to Find Fruits & Veggies in (and around) Winnipeg

This month's issue of Wave (pg. 29) has a list of farmer's market, market stands, u-picks and clubs. The list is printed below, with a couple of additions:

FARMER'S MARKETS
Veggie Van Market
West Broadway Development Corp.
545 Broadway
The market is located in the parking lot of the Klinic Community Health Center
July - September
Thursday, 4 to 6pm

FortWhyte Alive Centre
1961 McCreary Road
895-2375
Tuesdays & Thursdays

Main Street Farmers’ Market
1085 Main Street at the Age & Opportunity Centre
927-2342
Fridays

Osborne Village Farmers’ Market
Corner of Osborne Street and River Avenue, in front of the Gas Station Theatre
480-8358
Thursdays

Red River Ex Farmers’ Market
3977 Portage Avenue, just west of the Perimeter Highway
888-6990
Saturdays

St. Norbert Farmers’ Market
3514 Pembina Highway
Wednesdays & Saturdays
275-8349

South Osborne Urban Market
Riverview Community Centre, 90 Ashland Ave.
Sundays

The Forks Market
The Forks Market Plaza
987-4352
Sundays

Transcona BIZ Farmers’ Market
Transcona Christian Church parking lot, 131 Victoria Ave. West
222-8566
Thursdays

Wellness Institute / Seven Oaks Hospital Farmers’ Market
1075 Leila Ave.
632-3912
Tuesdays

MARKET STANDS AND U-PICKS
Boonstra Berries
Stonewall
15km N on Hwy #7, 1km W on Hwy #67 at Stonewall exit
467-8480

Cormier's Berry Patch
La Salle
688-0858

Crampton’s Farm Produce Market
1765 Waverley Street, corner of Bishop Grandin & Waverley
269-3355

Floodway Gardens
Lot 567 Shalom Path – 10 km North of Perimeter Hwy, between Henderson Hwy & Floodway
661-9162

Grenkow’s U-Pick
St. Norbert
S on Waverley St., W on Des Trappistes St., 2.4 km S on Brady Rd.
269-0254

Jardins St. Leon’s Gardens
419 St. Mary’s Road, corner of St. Mary’s and Carriere
237-7216

Mayfair Farm
Portage la Prairie
1-866-738-4299 or 857-4581

Makarchuk's Strawberry Farm
Portage la Prairie
Hwy 1 to Hwy 13, 2.5km S to Oakville, 12km W on Hwy 331
267-2377

Patten Acres
Portage la Prairie
On Trans Canada Hwy 40 minutes W of Winnipeg
1-888-857-7648 or 857-4321

Petrasko Brothers Garden Centre
1577 Henderson Hwy
339-7163

Please phone u-picks ahead of time to ensure berries are ready!

PRODUCE CO-OPS & CLUBS
Community Supported Agriculture Manitoba
Consumers pay a fee to a farmer at the beginning of the year, and receive produce weekly during Manitoba’s growing season.

Fruit Share Winnipeg
284-1234
Connects fruit tree owners with volunteer fruit pickers to make good use of local fruit. One-third goes to the tree owner, one-third to the pickers, and one-third to community organizations such as food banks.

Harvest Moon Local Food Initiative
Produce and meat-buying club that connects consumers to local farmers, with deliveries to various Winnipeg locations.

Sharing Backyards
Connects gardeners with garden plot owners.

South Osborne Urban Community Co-operative
Garden share program connects gardeners with land owners.

Winnipeg Community Gardens Network
Garden.Network Information on where community gardens are located.

To get more information, please visit:

Farmers’ Market Association of Manitoba.
Lists all the farmers’ markets in Manitoba.

Manitoba Agriculture
Manitoba’s local produce guide, which lists farmers’ markets, market stands, U-pick farms and community supported agriculture.

Prairie Fruit Growers Association
Listing of organic strawberry, raspberry and saskatoon U-pick farms in Manitoba. Includes location, whether the farms are open, and what type of fruit and vegetables are available for sale.

InFARMation (and Beer!) III

This local food movement… what have we grown so far?

Wednesday, May 18 · 7:30pm - 11:30pm

The Park Theatre, 698 Osborne Street

This time we’ll be InFARMing the masses about two innovative and rapidly growing local food movements in Manitoba: the Harvest Moon Local Food Initiative, local food buying clubs and the South Osborne Urban Community Co-Op. Both organizations have a lot of exciting initiatives on their plate this upcoming season – join us to hear all about our beginnings and where we’re headed from here.

As usual there will be short presentations and discussion, but this InFARMation (and Beer!) is first and foremost a celebration.

The “Slow Dancers” will be rocking the house and as always there will be plenty of delicious local food specials, local beer, great friends and good times.

Admission to InFARMation (and Beer!) is always *free!*

Thanks to Heifer International, the Manitoba Cooperative Association, United Way of Winnipeg and the Province of Manitoba's Cooperative Promotion Board for their support of this event.

Lipton Garden Opening & Maintenance Bee

Sunday, May 29, 2011
11am - 3pm

The opening of the garden is a time for gardeners to find out their plot number, sign the Gardener Guidelines form and to begin planting. This will also be a time for gardeners to volunteer some time toward the overall upkeep of the garden including weeding the area around the garden and planting in the communal beds.