Farmers and home gardeners in Labrador share the heart and soil beneath what they grow.
Heart & Soil Conversations; HV-GB Recyclers
For the second instalment of the 2023 Heart & Soil series, we had a conversation with John Gaudi of Happy Valley-Goose Bay Recyclers – a grassroots organization of dedicated volunteers redirecting tons of recyclable waste away from their municipal landfill each year.
Heart & Soil Conversations: Insects in Your Garden!
For the third instalment of our “Heart & Soil Conversations” series, Dr. Carolyn Parsons, an Entomologist with Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, led a talk all about the good, the bad, and the not-so-ugly insects in our gardens.
Heart & Soil Conversations: Composting 101
For our second “Heart & Soil Conversation,” Tim Walsh of the Memorial University Botanical Garden facilitated a great session all about composting! Tim broke down the basics and benefits of composting, and shared how to build your own compost and use the finished soil. He also answered questions and provided insights on solutions to common…
Heart & Soil Conversations: Garden Planning
Last month, we were thrilled to kick off our “Heart & Soil Conversation Series” with a virtual talk on Garden Planning, led by Rachel Snelgrove, Farm Associate at the Pye Centre. Rachel covered the fundamentals of creating low-maintenance, productive home gardens, including: Companion planting, to reduce weeds, pests, and diseases, and to promote pollination and…
Thomas Piggott: “It just tastes different when you grow it yourself.”
Dr. Thomas Piggott is the Regional Medical Officer of Health for Labrador Grenfell Health. He is an avid gardener and agriculture enthusiast living in Goose Bay.
Joan Saunders: “I’ve only been gardening about 30 years”
Saying that she’s “only been gardening for 30 years” might be Joan Saunders’s modesty talking—but on the other hand, saying “only” means she plans to keep on going for many more years to come!
Charlie Flowers: “Once you’ve learned this skill, you’ll have it forever”
Charlie Flowers has lived in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut his whole life. Three years ago, he decided to try his hand at gardening, and immersed himself in learning everything he could about growing vegetables in the North.
Peggy Slipp: “I love the satisfaction, and knowing where our food comes from”
Peggy Slipp has been gardening since winning the best zucchini at her local county fair when she was 9 years old. Here’s some of what Peggy had to say to Frankie Leonard, a summer student with the Labrador Institute, in August 2020.
Darren Dinsmore: “I absolutely love producing beef”
Darren Dinsmore has a passion for cattle. He’s been a beef farmer for the past three years, located along the North West River road just near the edge of the Happy Valley-Goose Bay town borders. Frankie Leonard, a 2020 summer student with the Labrador Institute, asked Darren a few questions about his experiences with farming…
Jamie Felsberg: “It’s the satisfaction of growing it on your own”
Gardening has always been a part of Jamie Felsberg’s life through his parents and grandparents, but he began plying his own green thumb 4-5 years ago. Some takeaways from Jamie’s interview with Frankie Leonard, Labrador Institute summer student, are captured here.
Ren Simms: “I enjoy getting my hands dirty”
With a beautifully divided garden and a great greenhouse for corn, Ren Simms is able to grow all the staple Newfoundland and Labrador crops and more. He has been gardening for over 20 years, and enjoys sharing his delicious produce with friends and family, especially his grandchildren when they come and visit. In fact, Ren…
Joyce Pye (Part II): “To me, it is pure magic”
In Part II of our conversation with Joyce Pye, Joyce talked about her hopes for the future of the Pye Centre for Northern Boreal Food Systems, and the wonder and magic of farming and gardening.
Joyce Pye (Part I): “It started out as just growing for us”
In July 2020, Jamie Jackman, Program Coordinator at the Labrador Institute, interviewed Joyce Pye to learn more about her history and experiences with farming in Labrador. In Part I of Jamie’s conversation with Joyce, they talked about about her memories of the Grand River Farm, and her favourite things about farming.
Pye Centre for Northern Boreal Food Systems 