Hello Farm Awarded Second-Annual Peterborough Agricultural Innovation Award Implementing Japanese Farming Techniques

The ingenuity of Ava Richardson and Kiyotami ‘Zenryu’ Owatari of Hello Farm from Havelock has paid off as they were awarded the Peterborough Agricultural Innovation Award which included $500 and a plaque presented at Sunderland Co-operative on Thursday afternoon.

(From left to right) Bonnie Clark, Peterborough Country Warden; Jim Martin, Havelock-Belmont-Methuen Township Mayor, Kiyotami ‘Zenryu’ Owatari, Hello Farms; Ava Richardson, Hello Farms; Gath Stoner, Sunderland Co-op retail division manager and Elmer Buchanan, of Farmers Market Havelock. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The award is in its second year and was created by the Peterborough Agricultural Roundtable. Hello Farms is based out of Havelock growing organic herloom vegetables from their market garden.

“We're new still to the Peterborough area and have been here for three years now and farming for two,” explained Richardson. “We just came from just Japan, we were farming there for a decade so to be chosen for such an award is quite an honour.”

Richardson and Owatari adapted a Japanese farming technique of growing crops using a biochar chimney to improve their soil fertility, moisture retention and tilth to grow their garden.

The mix traditionally uses rice husks and bran but the farm substituted it with a unique blend of spelt husks and wheat bran. The result was a doubling in their overall crop yields and income.

Richardson is originally from the Oshawa area and moved to Japan for elementary school teaching and spent 14 years there (with 10 of them farming). She met Owatari as his native land, where the latter was a Buddhist monk and chef for over 20 years.

They lived close to Fukushima, known for the nuclear accident due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. It created less-than-ideal farming conditions that made the pair health-conscious when growing their own produce.

“We're quite motivated to have access to healthy and safe food because there was nuclear fallout,” explained Richardson. ‘‘We weren't sure what was safe to eat so that's a big motivator to always be growing healthy, safe and delicious food.”

The duo wanted to implement the same Japanese quality techniques in Canada with that same mindset.

“Knowing we were coming back to Canada, let's continue that philosophy,” said Richardson. “There's not a ton of Asian vegetables available locally but we happen to know uniquely Japanese heirloom varieties.”

“There's limited vegetables available here so I'm happy to introduce these tasty vegetables here,” said Kiyotami. “The people know that we grow Japanese cucumbers and they can get only from us so that's a good start. I like to develop that kind of stuff.”

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Peterborough Agricultural Society To Host Seedling Market and Garden Show

The Peterborough Agricultural Society is hosting a seedling market and garden show this Saturday, May 13 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Morrow Building.

file photo.

Initially planned as a seedling exchange, the response from the local gardening community was so positive that organizers have added a number of educational sessions, speakers and local home and garden businesses.

“The event has really taken off,” says Louise Dobbin, general manager of the Peterborough Agricultural Society. “We’re excited to be offering something that appeals to both people who are new to gardening and those who are experienced.”

The event will feature a Seedling Swap Table where people can trade vegetable, flower or small house plant seedlings for others as well as a seed starting booth which will provide people with up to two seed kits to start and take home.

Professional Horticulture and garden specialist Erin Muscutt will be on hand from 11 a.m. to noon for an ‘Ask an Expert’ discussion as well as other speakers on vermicomposting and sprouts.

Those looking to stock up on supplies can shop from a variety of local vendors carrying seedlings, apiary products, garden decor, home and landscaping services.

Admission to the show is free and there will be a door prize from Griffin’s Greenhouse. For more information about the event, visit the website or contact Louise Dobbin at generalmanager@peterboroughag.ca.

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Exploring Sustainability at Lakefield College School

Lakefield College School’s (LCS) outdoor-oriented curriculums encourage students to take environmental responsibility and respect the Earth through learning and growing outside the classroom.

photo courtesy of Lakefield college school.

“Our main campus is over 150 acres and our Northcote Campus is just over 160 acres,” said Outdoors Every Day manager Garret Hart. “We have a philosophy in the school that is ‘Outdoors Every Day’ which is why we have our students out in the woods and on the lakes canoeing, swimming, hiking and exploring year-round.”

Hart says one of the College’s main goals is to teach students how to enrich their relationship with the Earth.

“Sustainability for us is really about the connection for students to the broader, natural world, and some more concrete things like food systems. There’s a disconnect, people think that meat comes on styrofoam trays and apples come in a plastic bag,” continued Hart. “Giving kids the opportunity to plant a potato and come back to harvest it in the fall and see this bounty that they’ve created, it’s a pretty important step.”

Through sustainability classes in every grade, LCS looks at themes such as Leave No Trace camping, regenerative agriculture and carbon emission reduction.

“There’s so much that we can use just outside of our door to help students understand the impact that they have on the environment, and the impact the environment can have on them,” said Assistant Head of Sustainability Janice Greenshields. “We really hope that students leave here understanding how to be more responsible for the environment as well as how they can use the environment for healthier lifestyles for the rest of their lives.”

Lakefield College School senior Esme Campbell is in charge of sustainability on campus, working with the environmental club the Lakefield Environmental Action Force (LEAF.)

She says part of her role involves working with her teachers to make LCS more sustainable.

“(This role) was a really good way for me to get more involved with the school community. We ran a thrift store to promote shopping sustainability, a clean plate challenge to focus on food waste, and we also did a holiday market where we worked with local vendors from Peterborough and Lakefield to promote shopping locally,” said Campbell.

The school’s current initiatives for sustainability encompass themes of land, water, waste and climate anxiety; they'll focus on these initiatives more intensely throughout Earth month this April.

“I think it’s really beneficial to have the opportunity to work outside. We went to Northcote and fermented carrots, where we learned about how the fermentation process works which was really interesting. With the hands-on approach we were really able to (stay) engaged which made it a lot more interesting than working and learning from the textbook,” continued Campbell.

Students and parents interested in learning more about sustainability and exploring enrolment at Lakefield College School can visit the website and the Summer Academy Seed to Table programs. There are three to choose from.

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Watch This Great Fleming Video On Sustainable Agriculture

The Sustainable Agriculture program at Fleming College is designed for new and beginner farmers seeking an intensive, applied learning experience in sustainable, ecological or natural farming methods. More info here on the program and check out the video below.

[YouTube]

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