Cynthia Fawcett and friend cuddle during a prime “hair net” photo opp at the second Slow Food Canning Bee this fall! There is nothing like cooking or canning with a friend! Jowhanna Aleyne prepared this day as well as the Fruit Canning Bee in August. You can find the recipes for today here at Edmonton’s Slow Food website. This is my photo essay of our day together!

What a fantastic day!

Very early this past Spring, Slow Food Edmonton received an e-mail from a woman named Martina, stating that she was from Bologna, Italy, requesting to meet with a person from Slow Food Edmonton. She was going to be around sometime late July or Early August. It just so happens that I had been answering the requests coming into “info@slowfoodedmonton.com” or forwarding them to whomever they were best meant for. This was the first summer I have been in Edmonton for several years, and so I responded that I would definitely be around for the summer and would make arrangements for her. I did put it on my calendar, but then promptly forgot about it.

I heard from her in mid-July and we made arrangements to meet. After a vibrant conversation, I discovered that Martina had a business very similar to my Taste Tripping Business, in Bologna, She expressed an interest in bringing some people from Slow Food Bologna to Canada and was doing some research about what we had to offer such a venture in Edmonton food wise and other wise. What do we have to offer? I had to invite her to dinner to meet a few of us. Not just any dinner, a traditional potluck dinner!

As she wanted to meet with the organizing body of our group, I sent out an invitation to the executive. It was fairly short notice and at the end of an incredibly busy Slow Food Edmonton organizational week, but the troops rallied and everyone who could attend did so with that gusto characteristic only to the Canadian prairies!

Katharine had just returned from a long and incredible trip through Italy and welcomed Martina with an apéritif from Italy that has gained recent popularity here this year: Aperol and Prosecco with Mandarin orange. I was eager to taste this as I had read so much about it: YUMMY, and so thoughtful. Katharine also brought an appetizer made from local goat cheese layered with the colours of the Italian Flag. It was delicious and apparently the leftovers make an incredible pasta sauce. can’t beat that! What surprised me is that Vanja was nuts over it, yet complained profusely when I snuck some goat cheese into his mashed potatoes one day.

This was soooo yummy! I have printed the recipe below.

Martina is originally from Germany, but moved to Italy when she was very young. She also spent three years of her adult life, not so long ago, living in Salt Spring Island. So, she speaks German, Italian, and English. She is an Official Tour Guide. That is not an easy undertaking, Her business partner teaches the cooking classes. She actually has a brother in Edmonton who owns an outdoor adventure tour company. Long after her initial message, Vanja and I planned a trip to Italy this fall and  three nights in Bologna was on the itinerary. I did not miss the little miracle of meeting Martina at such a perfect time for us. Neither did she. Before the dinner, and early on in our first meeting, her warmth and openness was obvious through her strong invitation that “we must” stay with her family in their house in the middle of the old town in Bologna. Well, I knew Vanja would never go for that, but what an incredible offer.

Kevin was the first to arrive with the most fragrant freshly foraged gifts for our meal: Hericium Coralloides [Combs Teeth] Wild Mushroom, below, and others we didn’t eat, but he shared them with Martina.

I had never seen this before, but it is apparently everywhere in the forests and wooded areas right now, and one of the mushrooms that is clearly edible as there is no poisonous counter part. It is well worth the bike ride in nature, and I know it is plentiful as the next week Thea brought me another gift of this that she found on her ride home from work. I first learned about it on Kevin’s blog.

Did you know puff balls were edible? Some definitely are; there is one beside the Shaggy Parosol to the right, below. How can you tell which ones are edible, Kevin? Can you please also identify and explain the ones to the left and which one had that beautiful anise aroma when cut in half. It was such a clean an pure licorice scent coupled with the earthy tones of a muchroom. YUM!

Kevin just sliced it and fried it in butter with salt and pepper. It was so fresh and absolutely incredibly delicious. You must try this.

Kevin wanted Martina to taste Alberta in a way that few could offer her. The freshly foraged wild mushroom was his gift to the meal alongside his foraged high bush cranberry paste from last fall and his beautiful calf moose steak.

