November 1, 2017
Borden family growing East Asian mushrooms in PEI Julie and Dale Hamilton of Borden are eagerly awaiting their first crop of shiitake mushrooms. They are one step closer to their dream of creating a permaculture forest on their Augustine Cove woodlot by cultivating this Asian mushroom. Shiitake mushrooms, or Lentinula edodes, are brown, meaty mushrooms grown in eastern Asia, particularly…
November 1, 2017
Modern pressure-canning extends shelf life of meats Raising a multitude of animals for food at Hope River Farm can mean an abundance of frozen meats for owner Nancy Sanderson. Despite a thriving CSA program, sometimes the freezers need to be cleared of excess meat. “I’ve got ten deep freezers that are mostly customer meat, however, anything that doesn’t sell over…
November 1, 2017
What were meals like in times of war? On the home front during the First and Second World Wars, Canadians were asked to make do with less, to allow more resources to be sent to troops overseas. Food was one of the things that people were asked to conserve. One of the ways this was done was through rationing—limiting the…
November 1, 2017
One-day summit in Charlottetown focuses on food security initiatives The City of Charlottetown, in partnership with the United Way and PEI Food Security Network, is hosting a one-day food summit on November 9. Let’s Talk Food will provide an opportunity for people from all areas of the food system to come together, share ideas and discuss projects to address food…
October 1, 2017
Sally Bernard explains why public discourse and panels on food policy and food sustainability need primary producers’ voices “Food policy is the area of public policy concerning how food is produced, processed, distributed, and purchased. Food policies are designed to influence the operation of the food and agriculture system.” (Source: Wikipedia) Food policy—it likely sounds vaguely interesting to most, dead…
October 1, 2017
Planting the seeds for better food security on PEI The PEI Food Exchange is graduating its fourth cohort of Community Food Mentors this fall. This iteration of the program focused on providing participants with knowledge and skills in gardening. It marks just one of the many activities this grassroots organization has undertaken to address food insecurity on the Island. A…
August 1, 2017
Bylaws in some Island municipalities make it difficult for residents to pursue food security and sustainability goals With food prices ever increasing and a growing disconnect from farming, many Islanders are taking it upon themselves to regain some control over their food supply. While backyard gardens are the most common means of doing so, backyard animals are gaining popularity, with…
July 1, 2017
Investigating the real story behind Charlottetown food bank’s rejection of Barnyard Organics’ donated eggs When Mark Bernard of Barnyard Organics in Freetown packed up his truck in early May with 40 dozen organic eggs to deliver to the Upper Room Food Bank in Charlottetown, he was expecting to return home with an empty truck, but that didn’t happen. The food…
July 1, 2017
10th annual Village Feast in Souris raises funds for local and global charities The Village Feast—if you’ve never heard of it or you’ve heard of it, but not yet made the trek to Souris to take part, make 2017 the year you change that. Trust me, from one foodie to another, you won’t regret it. An incredible community initiative that…
July 1, 2017
Food insecurity can peak for families with children during July and August Most Island kids look forward to a summer of activities and adventures, but for one out of every five children, hunger cuts the fun short. Summer hunger is a form of food insecurity and is the result of many combining factors: school-based breakfast and snack programs end in…