It's never too early to be thinking about your garden

It may be -15°C in Montreal right now but there are at least a few reasons to be thankful for a cold winter:  Cold weather kills bugs, bacteria, and other organisms that can be harmful to your harvest; a big pile up of snow means lots of water in the soil in spring that will help with seed germination and general soil fertility (not to mention some great opportunities to go sledding!); and the winter gives us a chance to rest from what can sometimes be back-breaking garden labor and give us a chance to plan our gardens for the upcoming season.

If you're like me and like to have as much control over what goes into your garden as possible, then mid-winter is one of the most exciting times of year.  That's right, it's time to drool over seed catalogs at all the varieties of heirloom and organic seeds that could produce delicious, beautiful produce just for you.  Or better yet, find out when and where the nearest seed sale and exchanges are happening and support your local organic farmers who are among the unsung heroes working to preserve our biodiversity and our traditions.

If you're living anywhere near the Montreal region you must come by the Jardin Botanique de Montreal this weekend, February 9th-10th from 10am-4:30pm, for the 13th annual SEEDY WEEKEND.  Organized by local urban ag. organization Action Communiterre, there will be 20 local seed-saving farmers selling organic and heirloom veggie, herb, and flower seeds, with a free community seed exchange at the end of the day.  Plus there's a bunch of awesome FREE conferences about organic gardening and agriculture, food security, and what you can do to support new initiatives in Montreal and your community!  It's so worth the trek and the selection and diversity of seeds is really amazing.

Planting a Future - a documentary about urban agriculture in NDG, Montreal

Two Concordia film students approached Action Communiterre this spring, interested in urban agriculture in the borough of Notre-Dame-de-Grace (NDG), Montreal.  For their course, they visited different organizations and gardens around the neighborhood to get a sense of the work being done and its impact in the community.  There's even a short segment featuring the St. Monica School Garden!

Marche Locale - Concordia University's new local food market!

Congrats to my friend and colleague Amy Barrington on her successful organization of the Marche Locale at Concordia University.  The market provides a space in the heart of downtown where local producers (and extremely local producers from around the city!) can sell their organic produce to students and passersby.  The market can be found every Tuesday from 4:00-7:00pm at the Hall Building Terrasse on MacKay, near de Maisonneuve in Montreal.

Amy is a student at Concordia University and a Member of the Board at Action Communiterre.

Watch a CTV news clip on the market!!
For details and updates on the garden visit their website: http://marchelocalequartierconcordia.weebly.com/