I prepared a Sundog Organic Garlic Stuffed Spring Creek Range Prime Rib roast, but didn’t take a photo of it. Ha! When in Alberta, one has to have Alberta Beef. Bison, too. And, if you are really lucky, calf moose. I also prepared Greens Eggs and Ham’s baby potato mixture, boiled, with sour cream, butter and dill from my garden. So simple and so yummy. Didn’t take a photo of those, either.

Su made the most delicious Macaroni and Sylvan Star Cheese that Vanja has ever eaten in his life. I believe she said it was Irvine’s Farm’s dry cured (not smoked) bacon in it, too. It was so yummy. But, she hardly brought enough! ( ). Will you share your recipe, Su? I would love a copy of it!

Maria just got back from Toronto the day prior. Jeff had been taking care of their community garden plot on his own and what abundance! Look at the two salads they put together from their own garden produce and some Sylvan Star feta!

The beans and carrots were heaven and the beets with the feta was bliss! I was a happy diner and I believe the dishes were truly characteristic of our way of life.

I did take a photo of the salad I made with the most flavourful, nutty, mature arugula from my garden with a balsamic and Parmesan. I loved the combination of simple flavours and saved the arugula for this night.

There was just enough room for us all to sit very close together around the outside table!

Martina is the gal with the sunglasses on top of her head. Wonderful to meet you, Martina. Until we see you again, this fall, in Bologna!

Oh, and I did make desserts: three pies that I hoped would also provide Martina a taste of the prairie harvest: Saskatoon berry, Apple pie, and the rhubarb tarts. So, for those of you that think that Alberta is a culinary wasteland, I hope we have convinced you otherwise! And I cannot wait to entertain Martina’s group.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMlr25jnAQc

This will give you a small idea about what the organization is about.

How many of you are members of your local slow food convivium, or do similar work within different organizations where you live? I would love to hear about it.

Preserving food used to be essential for every person living in the Canadian prairies. It was part of our way of life. And it was only three to four generations ago in our history that every prairie family knew to preserve their own food. The harvest season was part of the rhythm of a prairie life as predictable as the ebbs and flows of the ocean tide. Entire communities would rally together to gather one another’s crops and work with joy in their hearts from dawn to dusk that they had such bounty to store for the long winter ahead.

No more. Instead, one can buy food filled with preservatives that were never intended to be consumed by man, let alone in the vast quantities today’s population consumes them. I learned to can and preserve at my grandmother’s hand and by her side. She was from the last generation where this was the way of life. I felt her passion, her satisfaction, and her perseverance when we stood side by side day after day, exhausted from the ongoing toil, “putting up” jar after glistening jar. And I shared her enthusiasm and that sense of intrinsic intimate accomplishment that washes over you after accomplishing such a deeply personal goal. The need to feed ones family is definitely a drive stored in the primordial make up of our past.

As we are primarily a winter country, one of the national initiatives that Slow Food Canada chose to focus on throughout the country was the preservation of food. Johwanna is a canner. She is such a creative and reflective thinker. She decided to take this on and worked to prepare a day to teach a new generation how to preserve food through canning.

Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton, or OFRE, was to supply the fruit. The location was St. Josephat’s Parish Hall. Attendees brought their enthusiasm and a box of canning jars. Jojwanna did the rest…  and life can be serendipitous when one does good work. The Friday before the class, Johwanna received an e-mail from a woman with a giant cherry tree who didn’t want the fruit. Johwanna was there on Saturday and picked the entire three: thirty kilos of cherries! Without that amount of fruit, the canning experience would have been much different. Good things happen to good people.

Look at the gorgeous glistening Evan’s cherries!

And if you haven’t any concept about what thirty kilograms of cherries is, take a look below!

There were fifteen of us: hairnets on and ready to rumble! Kevin Kossowan, an OFRE district manager this year, dropped off some more fruit, and brought along Miss E who stayed to help!

She was not too sure about her hair net.

None of us were, but that did not daunt anyone’s enthusiasm! Hair is a beautiful thing, but no one needs to find it in their food.

Johwanna had a technique for removing cherry pits that works like a charm. Miss E also had a very slick way for removing her pits and did better than I did! Seriously!

This was one focused four year old. As Kevin said, “She is easily engaged in fun activities, and a lot of experiences around food are fun!”

Johwanna supplied us each with a straw that is inserted into the stem end of the cherry over a bottle.

