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Posts Tagged ‘Flowers’

It never fails to amaze me – living in the Bethany area provides unlimited opportunities to enjoy the natural beauty surrounding us. And the month of June is a perfect time to get out and enjoy the local conservation areas.

CPRA celebrates the month of June as Parks and Recreation Month.  We take this opportunity to recognize the benefits of parks and recreation, encouraging Canadians to get out and be active in their communities.  This initiative raises awareness about the importance of parks and recreation and the role it plays in the quality of life for all Canadians.”   (Canadian Parks and Recreation Association)

There are 2 conservation areas within 10 km of Bethany: Fleetwood Creek Natural Area and Squirrel Creek Conservation Area.

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Source: https://ontarioconservationareas.ca/component/geocode_factory/?view=mapcb&idMap=1&Itemid=538 

Fleetwood Creek Natural Area is a river valley system located within the Oak Ridges Moraine. Visitors can discover and experience a distinctive part of Ontario’s natural heritage including lowland forests, hardwood bush, meadows and steep valleys. You will also find over 250 kinds of plants and 44 types of birds, including wild turkey that were reintroduced into the region during the 1980s.

And if geology is a hobby of yours, you will find a variety of geological formations caused by the past glacial period including kames, kettles, eskers and ice-contact ridges.

Squirrel Creek Conservation Area sits along the Otonabee River. In addition to the natural vegation it includes a beach, picnic shelters, baseball diamonds, boat launch and small dock. If you have an event, you can rent the picnic shelters and ball diamonds.

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Source: https://ontarioconservationareas.ca/ 

Travel a little further. Within a 25 km radius there are 9 more conservation areas.

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Source: https://ontarioconservationareas.ca/component/geocode_factory/?view=mapcb&idMap=1&Itemid=538

CPRA is encouraging followers on Twitter and Facebook to help spread the word about what ‘June is Parks and Recreation Month’ means to you.

Post pictures to @CPRA_ACPL or to Canadian Parks and Recreation Association on Facebook, using #JPRM2018 over the month of June.

All participants will be entered into a draw for the chance to win 1 of 3 – $50 Mountain Equipment Co-op gift cards to start your summer off right with new recreation gear.

You can post your pictures all month long!

 

 

 

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Kawartha Choice FarmFresh was created to help consumers easily identify nutritious, great-tasting local agricultural products grown and produced in the local Kawartha Region.

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The Kawartha Choice Farm Fresh members provide residents and visitors with an amazing array of choices when it comes to locally grown fruits, vegetables, meats and other products.

Members include:

  • 36 Farms
  • 3 ‘Agri-tainment’ venues
  • 9 Restaurants
  • 5 Retailers
  • 6 Farmers’ Markets
  • 3 Food Service Providers

Now you might wonder about the Agri-tainment venues. They include:

  • Heaven’s Gait – trail pony rides daily;
  • Kawartha Country Wines – offering over 45 varieties of wine, complimentary wine tasting and tours;
  • Salem Alpacas – visit the alpacas or shop for clothing, collectables and gifts.

And if you are wondering what types of products you can find, the selection is almost endless!

  • Baked Goods
  • Beef
  • Berries
  • Chicken
  • Duck
  • Eggs
  • Fibre
  • Fruit
  • Goat meat
  • Goat Milk/cheese
  • Grain
  • Herbs
  • Honey
  • Lamb
  • Maple Syrup
  • Plants/Flowers
  • Pork
  • Preserves
  • Pumpkins
  • Sheep Milk/Cheese
  • Specialty Meats
  • Turkey
  • Vegetables
  • Wine
  • Wool and Wool Products

Support your local agricultural community and the farm families who produce the food. This helps to preserve our local farmland, helps the environment by reducing “food miles”, and expands the local food market. And an additional benefit – you will be building relationships with the farmers that grow your food; you will get to experience agriculture up close!

“Our region is filled with unique products and food experiences,” says Jamey Coughlin, Peterborough Economic Development’s Business Development Lead – Agriculture and Rural. “The Kawartha Choice FarmFresh Guide is a great way to connect consumers with local growers and producers.”

Print your Kawartha Choice FarmFresh Guide which includes a detailed description and map to local food, products, and agri-tainment at:

Kawartha Farm Fresh Guide

And if you have some local turkey sausage, onions, herbs, rice and beans on hand, why not cook up a batch of Red Beans and Rice for supper. Red Beans and Rice Recipe

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Ingredients

2 Tbsp (30mL) canola oil, divided

6 oz (170g) smoked turkey sausage, thinly sliced

1 ½ cups (375mL) diced onions

4 medium garlic cloves, minced

2 cans (15oz/ 443mL each) no-salt-added red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 tsp (5mL) dried thyme leaves

2 dried bay leaves

1Tbsp (15mL) Louisiana hot sauce

¼ tsp (1mL) salt

3 cups (750mL) hot cooked brown rice

Instructions

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat 1 Tbsp canola oil over medium-high heat. Sauté sausage 2-3 minutes or until richly browned on edges, stirring frequently. Set aside on separate plate. Reduce heat to medium.

Add onions and cook 4 minutes or until beginning to lightly brown. Stir in garlic and cook 15 seconds, stirring constantly.

Add beans, thyme and bay leaves. Stir in cooked sausages, hot sauce, salt and remaining 1 Tbsp canola oil. Heat until cooked through. Serve over cooked rice.

Find more recipes at http://www.kawarthachoice.com/.

 

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Meet Puddle Duck Farm owners Merridy Senior and Eben Hancock. Puddle Duck is a 100-year-old farm, purchased by the pair in 2012. Since then they have filled their days with working on house and barn improvements, caring for animals including cows, chickens, ducks, goats, and two cats. And in 2013 baby Sawyer joined the family.

 

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The couple is not new to farming though. They actually began in 2009 when they became involved with running a local sugar bush just outside of Millbrook. The following spring, they added honeybee hives and discovered beekeeping. Finding Puddle Jump Farm to purchase was the next logical step.  

Now they focus on:  

Cut flowers – they planted 10,000 Gladiola bulbs the first year! Since then they have added sunflowers, zinnias, strawflowers, and asters. You can find their bouquets at the farm, community events, local markets, flower shops and the grocery store. 

Honey – their bees gather pollen and nectar from the wildflowers on the property. The Honey is unpasteurized and available in both liquid and cream form.  

Maple products – they have approximately 2000 taps to produce maple syrup at a sugar bush just outside of Millbrook. It takes 40 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of syrup! In addition to maple syrup they produce maple butter, maple sugar candies, and granulated maple sugar.

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If that was not enough, they also produce organic freezer meat and free range eggs.  All of the produce is grown without the use of herbicides, pesticides, fungicides or chemical fertilizers. 

Puddle Duck Farm also participates in a community farm, but that will be featured in another post!  

Connect with Puddle Duck Farm on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/Puddleduck-Farm-280714355416026/ 

Call them at (705) 931-5794
Visit the farm at 541 Glamorgan Rd., Millbrook, Ontario.

Send them an email puddleduckfarm@nexicom.net

 

 

 

 

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