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Growing the food we eat has always been very much a part of my life. We spent our summers helping to plant, weed and harvest the large vegetable garden that fed us through the winter. Later, as a young farmwife, I proudly lined my cellar shelves with jars of home grown fruit and vegetables. Now, Robert and I spend part of each year in Zambia, helping small farmers become food secure.

 

 

So I was pretty excited to see and hear about the Edible Landscaping Program my home town of Fort St. John, B.C. began in 2010. The City is taking food security seriously and has created demonstration gardens to show that edible plants can be both beautiful and delicious.

 
Last summer I saw the brilliant colours of Northern Lights swiss chard and kale grow among sunflowers and other annuals beside the entrance to Peace River Regional District Office. Another demonstration garden was flourishing in front of the Water Treatment Plant. Bright red geraniums and copper marigold were interspersed with kale, broccoli, cauliflower, parsley and other plants. Planted around a tower across from the Treatment Plant were raspberries and currants, under cropped with lettuce and flowers.

 

 

A large sign by the garden read:
…This program was created as part of the City’s commitment to a more sustainable community. By providing residents with new concepts in gardening we can show that gardens can be beautiful as well as delicious…This garden…provides ideas for those interested in creating their own sustainable food sources (and)… is just a small portion of the City`s planning towards a community that is energy efficient, economically viable and a vibrant place to live.”

 
Below was a long list of the fruits, vegetables herbs and edible flowers growing, and their nutritional value, and an invitation to pick some of the plants for eating.

 

 

The City encouraged citizens to visit the gardens, which were grown at several prominent places, the largest being at the Pomeroy Sports Centre. I spoke to Lori at City Hall today, and she told me that many people, especially seniors who don’t have their own gardens, were grateful for the invitation to gather some fresh produce. When she went with her daughter to get some cauliflower towards the end of August, most of the produce had been picked.

 
Much of it probably went to the kitchen of the local Salvation Army. On August 12, over 55 pounds of produce were delivered to the shelter’s kitchen. More would come later.

 
People are excited about the program. They are planning to run it again next year, and add components like preserving and canning workshops.

 
We enjoyed the stir fry of greens I picked at the Water Treatment Plant. I’m sure you’ll hear me telling others about the Fort St. John concept of gardening. Actually, it’s the same concept we kids used in our WI (Women’s Institute) competition gardens. A row or two of flowers planted among the rows of peas and carrots and potatoes. So what comes around goes around.

I just spent a few turbulent jubilant days on the family farm east of Fort St. John, B.C. I grew up there as an immigrant child on a homestead. When my Dad bought the land, there were less than 100 acres cleared on the four quarters. A small unfinished house was our first home. What a contrast to the large comfortable farmhouse, the modern dairy operation, and the red and green equipment parked in the yard that my brother and his wife now own.

 

Dad wrote a memoir of those years, first in German – Kanada, Dein Neues Heimatland. This week the English version comes out in print – Canada, a New Home in a New Land. Now the grandchildren can read it too. As the oldest of seven children, I am the only one that remembers the whole of the time Dad writes about. I found it fascinating to hear the story from his angle. Some of my siblings find the book hard to read. Each of us has their own interpretation of that time. No one will deny they were hard times, but there were many light moments too

 

Along with the Canada book, Dad`s second book is being printed – Aus Alter Zeit (From old times). In it he writes some of the history of our family in Switzerland back several generations, and describes the customs of the people and farming of that time. It is actually a novel, based on fact. Again, I found it fascinating to read how things once were.

 
We often tell our Zambian friends that we in the West were where they are only a few hundred years ago. Actually, the more I read Swiss rural history, the more I think that only a hundred years of history separate us. I was shocked to read about poverty in the Swiss mountain villages so severe that people had to gave their children away to other farmers who used them like slaves to do their work, paying them in clothes (often cheap and few) and food (often inadequate). That still happened in the early 1900s. Well, I guess they at least survived.