The pit is pushed straight through the cherry and into the bottle: slick and clean! Most of us didn’t use bottles as there were not enough… but it worked well without them, too.

Look at that determination! It was such fun making such a productive day into a social activity!

Time for treats! Johwanna didn’t miss a beat. Crackers, cheese, and a sampling of the delicious Evan’s Cherry Walnut Chutney to go with! Of course, Miss E was happy to serve.

It took us all about one and a half hours to pit the entire lot of cherries. We worked like a well oiled machine! Laughter was a great motivator.

Johwanna had groups go into the kitchen to preserve their cherries in a simple syrup for a multitude of future uses. Her individual focus and instruction with each small group made the learning experience more personal.

There was a huge “WOOT!” from the kitchen and I had to run back in: their first jars of cherries were canned and the excitement was “wooted” aloud!

Meanwhile the rest of us continued to pit cherries.

And another group made black currant and raspberry jam. The groups rotated through the day.

Each one having a blast!

Thoughtful questions… helpful hands….

Chutney ingredients prepared after the cherries were all pitted…

Cherries, jams and chutneys….

Family fun…

I had to leave early to go to the Old Country Tomato Fare at Salisbury Greenhouse, but after the chutney was finished, all participants were treated to a homemade pyrogie dinner handmade by the sweet ladies of the parish. What serious fun!

I came home to my own Evan’s Cherry tree needing to be picked. This year there was very little fruit on the tree. Look at the surreal colour of these berries.

The photo of the portion of the tree bearing fruit looks fake because the cherry colour is simply so intense. That’s all I got from my entire tree. Definitely enough for one lovely sauce, maybe two.

Certainly, it is clear why such preserved foods were so revered in the dark cold winters.

Nodding Onions are perennial plants with elongated pinkish colored bulbs, often growing in clusters with nodding bunches of pink flowers that bloom from May to July. They are indigenous to Western Canada and not only delicious but stunning!

Allium cernuum, also known as sweet onion or barbecuing onion, reproduces from seed or bulb division. The bulbs, young leaves and flowers are all edible, either raw or cooked, and have a mild onion flavor, with the leaves tasting similar to chives. In a side by side taste test, the nodding “chives” are more toothsome, dense, deeper and more complex in flavour than its chive counterpart. They are wonderful in salads, particularly their blossoms, but they do stand up to bolder flavours well as a compliment to a main. I was very fortunate to receive this cluster from Kevin Kossowan early this Spring. He brought them back with him after foraging a couple of clusters on Vancouver Island a few years ago. Kevin is an exceptionally generous soul, and I am very thankful for that, as I also purchased seeds for them from Bedrock Seeds and learned that they can easily take up to two years to germinate. My regular readers know that patience is not a virtue I have conquered.

I was tickled pink about three weeks ago when the blossoms started to form and I got to see them nod! As they bow to their gorgeous blossom wrapped in an ethereal translucent pink gauzy film there is a graceful stillness in that part of the garden. There is the whisper of a promise. I can visualize them in the temperate rain forests hundreds of years ago when the Interior Salish and neighboring indigenous peoples whose territories covered Southern British Columbia foraged these as an important traditional cultural food. The stature of the onion echoes the spirit of the people who depended upon it so many years ago. They were usually harvested before flowering, the leaves braided and the bulbs cooked in earthen ovens. MMMMmmmm.

I was curious to see what the cluster was inside of the nodding bundle.

And look! A gorgeous allium bouquet upon each stem! Now that is a celebration!

Each tender delicate bud bursts with the brightness of a fresh spring onion: light, lively and lovely. A much more powerful personality than the chive flower. Juicy. Just the sass one might expect from a sprightly floret.

Sadly, the loss of their natural habitat has been threatened caused by housing and industrial development as well as from the impact of environmental pollution and invasive species. As the plants are lost, so is the historical knowledge and practice of gathering the plants practiced for generations by First Nations people. I am not a First Nations person, but I am a seven generation Canadian, and so I have a very close affinity to those that came before and am definitely interested in the preservation of our shared cultures.

