February 1, 2018
Matt Dykerman: running a split operation farm Why do you choose to do what you do? For some, work is not ‘work’ at all but rather, getting paid to do what they love to do; for others, work is a full time, teeth-gritting, clock-watching event endured for reasons merely logistical in nature. The truth of it is that there are…
February 1, 2018
Proudly celebrating hard-working Canadians Did you know Canada is the world’s fifth largest agricultural exporter? From exporting Prairie-grown lentils, to PEI’s potatoes, Canada’s food fills bellies around the world. It’s time to give kudos to agriculture in Canada, and February 13th is the day to do so. “Canada’s Agriculture Day is a time to celebrate the individuals that work hard…
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…
November 1, 2017
Em Zember is living her dream of operating a goat dairy “I started with two in 2000,” says Em Zember, as we watch eight attention-seeking goats waiting to be milked. We’re standing in an airy barn situated on the property best known by Islanders as the headquarters of the Great Canadian Soap Company. Zember is hopeful that in time it’ll…
November 1, 2017
Local farm mills heritage wheat The room is sparkling clean and seems to be hermetically sealed from the outside world. This is Crystal Green Farms’ milling room. It holds the only flour operation in PEI growing and milling heritage Red Fife wheat. Brian and Kathy MacKay are proud of what they’ve accomplished. Their interest in organic farming was the inspiration…
October 1, 2017
Brian and Lorna McMaster, The Taco Farmers, want you to save your seeds The Taco Farmers. The name is pretty spot on when you consider that Lorna and Brian McMaster grow nearly 100 per cent of the ingredients for the menu of their taco-centric booth at the Charlottetown Farmers’ Market. However, what you may not realize is that your tortilla…
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
Porktoberfest features local producers Porktoberfest is here! In celebration of the farmers that contribute to PEI’s hog industry, Salty paid a visit to D & E Pork Inc. in Albany. D & E Pork is a multi-generational hog farm that was established in 1982. It is owned and operated by Patrick and Lisa Murray, who manage the farm alongside its…
August 1, 2017
Pursuing ambitious land stewardship goals through pasture lambing “I am a grass farmer,” Adam MacLean tells me. We’re standing adjacent to an idyllic piece of green pasture in South Melville, tucked away off one of the Island’s many country roads. The field is full of ewes and lambs—282 four-legged ruminators to be precise—happily grazing the land. Pairs of lambs intermittently…
August 1, 2017
On July 6, 2017, six of SALTY’s team took part in a media farm tour organized by PEI Certified Organic Producer Co-operative (COPC). Along with other members of the media, government, food industry, and Maritime farming community we toured five organic farms in central PEI. We learned many interesting facts along the way. Here are my top 11: 11. Typical…