 
Moving between different cultures as I do, I often ask: “Why do people do what they do?” Reading and hearing about their roots helps answer some of those questions. Understanding where we come from helps us to understand ourselves, and our parents. Listening to other people’s stories helps us to understand them.

 

 

Sometimes I feel I have a lot in common with the Zambian villagers we work with. I too grew up with little. That first year in Canada we had no running water. There was no telephone for many years, and certainly no money, though we were always fed and warm. Maybe that`s why I find it easy to adapt quickly to other circumstances.

 

(If you’re interested in a copy of Dad’s books you can call him – Gottlieb Lehmann, 250-785-4991)

It’s good to come in from the cold. A steady buzz of voices greets us. Men and women stand together in comfortable groups, cocktails in their hands, catching up on the latest news after a long busy harvest season. Delicious aromas of roast beef and fried chicken waft through the room. The 10th annual meeting of the Westlock Terminals NGC is an opportunity to visit over a delicious supper, the proceeds of which will to go STARS air ambulance.

 

It’s easy to celebrate. Last November I wrote about the pride the county and town of Westlock rightly feel in their elevator. This is one of those success stories I love to write about. “It’s beyond our wildest dreams,” Dave Felstad , past president and one of the key founding members, said. The first board dreamed of one day handling 160,000 tonnes of grain per year. Last year the elevator moved 217,000 tonnes of grain, a feat those first members never dreamed possible. The terminal anticipates delivering that or more this coming year.

 

Part of the success is due to the diligence and hard work of the staff and board members to turn this farmer and community owned elevator from a small business into a multimillion dollar company. They’ve worked hard to build up a thriving feed grain business with the lower mainland of British Columbia. Increasing their capacity to load railcars faster and more efficiently has added to the bottom line. They’re looking to own their own fleet of cars in the near future.

 
Adding to their success is the demise of the local elevators in the surrounding area, especially to the north of Westlock. There isn’t another elevator for a long ways north, into the Peace Country. I find it interesting that the terminal has made an agreement with the owners of the nearby still operational Dapp Elevator (sold by Agricore United to private farmers) to load trucks and some small rail shipments from there. It’s frustrating to think of how many elevators were levelled to the ground that could still be used in these ways; that farmers fought to get control of and lost to a huge corporation’s politics.

 
In his report, the plant manager, Cliff Bell, talked of western Canada’s dance with the Canadian Wheat Board. The uncertainty of the CWB’s future is a challenge for businesses like the terminal. They are negotiating with all parties to make sure grain will be moved when it is time.

 
The terminal has had its challenges too of course. Growth brings its own problems. New storage facilities weren’t ready when the harvest was. Farmers had to be patient, and couldn’t deliver when they wanted, or unloading was cumbersome for awhile. They had to let a major staff member go. There were some lean years with small crops, because of drought.

 
Cliff Bell tells us they were so successful because “customers and members delivered grain when we needed it.” If no grain comes, there is no business. But if the business is bad, no grain comes. So it is a reciprocal relationship. A very successful one, in this case, so congratulations are due to both farmers and terminal staff.

Everything is so big! The roads, the fields, the sky; even the fridge! I drive up to an intersection and the other side of the highway is so far away, I can hardly find it. The fields seem to go on forever, meeting the sky that does go on forever. And the fridge…no wonder things go bad at the back. Once you put them back there, you’ll never find them again.
I’d just finally got used to the narrow roads in Switzerland, the tiny fields that a Canadian rig could hardly turn around in, and the fridge that by default makes sure you go shopping several times a week. But it sure does feel good to be home again. (Home is Westlock, AB this time…)

 

While down at the neighbours for tea, I was asked what my thoughts were about the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB). That seems to be the hot topic right now among western Canadian grain farmers.

 

The CWB has had a 60 year monopoly for western Canadian farmers’ wheat and barley destined for export and the wheat for domestic human consumption. This has been a bone of contention for many grain farmers for years. They want the right to market their grain themselves just as they do with their other products such as canola and feed grains.