Traditional gathering sites have been lost to large housing subdivisions, big box store shopping centers, and even university campuses, although not without strong protests by First Nations and environmental groups. Protecting the Nodding Onion is important not only for the continued existence of the plant itself but also for the continued existence of the historical knowledge and practices associated with the gathering of this wild food. (Slow Food International)

Working to preserve the biodiversity of our food is a basic tenet of Slow Food International. The Ark of Taste was developed in 1996 through the Foundation of Biodiversity within the organization and travels the world collecting small-scale quality productions threatened by industrial agriculture, environmental degradation and homogenization. It searches out, catalogues and describes forgotten flavors from all around the planet: products at risk of extinction but surviving, that could be rediscovered and returned to the market. The nodding onion is one of our own nominated by the Slow Food Canada National Ark Commission and accepted by the International Ark Commission. The Saskatoon Berry and Miner’s Lettuce have also been accepted to the Canadian Ark of Taste; we hope to raise awareness of the threats our important wild foods face and to help people to understand the importance of protecting wild, natural spaces and the edible biodiversity found across Canada. These foods are extremely important to the health and traditional cultural practices of the First Nations peoples and without them we lose a vital part of our Canadian heritage and history. (Slow Food International)

The Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity:

• Protects the environment
• Defends food biodiversity
• Promotes sustainable agriculture
• Supports small-scale food producers and values their traditional knowledge
• Runs projects around the world in support of Terra Madre communities: the Ark of Taste, the Presidia, the Earth Markets and the Thousand Gardens in Africa

Defending food biodiversity is worth working toward. The colours, tastes, and textures of the past cannot be lost. It is a miracle that such beauty exists. Preserving it is a no-brainer.

Instead of flowers in pots, I have been growing greens for the past few years. They are so much more practical and beautiful, too! I have an abundance of kinds throughout my small city garden and there are only two of us. With much sadness, I add: we are not rabbits. Last year I learned to cut back. After preparing the soil with the right amount of black dirt and compost, carefully picking and planting the seeds, then watching them reach for the sun every day, I would be sick to see even one tendril go to waste.

Today I saw that a big bouquet of radishes cost only 78 cents at the grocery store. Mine are priceless. I grew them. I peeked and peered and preened and pawed at them. Then I ate them with the respect and utmost joy they fully deserve.

So many chive flowers. So many chives. I vow to celebrate this gift in my garden by using every single one purposefully – or, giving them away! I was delighted to preserve Chive Vinaigrette this year. I have now made 2 jars with 150 flowers, and look what is still left! They are not yet in full bloom. They are gorgeous in salads and as a garnish. The chives go into everything the requires onions; I just snip off a bundle and snip-snip-snip them into my soups and salads and biscuits and sandwiches and potatoes. I have even made a chive focaccia inspired by a friend’s creative use of her chives and it was stellar. Vanja’s parent’s make a chive salad: chives with olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. It is incredibly tasty. The point is that I am compelled to use these chives. Wasting them would make me heartsick.

I will not have a problem with my carrots. I didn’t have room to plant to many, and they have a long shelf life. My carrots will be fully used as will most of my plantings this year. I will make sure of it.

Eating what I grow sure changes my menu! It maybe doesn’t satisfy every silly craving or every want, but it is delicious and gorgeous and gratifying. How do we teach this to our children when they look at a huge bundle of radishes for 78 cents or a homemade sandwich made with loving hands from home and toss them in the garbage because that is the “cool” thing to do?

This is why school gardens are so important. It isn’t just a “good idea” or a passing fancy. It is critical to the survival of our future generation. Today’s children are two, three, or more generations away from the farm. If they do not develop a relationship with our farmers and their food, we are all in very serious trouble.

The registration is opened NOW. TODAY. JUST THIS MORNING. Get over to www.eatalberta.ca immediately to ensure you have your choice of these fantastic classes!

