We were very fortunate to connect a few of our Little Green Thumbs classes with producers in the Edmonton area (see other blog posts) in the last couple of months. The children were very attentive and had many great questions and stories for the farmers. In turn, we were so pleased with personal stories the farmers shared with the children.
Trudy and Kirk Harrold explained the importance of being good stewards of the land that has been in their family since 1907, for 4 generations. The farm is near Elk Island Park and they are passionate about creating healthy soil, protecting soil from overuse and also reserving spaces for wildlife. They see how healthy the land is by how well the wild animals are doing on their land. The family is proud of the food they produce for Albertans while working hard to protect the land and environment. Kirk and Trudy brought samples of grains they grow, such as wheat, barley, oats, canola, and peas. Photos from the farm showed the crops, animals and wildlife they care for. Last fall, the Harrold family is one of many farming families in Alberta unable to bring in a large portion of their crops. They are hoping for a better season to come and we thank them for learning more about farming.
“What’s the best part of your job?” was a question Ben Stocks was happy to answer. Stocks Greenhouses near Sherwood Park produces tulips, other flowers and veggies for the market. Ben loves working outside, having lots of freedom and producing flowers and vegetables that people want to buy. He is noticing a resurgence in locally grown food. Cucumbers are becoming more popular again for pickling, and his sweet corn and other veggies are always snapped up quickly at the market. The children learned how he plants tulip bulbs in the winter and keeps the bulbs cold for several months before they start growing in the greenhouse. Once the flowers are almost ready to open, they are picked, loaded up on the truck and taken to the market. Ben really enjoys the moments when the flowers are at their prime and ready to be received by happy customers.
“What’s the worst part of your job?” asked the children. Many crops, including watermelon, are grown under a plastic tunnel or in a greenhouse. The strong spring and fall wind can sometimes rip and damage the roof of these structures. Wondering what the weather might bring is one of many challenges of farming. We also learned that growing tulips in the field was very difficult before Ben’s family got dog Maggie. Hungry deer would mow down all the tulips until Maggie got the job of chasing the deer away.
Little Green Thumbs classes have a unique opportunity to get a taste for growing plants right in their classroom. In a few years, perhaps some of these children will be part of the emerging trend of young families giving agriculture a try, growing food crops, raising animals, keeping bees, or growing flowers or other agricultural products for our local markets.
Claudia Bolli, Little Green Thumbs