The whole thing came to a head when the Conservative Government introduced Bill C-18 to dismantle the CWB’s single desk monopoly powers. Henry Vos’, and then Jeff Nielson’s resignation from the CWB board following the board’s decision to take the government to court have fuelled the discussions.

I read Les Dunford’s interview with Henry Vos in the Westlock News (and also Henry’s resignation letter). Henry is concerned about the use of farmer’s money to fight for a Status Quo that has little chance of standing. Shouldn’t the energy and money be put instead towards looking forward, adapting to what is reality, and making the most of the opportunity? Jeff Nielson says the board is out of touch with what farmers need.

That is what our neighbour’s son thinks too, and he says is the sentiment of most young farmers that he knows.

I do know that as a new grain farmer in the mid 1990s, I was thankful I didn’t have to worry about marketing my wheat too, while learning to market canola and barley. I imagine that’s the feeling of many farmers, especially the older ones. (Later the CWB policies would be a source of frustration for me.)

So the two sides clash. Sometimes they clash in the same household, as with our neighbours. The Dad is pro CWB, the son against it. Hopefully this issue won’t break apart families and friendships, as such things sometimes do. Disagreement doesn’t equal rejection, my husband sometimes reminds me. It’s a reminder that is apt in the CWB issue.

November 1. Zurich airport: I leave behind the brilliant colours of late autumn; the still lush green pastures. I don’t mind leaving behind the heavy fog that often accompanies this time of year. If we’re lucky it lifts by noon, or maybe mid afternoon, to make way for a deep blue fall sky.

I’m on my way ‘home’ to the farm in Westlock for a month. People ask me if I still know where home is. After two and a half months in Schleitheim, supporting my aging in-laws, Schleitheim has become home again too. I guess home has become where I am, whether that’s Switzerland, Canada, or Zambia. We’ll be spending the winter in Schleitheim this year. Our son and his wife are presenting us with twins for Christmas (give or take a bit), our first grandchildren. We want to be around to enjoy them for a little, after which we’ll probably spend some time in Zambia again with the small farmers project.

 

Last Friday Res Mueller of Osterfingen was spraying herbicide on his nicely emerged dinkel. Dinkel is an old grain that has seen a strong rise in popular demand in the last years. We had dinkel bread with our apple/celery soup last Sunday. The bread had a rich nutty flavour which I love. If you are a white bread person, you would probably find it too strong.
Our Swiss farm, the Emmerhof, was named after emmer, another old grain that has seen resurgence. I wonder how much the demand for these old traditional grains has to do with their taste, and how much with mistrust of modern plant breeding that many think fosters mass production and less real nutrition.
Res’s field is surrounded by the Osterfingen vineyards, resplendent in rich reds, coppers and golds. It was in one of those vineyards that I helped with the harvest a few weeks ago. Later that day I had accompanied Werner as he delivered the grapes to the Lindenhof winery. Part of the ritual of delivering the grape harvest is to drink a glass of wine together, a lovely Rose.

 

I tasted some more of the Lindenhof wine at the Schaffhausen trade fair (Messe) last weekend, a deep red cabernet merlot. Wine is definitely an important industry in the Schaffhausen area. If a person tasted wine at every booth at the Messe, they would have trouble finding their way home later. No wonder the Messe is such a popular affair!

 

A bottle of Stamm wine is in my suitcase, designated for a raclette party with friends in Westlock this Sunday evening. The bottle comes from Thomas and Mariann Stamm’s family winery in Thayingen, on the other side of Schaffausen. Too bad these Stamms aren’t relatives!

2011 is definitely an election year! And one that’s brought all kinds of change. Canada finally saw a conservative majority voted in last spring after several minority governments, and the socialist NDP is enjoying its first stint as the official opposition. In Zambia this September they ousted the former conservative MMD president Rupiah Banda and voted in the more liberal PF Michael Sata, who is busy making some sweeping changes in the country. Switzerland elected its parliament this weekend, with some surprising results too. Two small newer parties – one conservative, one green- liberal, made good inroads into the parliament, taking some seats of the more traditional parties.