• Sausage Making with Allan Suddaby from Button Soup
• Apple Pie and Pastry Making with Christan Miller
• Pasta Making with Kathryn Joel from Get Cooking
• Brie Cheese Making with Holly Gale from Smoky Valley Goat Cheese
• Slow Rise Pizza Dough Making with Yvan Chartrand from Tree Stone Bakery
• Honey Tasting with Patty Milligan from Lola Canola
• Local and Canadian Cheese and Wine Pairing with Mary Bailey of The Tomato
• Coffee Tasting with Poul Mark from Transcend Coffee
• Fruit Wine Tasting with Xina Chrapko from enSanté Organic Fruit Winery
• Goat Cheese Tasting with Holly Gale from Smoky Valley Goat Cheese
• Proper Coffee Brewing by Josh Hoskin from Transcend Coffee
• 10 Top Edible Plants in the Edmonton Region with Robert Rogers, Botanist
• Make a Personal Connection to Your Food Source with Maryanne Bosch from Good Note Community Farm

Morning Key Note: Plant a Seed and Grow! with Jenny Berkenbosch and James Vriend from Sundog Organics

Knowing where your food comes from and what it takes to get it to your plate was once common knowledge in the Alberta prairie farming communities. No more. Most young people have never seen a vegetable grow and without understanding the life process of a plant, young people no longer value their food like they once did. Be prepared to hear a variety of innovative urban planting ideas and to get a better handle on understanding the important value of your local food supply through the eyes and words of this young farming family.

End of Day Key Note: Local Farms Project with Kevin Kossowan from Kevin Kossowan

Kevin will present a highlight reel of the 2010 episodes of From Local Farms, and talk about his unintended head-first-plunge into the world of local food, farming challenges, farmer’s market politics, and community. The local food scene is not as incredible as we might think it is: it’s even better.

Go to www.eatalberta.com NOW

COMMENTS CLOSED

(Photos taken with my i-4 camera as that is what I had on hand.)

Slow Food Edmonton hosted an Evening with Michael Schmidt at the downtown Edmonton Public Library last night and this is an accounting of that evening. Dear readers, you are aware that while I have been known to write lengthy posts, they are not politically charged. This one is. Please read every word. Slow Food International’s position on raw milk can be found here.

Where ever you are in the world, what you eat and your right to eat it is critical to the quality of your life.

Michael Schmidt has it all figured out. Amongst the insanity of a system that once stripped him of his life’s work, he has found his place. And his place is one that few could find. Or stand in.

Engulfed in his open welcoming hug, it was impossible not to be affected by the positive passion of this big, strong farmer who has become the Canadian advocate for raw milk.

He was in Edmonton on February 23, 2011 to provide support to Judith Johnson and business partner Eric Pudlow as she faces the charge of selling raw milk laid October 26, 2010. In our country, the penalties for the sale of raw milk are serious. I would equate them to that of a serious drug dealer. This day, Schmidt not only came to show his support, but he presented information to the court about raw milk and the current dairy farming industry in Canada. He is not here for Judith, per se, he is here to support and advocate for “food freedom” and the right for people to choose what they buy and eat. He asks that we do the same.

March 23 is the next court date, and Michael Schmidt will be here again, from his Ontario home, to show that same support.  Slow Food Edmonton will host his presentation at the Edmonton Public Library from 7 to 8:30 that evening. Michael will again present information about this issue to the public.

I left this first meeting knowing I had met a Canadian hero. Michael Schmidt is a hero in modern times as he has created profound change and provided undying support and commitment to this cause with wit, humour, passion and most definitely a song in his heart.

One year older than I, born in 1954 in Germany, he determined his destiny at 16.  “There will be thousands of great positions in the future, but hardly any great farmers. “ was his impetus. It was farming, or music. He also had his first orchestra at 16. At 23 he owned his first farm, at 24 he acquired his master’s degree in agriculture and organized his first cow share.

Moving to Canada in 1983, he started his own biodynamic farm. In Germany, there were raw milk dispensers in the schools. But he found in the “freest county in the world” the most severe laws against the most natural and wholesome product. Why?

He has an explanation. It is the same as our governments, and it makes sense for the industry in general, but not for the small dairy farmer. In brief: from 1918 to 1933 over 700 people died from a cause determined to be acquired through pathogens in their milk. In 1938 pasteurization was mandatory and in 1981 a Canadian law. In Michael’s words, “…is still absolutely necessary for their milk.” And who are “they”? The dairy industry.

He explains. About 10% of milk produced from industrial dairy farms today is infected with pathogens that can be destroyed through pasteurization. Because the milk from industrial farms is mixed together, pasteurization works in this situation for that purpose. But not all dairy farms are “industrialized”. Yet, this law is a blanket law.

