May 1, 2018
PEI farmers discovering Island conditions can be ideal for hops For centuries, hops have been grown and used as medicinal plants as well as a key component in brewing beer. Despite the multitude of craft breweries opening in our region in recent years, farming hops is only now slowly catching on. Currently there are approximately 27 acres of hops being…
May 1, 2018
Tracing the roots of this perennial plant Hops have been a part of the landscape for centuries. Whether they are a wild species, or descendants of plants brought into the fields by European settlers, they can be found across PEI. Chris Long, head brewer at the PEI Brewing Company said there are definitely local hops out there in the wild.…
March 31, 2018
Reconnecting consumers to producers with Community Supported Agriculture “Eating is an agricultural act,” said great writer, activist, and farmer Wendell Berry. If you consume food you are a participant in agriculture, and so we all are. Not that long ago people grew most, or all, of their food and if they didn’t grow it themselves, they often knew who did.…
March 1, 2018
Local-grown versus off-Island goods sparks debate in farmers’ markets Winter poses a variety of challenges for small-scale farmers who have booths at farmers’ markets. The most notable one is the ability to keep their booth filled with fresh, locally grown produce. Some farmers use greenhouses to grow produce throughout the winter months, however, quantities and variety generally become limited. There…
January 1, 2018
Zesty herb favourite in Atlantic Canada The distinctive flavour of summer savory is an Atlantic Canadian tradition for many families, but for Kevin Ryan, the popular herb is a family tradition in more ways than one. Bona Vista Summer Savory, located in South Pinette, PEI, is a small operation run by Ryan and his family–wife Marcella, and children Seamus, 8,…
January 1, 2018
How A-OK Gardens builds on its owner’s background to grow successfully Sometimes life throws you curve balls and sometimes luck just shines down on you. Aman Sedighi, owner and operator of A-OK Gardens in Brookfield, PEI, has surely seen both sides of the coin. “I found my way in Canada,” Sedighi says, who immigrated from Iran to PEI in 2010…