Farmers have a bit of their own agenda when electing their representatives. The SBV (Schweizer Bauern Verband – or Swiss Agriculture Association) always puts out a recommendation list for the voter. The Schaffhausen newspaper made a point of asking our local representatives what their positions were on the pressing agriculture issues of the day. There are some major bills coming to parliament in this next legislative session that will affect agriculture for the coming years.

The most contentious issue is surely the EU Free Market bill. At the moment Switzerland has what they call bilateral agreements with the EU, which gives the Swiss some protected status. Many are demanding an open market atmosphere. The SBV contends that an open market would be disastrous not only for the agriculture sector but the whole business community. Certainly for some parts of the business community it would be; others would clearly profit. From what I read and hear, Swiss farmers probably stand to lose more than they would win in an open market with the EU.

The AP 2014-17 (Agriculture Political direction plan for 2014-2017) is also a hotly debated topic. The government is determined to tie agriculture subsidies even more closely to animal and environmentally friendly production methods and those that protect biodiversity. Many farmers find the existing regulations very restricting and chaff at the thought of even more rules.

Parliament has introduced a ‘Swissness’ Initiative in an effort to protect Swiss products. What percentage of Swiss commodities or production need to be in a product to be declared as Swiss? It sounds like an easy one, but is actually very complicated. Each stakeholder has a different idea.

So there’s a lot at stake for agriculture. It seems most of the representatives recommended by the SBV got in, so agriculture should continue to have a strong presence. Interesting, I thought, is that the representatives come from a broad spectrum of parties. Hopefully there will be a powerful desire to work together and find the best solutions to difficult issu

The news from our Zambian small farmers hasn’t been very encouraging lately. On October 7, Jessy Mpupulwa emailed: “We have received some rains, almost to 30mm. This year is different. Even some bags on FRA (Federal Reserve Agency) depots have been soaked and yet most of us we haven’t received our money.”

Zambia’s rainy season is usually from end of October/beginning of November to end of March/beginning of April. Between that time there is no rain whatsoever. The maize (corn) harvest is somewhere from Mai to July. The maize from the small farmers is often stored in open places, because no moisture is expected. Usually the maize is sold right after harvest.

As Jessy writes, this year is different. The maize sales have been slow, and much of what has been sold has not been paid. The FRA is a government agency that buys most of the maize from the small farmers and stores it, then sells to the millers over the year. Its job is to maintain food security. But it seems some of their storage facilities were caught in the rain too.

Farmers are very frustrated. They count on that money to pay school fees and meet their other financial obligations. Often marketing middle men take gross advantage of this and buy maize at much lower prices. Those that refuse to deal with the middle man are caught waiting for the government to pay. Some never get their money.

By now, farmers should have bought into the subsidized fertilizer programs, on which they depend to put in their next crop. Those that pay late receive their products late (hybrid seeds and fertilizer), which means planting late which means a much reduced crop. And so the cycle continues.

There are repercussions for our own small farmer project in the Mpongwe area. On October 11, Jessy emails me: “We have started moving (to collect loans money)… but our only worry is that this year we will give the money late to the farms.”

He knows how important it is to be on time – with payments into the subsidized fertilizer program, to begin planting. The whole thing is immensely frustrating.

And shows how important it is to decrease reliance on government programs. A government that is always short money is not a safe bet. There are many projects in Zambia to help farmers decrease the use of commercial fertilizer – conservation farming using manure or compost is one. Another one is planting the Musangu tree. The Conservation Farming Unit research center has been promoting the planting of this very unique tree for many years. Their research plot prominently placed along the main highway to Lusaka shows the fantastic effects of this tree on soil fertilization. Here is a link to that information: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/southern/Zambian-Farmers-Encouraged-to-Grow-Nutrient-Rich-Trees-125417208.

But all the research in the world does no good if it doesn’t reach the farmers, or if the farmers don’t adopt it. That’s what we try to facilitate whenever we are in Zambia, or even when we’re not.

For many Canadians, when it comes to family dinners, Thanksgiving ranks in importance right after Christmas. The big question for western Canadian grain farm women is always: will there be a sit down Thanksgiving dinner with the family this year?