Michael provided a chart where he estimated the following totals:

1.     At the beginning of time

• 1500 liters of milk was produced by a cow to raise a calf in a year

2.     Humans developed a relationship with the cows

• 2500 liters of milk was produced by a cow for the calf and the people in a year

3.     Through breeding and husbandry

• 3500 liters of milk was produced by a cow in a year

4.     Production now is 3 times more than it was 20 years ago

• 20 000 liters of milk is now produced by a dairy cow in a year

How is it possible to get so much milk from one cow? Through science and technology man learned that changing the natural diet of a cow (feeding a cow dense proteins) would produce more milk.

What are the consequences of this? If the life energy of one cow only supports an output of 4500 liters of milk a year and is then “pumped full of proteins” to enable greater production, this creates poisons within the system of the animal. “The organ becomes detoxified and that activates pathogens because of the stress on the system.”

Therefore, “their” milk must be pasteurized, as this is what industrialized dairy farmers are doing to their animals.  But, Michael does not do that to his animals, and many small dairy farmers do not, either.

The life span of one Holstein under this kind of pressure to produce this much milk is 2.5 production years. Michael has cows that produce an average of 10 years. Some are 15 years old and still producing.

The thousands of breeds of dairy cattle that once existed now numbers about 5. Diversity no longer exists in the industry. The kind of beautiful cheese that the milk from a Holstein used to be able to produce is no longer possible with this milk from this breed of Holstein. There are now only about 10 000 dairy farms across this vast country. In Michael’s words, “An entire [way of life] has been destroyed by this corporate culture.” Michael’s own cows now produce about 3 500 liters of milk a year, and that is enough. His milk should not be classified in the same manner as that of an industrialized farm. The consumer should absolutely have the right to decide if they want to drink raw milk or industrialized milk. We need to stand together to fight for food freedom.

And there are definitely politics involved as our industrialized milk is still contaminated. Johne’s Disease is of grave concern to the dairy industry and the best kept secret from the public, according to Schmidt. Johne’s is a Tuberculosis bacterium that destroys the large intestine and creates diarrhea in the dairy cow. The cell membrane of this pathogen is too thick to be destroyed through pasteurization so even industrialized government sanctioned milk contains this live and dangerous pathogen. There is mounting evidence of the rise in Crohn’s disease in humans and Johne’s disease in cattle, though some Bovine Veterinarians will argue it has not been proven. And, Schmidt adds, the veterinarians are very closely working with industrial dairy farms. In Canada, did you know that veterinarians are not allowed to test cows for tuberculosis? What could possibly be the reasoning behind this? Schmidt explains it is because this test would reveal Johne’s disease and if the herds infected with Johne’s disease were destroyed in Canada, our dairy industry would collapse. This is a very serious issue. He adds, “If the truth comes out about how bad (industrialized] milk is the dairy industry would collapse. The milk we now buy that is government sanctioned is not safe.”

Michael Schmidt has developed Cowshare Canada and accompanying it is a set of standards that must exist to enable the safe sale of raw milk.

How did Michael find this place from which he stands? In 1994 Michael’s 600 acre biodynamic farm was raided. He had over 40 cows shared with 150 families. “At that time, we were lost in the wilderness with zero support…. We lost 500 acres of land with legal fees and crooked lawyer. In 1995, we had 3 cows left, 100 acres and did not know how to pay our bills. We had food because we lived on a farm.“

Not being able to appreciate a gorgeous sunrise, head down, emotionally devastated and thinking, “My life’s work was completely destroyed.” He was literally struck by his own ferocious bull and thrown thirty feet in the air. His life saved by his dog, and screaming wife, Michael climbed out of his hospital bed and rose from the depression and helplessness that had engulfed him. He saw himself in the horns of his own bull as the sun between the horns of the Egyptian Bull God, Apis that symbolizes rebirth. “What do I do now? I start again. Of course.”

And he did. With his three cows and his 100 acres. His entire herd now is completely inbred. For over 20 years, no new blood has been introduced to his herd. This is how local breeds were originally developed eons ago. This kind of strong breed has enabled him to “make my milk medicine. Food must be medicine. “

Through “the tragic reality out of the first milk war in 1994 most would have given up, and in 2006 we had our next raid. This time we raised 100 000 dollars within weeks. The support was there. We only missed one shipment of milk during this entire process. We were back to work immediately. I received a fifty five thousand dollar fine and four years later was cleared of all charges.” This was ground breaking and in Ontario, Michael Schmidt carries on his cow share business now without the worry of another raid on his farm.

