Newsletter
Upcoming events Drop-in Gardening Parties (rain date the following day) Thurs, June 21st (2-4pm) Thurs, June 28th (4-6pm) Thurs, July 12th (12-2pm) Thurs, July 19th (10-12am) Thurs, July 26th (2-4pm) Beekeeping Workshops Sat, June 23rd at 12:00PM (Rain Date: Sun, June 24th): Intro to Beekeeping for Kids and Families During July & August, inspections will take place every 1.5-3 weeks The following dates/times could change, depending on the status of the bees: Wednesday, July 4th at 12:00PM (Rain date: Thurs, July 5th) Tuesday, July 17th at 12:00PM (Rain date: Wed, July 18th) Thursday, August 9th at 12:00PM (Rain date: Fri, Aug 10th) Thursday, August 23rd at 12:00PM (Rain date: Fri, Aug 24th) Honey Extraction Workshop Monday, August 27th at 1:00PM Location TBA Participants will be asked to bring $5 for a jar of honey. Proceeds go back to the MSVU Community Garden funds Go to our FB page or website to see any cancellations
Image obtained from: http://divertns.ca/assets/files/Guides/RRFB_Compost_Booklet_web.pdf
June |2018 Page 1 of 3 garden@msvu.ca
Seated in the garden, participants were led through the basics by a member of the HRM waste management team. First, members were informed that there are two types of compost: brown and green. Brown compost constitutes carbon-based plants such as dried leaves, dried grass clippings, paper, etc. Green compost is made up of nitrogen-based products, which are typically moist, like fresh grass clippings, produce, peels, etc. When creating your backyard compost, you want to start with a thick layer of brown materials to help form a base. Next add your green materials and alternate between the two as time progresses. An important tip provided is to chop up your food waste into small pieces to help the fresh materials break down; the larger the pieces, the longer decomposition. Watering your compost can also help the breakdown of materials - If you add too much water, don’t worry! Simply add extra brown materials to soak up the excess moisture. The workshop leader explained that while odor is a possibility, there are quick and easy steps to avoid it. First, do not add any meat or dairy products to your compost. These products take longer to decompose and create smells that attract pests & wild life. Second, by turning your compost once a week you will allow aerobic decomposition. Typically the unpleasant odor that comes from compost is due to anaerobic breakdown of foods. Turning the compost allow aerobic bacteria to breathe and continue their work. Lastly, keeping a lid on your compost can keep any odors from leaving the bin. Finally, gardeners and community members were taught that the compost they create not only helps prevent further ecological damage but can also benefit your plants. Once your compost is ready, simply sprinkle around your plants to provide them with extra nutrition at no added cost! This informative event ended with participants receiving a booklet provided by HRM on additional information and resources on how to compost. Should you wish to learn more about how to start your own backyard compost or the many benefits composting has, drop by the Mount Community Garden or email garden@msvu.ca for more information. by: Nathalie Paris
June
Backyard Composting workshop
2018 Campus Beehive Update
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Thanks to Beekeeper Jillian Ruhl, the Mount enrolled 10,000 new members to its community during the summer of 2017! With the installation of a honey bee ‘nuc’ (colony) to the campus, the university was flying with activity! The colony increased to about 40,000 bees last fall, which went into winter and successfully survived into the spring. The queen stops laying in the winter so the colony does not grow in number at that time. In a healthy hive like this, approximately 160 bees die each day in the winter. So, assuming the queen was not laying eggs from December to March (120 days), the colony lost around 19,200 bees. This means the colony decreased to about 20,800 bees from Fall to Spring. The colony has grown considerably since then. Currently, there are approximately 30,000 or more honeybees. Jillian will be adding a third super (hive box) and we expect the colony to grow past 60,000 by the end of July. At this growth rate, we hope to offer a honey extraction workshop at the end of August. Proceeds for jars of honey sold at the workshop will go directly back to The Mount Community Garden! You can get all the buzz and updates about the hive and workshops on The Mount Community Garden’s Facebook page: The Mount Community Garden . ‘Keep’ in mind that the scheduled dates are subject to change as inspections depend on the status of the bees and their activities. By: Jillian Ruhl
What you need to do 1) Place oven rack in middle position. Preheat to 350°F. Lightly grease shallow 9x9 baking dish. Scatter oats, almonds, and strawberries into baking dish. 2) Whisk 1/3 cup brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, egg, milk, and melted butter in medium bowl until combined. Evenly pour into baking dish and shake gently to ensure oat mixture is coated. 3) Bake approximately 30 minutes, or until center is set. Serve immediately. Adapted from: www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/08/print/strawberry-almond-baked-oatmeal-recipe.html
Despite it being an unseasonably cold start to the summer, the strawberries remain productive and unharmed. While lately there is a lot of talk about cutting back on carbohydrates, you should know that fruits like strawberries may have some amounts of sugar, but they are entirely natural and un-added, as is not the the case with a great deal of processed foods. While fruits may contain some sugar, they are generally good sources of fibre, vitamins, and micronutrients that you do not always receive from other food groups. For example, strawberries are a good source of fibre, polyphenols (antioxidants), Vitamins C and K, as well as potassium. Below is a great recipe to help you enjoy those strawberries, whether from your garden, the grocery store, or wild from your lawn. The Mount Community Garden has recently received a donation of two haskap berry bushes, so come up to try the berries that are already starting to ripen alongside the strawberries and blueberries.
Image and recipe obtained from: www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/08/print/strawberry-almond-baked -oatmeal-recipe.html
Baked Strawberry Oatmeal
(Straw)berry season
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What you need: 1 1/2 cups rolled oats 1/2 cup sliced almonds 20-30 strawberries, hulled and sliced 1/3 cup light brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1 large egg 1 3/4 cups milk (1 or 2%) 2 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter, Cooking spray Adapted from: www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/08/print/strawberry-almond-baked-oatmeal-recipe.html