If they’re lucky, and the harvest is finished like it was for most in Westlock last year, their farmer will carve the turkey at the dining table and thank God the crop is in. Or, even if the harvest isn’t finished, it might be raining or even snowing, and they’ll still have pumpkin pie around the table. Some of those present may not feel as thankful as they could be, but the dinner will be saved.

Then there are the years, like this one for many, where Thanksgiving dinner coincides with a sunny day after a wet period. The cook will hear the all-too familiar words, “Sorry, honey, the harvest comes first, you know that.” There are various ways around this one – serve it in the field from the tailgate of the pickup, serve it at home without the family members involved in the harvest, or postpone it to another day. Hopefully there will be mutual understanding…

Robert is helping Iman Koeman with the combining again, as in the last years. Like most farmers in Central Alberta, they had to wait through half of the beautiful September weather for the crops to mature sufficiently so they could start harvesting. They got a couple good weeks in with long hours. Then a week ago it started to rain, off and on, just enough to stop operations. From the reports I’ve heard most farmers in the area are about 60% done or better. That’s still a good amount of crop out, but mostly canola on the swath.

Despite what looked like a difficult year – a late start, then a prolonged dry period, then flood-like rains – the reports on yields are positive. Some fields are giving bumper crops, others average, some below average. It seems like a normal year. Prices are still good so farmers are happy. Now, if they can only get those last swaths in!

Robert did get Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday – our good friends Sharon and Dave McGraw invited him. Thanks guys for taking him in! But he didn’t have much time to digest the meal before he was called to the combine again at 7 p.m., and was still going at midnight when he sent me a text message. The weather report isn’t particularly favourable. They can’t afford to waste any dry hours…

It’s the stuff a party is made of! – sunshine, food, friends and family, grapes and wine. I would have begged to be part of the grape harvest, but Robert’s cousin Helen Mueller from Osterfingen beat me to it and asked me. The grape harvest is always a special event. Yesterday’s exceptionally warm bright October day made it truly festive.

As for most of the vineyards around here, the grape harvest brings together family and friends for the day(s). Three of the Mueller grandson`s were the `buecki`carriers – we picked the grapes into pails which we dumped into their `buecki`. It is a prestigious job for a young man; puts him above the common picker. Among the dozen pickers were also two young Eritrean men – both named Ephraim. I picked awhile with one of them who knew enough English so we could carry a good conversation. These two have been granted refugee status, and were allotted a home in Osterfingen.

The mist still lay heavy over the hills as Werner, the vineyard owner, showed us exactly how to harvest. Most important was that we cut out all sour berries. Any pink or light purple coloured ones were suspect. Sucked out by wasps, these had a strong vinegar flavour and smell. There was only a little rot in the vineyard. And luckily, Osterfingen had been spared most of the heavy hail that other nearby areas had received. So it was a good harvest.

I told Werner that I used to dislike the Chlaeggi wines (from that area). He shot back, “Because they weren’t any good!” In the late 80’s, the import ban for foreign wines was lifted. Immediately a flux of better Australian, German and Californian wines entered the country. Swiss wine sales plummeted. In answer to that, the Swiss government put quotas on the amount of grapes a grower was allowed to deliver – one kilo per one square meter of grapes. Schaffhausen went one step further and only allowed 900 grams. Werner’s Vintner dropped that to 500 grams.

There was a lot of grumbling from growers of course, but what came out of it was a much improved wine quality. Swiss wines are now sought after, and there are many well known family wineries. So it wasn’t just my taste that had improved…

The day started with coffee and Helen`s fresh Zopf, a Swiss specialty bread. We harvested until noon, then stopped for Helen’s traditional squash soup, the Schuebling sausages everyone serves during the grape harvest, last year`s wine, bread, more coffee and Rickli, an area specialty donut. Work some more, break for cold drinks and chocolate. Finish the day, and then home for a platter of cheese and cold cuts and more drinks. No wonder I thought it was a party!