But he takes no credit for this victory. He gives the credit to his judge as he claims that this man understood him and when the judge read his verdict in court he stated repeatedly that this was a man that is honest with integrity that has remained constant in his struggle.

Schmidt told his judge that music saved his farm. To raise some of the money he needed, he held two symphonies in his barn. His orchestra preformed Haydn’s Creation interwoven with the creation music of a First Nations band. “This judge understood that food is more than just about eating. This is not a battle with which I won. The issue is truth. I didn’t need to have any legal strategic argument. Truth runs through consistency in one’s life. The judge saw this in mine.”

And we all saw it as we listened to Michael Schmidt on Wednesday evening this week. This is not only a man who walks his talk; this is a man who flies across the country at his own expense (expenses clarified in the comments below) to fight for food freedom.

He asks that we stand together to fight for food freedom. “People need to come out in the open and be seen in Alberta to get this passed.”

Please mark March 23^rd 2011 on your calendars. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Michael Schmidt is a very honourable place to be.

NOTE: Most photographs for this post were found online from various sources.

More information about Michael Schmidt is available on his website The Bovine.

Yes, the Winter Solstice is December 21, but we celebrate it after Christmas when we have more time. This is the second of what I hope to be many more yearly gatherings with the Edmonton Slow Food Convivium members at our home. And, it was the worst winter snowstorm in twenty years.

We are a winter city and are used to driving in what others may find scary and precarious conditions, but we also have amazing road crews usually out all night long cleaning the streets: major arteries that is. For the first time in years, many people were snowbound and had no way to get out of their neighbourhoods. I didn’t take my mini to the Farmer’s Market early in the morning and I was fine, but it was a rare experience driving on the side streets! The cancellation calls started coming in before noon.

We had about 40 people booked into the party. By party time, we had 24 cancellations. Of course, I was crushed. But, what could we do? We had picked up the pig from Alan at Irvine’s Farm Fresh, delivered it to Vanja’s buddy for brining and roasting, and had everything else prepped and ready to go. I teach for Edmonton Public Schools and in over 100 years, they have never closed a school due to the weather, so I kept that Northern “Yes we can!” attitude, and hoped for the best.

There was no parking available on the streets. The snow was so high, that was impossible. We made arrangements for cars at some neighbours, then did pick ups at the 7-11 two blocks away. Our third guest (and a new member) got stuck at the corner, so Kevin and Jeff were out without a second thought to help Brian out of a very deep drift at the corner. That was the theme of the day… and the evening.

Look at what would be arriving soon! Ooooooh, my! This is Vanja’s celebratory food, so I like doing this so close to his Orthadox Christmas, though he doesn’t “practice” the religion, like so many, he enjoys the traditions that accompany the holidays. This is a nice way to get pig into our home during the winter. This year we charged five dollars a person as we went for a Berkshire piggy and got one a fraction under 40 pounds cleaned weight. YUM.

The fellow that roasts these (and has for years) for people from his home country during celebration season, was dumbfounded that little Berkie, below, was completely done in two hours. He is a little darker than last year’s pig! Very little fat under the skin, too… it was woven throughout the meat. This was the most moist, succulent roast pig I have ever tasted! The colouring here is not distorted. He did have a “surreal” glow!

As people arrived, there were drinks and appetizers. This is always my favourite time of the evening: meeting and greeting! Below, left, is Kevin’s amazingly delicious homemade apple wine. To the right is Xina’s generous array of tastings she provided from her fruit wine business: en Santé Winery.

Katherine is dipping into the non-alcoholic fruit punch that is my standard: with or without vodka. I love it.

Brian and Adele visit waiting for Vanja to arrive with the hot pig!

Jerry was on a role and the conversation around the charcuterie and cheese was very focused and animated for awhile. Darn! I missed it! Kevin and Maria were definitely focused.

William was focused as well… on the food! Yes!

