This weekend in Saskatoon, the focus is on locally grown food – extremely local, like in your garden.
“Around the world, 20 percent of food production comes from urban areas, so we in Saskatoon have a lot of potential to increase the amount of food we grow,” Gord Enns told CBC Radio’s Saskatoon Morning.
There are so many products that I keep harvesting.– Rachel Engler-Stringer
Enns is a member of the Saskatoon Food Council and one of the organizers of the Urban Ag-Tour on Saturday, a showcase for garden ideas in Saskatoon.
There’s a plethora of gardening ideas on the 10-stop tour this year, including a small plot of land carved out of parking lots.
“It’s intense,” he said. “No matter how big the space is, you can actually grow food.”
Hill culture? Yes
One of the highlights of the tour this year will be Rachel Engler-Stringer’s garden with special elevated tanks that require very little water.
“It’s challenging and fun, but the worst part of the job, which isn’t really bad right now, is that I’m harvesting so many products that I harvest all the time,” said Engler-Stringer.
Hill culture, a form of composting, also exists in Engler-Stringer’s Caswell neighborhood garden. To do this, you build a hill out of dead wood and rubble and cover it with dirt.
“In our case, it’s heart-shaped; it looks like a huge heart from above,” she said.
Outlaw chickens
The tour even comes with a slightly rebellious stop. City hall continues to ban urban chickens, but they will be a stop on the tour.
Enns said the chickens were only there as an example of what could be.
“It’s like part of the garden … eating kitchen garbage and producing eggs. They really are pets with benefits.”
This is the second annual Urban Ag tour in Saskatoon, and people can walk, bike, or drive the route starting at 8:30 a.m. CST on Saturday.
Engler-Stringer’s garden also has German composting technology that mimics the forest floor and slowly releases nutrients. (Courtesy Rachel Engler-Stringe)
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