German version for those who were with me and want to read this:

Es war alles da, was zu einem gelungenem Fest gehört: Sonnenschein, Freunde und Familie, gutes Essen, Wein und Trauben. Ich hätte darum gebettelt, dabei sein zu dürfen, aber Robert`s Cousine Helen Müller kam mir zuvor und lud mich ein, beim Herbsten in Osterfingen zu helfen. Es war ein herrlicher Tag, einer der Schönsten, den sie je hatten, meinten Helen und Werner.

Die Traubenernte im Chläggi, Schaffhausen, bringt Freunde und Familienmitglieder zusammen. Es war den ganzen Tag ein emsig Schwatzen und Lachen zu hören (d.h. gegen Ende des Tages waren doch einige unter uns etwas ruhiger geworden!). Drei von Müller`s Enkeln waren Bückiträger – ein ehrenwürdiges Amt, das sie mit Stolz ausführten. Es ist doch eine Stufe höher als `nur` Trauben ablesen… Ich hatte fast ein wenig Mitleid mit den jüngeren Zwei, aber sie wollten ihre Bückis auch voll beladen nach unten tragen.

Unter den Duzend Traubenschneidern waren auch zwei Eritreer, die in Osterfingen ihre neue Heimat gefunden haben. Ich schnitt dann mal eine Reihe Trauben mit Ephraim, der genug Englisch konnte, damit wir uns recht verständigen konnten. Es war das erste Mal, dass er Trauben schneide, meinte er vergnügt.

„Ich hatte die Chläggi Weine früher gar nicht gerne“, erzählte ich Werner. „Das ist, weil sie auch gar nicht gut waren!“ erwidert er. Ende der achtziger Jahre hat man das Einfuhrverbot für ausländische Weine aufgehoben und der Schweizer Weinhandel sank zusammen. Als Antwort darauf gab der Bund Abgabebeschränkungen bekannt – ein Kilo pro Meter Reben. Schaffhausen ging noch einen Schritt weiter und nahm nur 900 Gramm. Werner’s Abnehmer nahm sogar nur 500 Gramm!

Alle murrten natürlich heftig, aber es hatte eine gute Seite – der Wein nahm an Qualität stark zu. Die Ostschweizer Weine geniessen heute einen guten Ruf. Also nicht nur mein Geschmackssinn hat sich verbessert!

Der Tag begann mit Kaffee und Helen’s frischem Zopf. Danach gings in die Reben. Zum Zmittag gabs Helen’s traditionelle Kürbissuppe und Mehlsuppe mit frischem Bauernbrot, Herbstschüblig (die bei keiner Traubenlese fehlen dürfen!) und einen Schluck herrlichen Rotwein vom letzten Jahr; und dann wieder Kaffee und Rickli. Nun zurück an die Arbeit, bevor wieder eine Pause mit kaltem Getränk und Schokolade eingelegt wird. Am Ende des Tages waren alle eingeladen zu einer kalten Platte mit Käse und Fleisch. Kein Wunder, meinte ich, der ganze Tag sei ein Fest gewesen!

On September 20, Zambians elected a new President in peaceful and apparently quite fair elections. Within three days Mr. Michael Sata was inaugerated as the new President with the incumbant President Rupiah Banda bowing out gracefully. This is twice in the last ten years that Zambia has ousted a president in peaceful elections. So some things are moving ahead. Anyone who follows African politics at all knows this is something to be commended.

What surprises me is that Sata has appointed a white Vice President, Guy Scott. This is something virtually unheard of. I am encouraged that politics are going beyond race.

In his first week of office Sata has made some important moves. The newly appointed cabinet is a downsized one, which Zambians welcome. The three international airports of Lusaka, Ndola and Livingstone have been named after prominent freedom fighters, to keep Zambia’s history alive for generations to come. This was another popular move with Zambians.

Some speak of an ‘African Spring’. I think it is far too soon to think like that. Too often a nation has elected a new President, hoping for change, only to be disappointed. But along with most Africans, I still have hope. Maybe this time things really will change. Let’s hope they change for the better.