The pig arrived just before 7 am as planned. There is something novel and primal all at once seeing a whole beast roasted in it’s entirely. I get a little thrill of curiosity and excitement. I don’t even eat meat. But, I do taste it! The ears and the tail of a roasted pig are coveted, and this one came with them broken off!

There was no shortage of volunteers to “carve” the beast: Vanja, Jeff and Corey.

I think that smile on Corey’s face, below, is due to the perfectly extracted pig cheek he has either already eaten, or has hidden to eat with his meal.

I was tickled pink that we had sixteen guests! Two even came that we were not expecting which was a bonus under the specific conditions of the evening.

Everyone was definitely hungry.

Ginetta and Ron were filling their plates followed by Katherine and her brother, William.

Jerry and Lisa dig in.

The Parade of Potluck Dishes

Above are my oven roasted garden tomatoes (which I absolutely love) with Bocconcini cheese. Behind that row, are my Yogurt Cheese Balls and my Crème Fraiche with more young cheeses.

Below is a collection of Sylvan Star specialty cheeses for Christmas (the yellow mini Gouda and the red mini Edam) with their delicious Feta. Holly’s special Tome (not for sale but to enjoy at this potluck) made iwith unpasteurized milk was particularly special. They all were, actually: Piavê Vecchio and (Kevin will remind me) from the Italian Center Shop with Jerry Kitt’s yummy Bison Pepperoni (from his farm: First Nature Farms). The salami is an Iberico chirozo specialty that is incredibly delicious and Jerry informed us that Slow Food International was instrumental in saving the Spanish Iberico pig. The shunka is a traditional smoked prosciutto type meat from Vanja’s country bought at the Budapest Deli.

Below, Irvine’s Farm Fresh Berkshire boar baby.

Basic white bread made by moi when the cancellations started to come in. I decided to make a big loaf at 4pm. I am happy with it as it was a last minute quickie!

As I had made Sarma (sour cabbage rolls cooked with smoked ribs and bacon) for Christmas and New Years as that is a traditional celebratory dish from Vanja’s country, I put out a casserole full of it. To me, you cannot have pig without sarma! Maybe I have become a “former Yugoslavian”, too! Bless-Wold Dairy Sour Cream was the perfect accompaniment for this!

I had also recently made an abundance of Ground Turkey Jumbo Pasta Shells, so put out a dish of these, as well (recipe to be posted, soon! If you want it right away, e-mail me, and I will send it to you.) These are definitely a family favourite and I smothered them in Sylvan Star Award Winning Medium Gouda: a favourite of both Vanja and myself!

Corey and Katherine made the most amazing savoury bread pudding at Mary Bailey’s Annual Christmas potluck (yet to be posted) and the most amazingly rich and delicious Mac and Cheese for this potluck. YUM!

They also brought some vibrant and flavourful honey glazed carrots…. and… I suppose I should confess…. some foie gras. Oh, my! It was such a treat yesterday as a reward for cleaning up the very low maintenance party. I said I would share it with those that stayed last, and then I forgot! Really!

Deanne brought the couscous salad which was a nice addition to the hot dishes.

And would you believe that the only dish I do not have a photograph of is Kevin’s gorgeous roasted beets. (I meant to save some for the next day!) He bakes them for hours, very slow in his oven and they smelled like they were fresh from the garden. I was actually startled by how fresh the aroma was. YUM.

Below is Ginetta and Ron’s homemade big batch of homemade potato gnocchi. YUM! Her Nona taught her how to make it!

Xina brought her ethnic wheat dish and I asked her twice what it was called. Xina, please help me again! Poppyseeds, honey, wheat and something else. Sooo good. It reminded me of my youth when I used to eat boiled wheat from breakfast… my University youth!

Adele and Brian brought the potatoes and carrots. They tasted as delicious as they look!

Jeff and Maria brought the most amazing roasted root vegetable smothered with fresh ginger. Delectable. And, enough to feed two armies!

So much food from so few people. We had a feast in the middle of this incredible blizzard! Deanne is selecting some of the succulent piggy!

Xina arrived late after a looooong and busy day at the market, but just in time to dish up her plate! Whew.

Guest eating in the dining room.

Guests in the Living Room.

So much food! This is the prairie tradition. Everyone brings enough for Thrashers as if it was harvest season!

Time for relaxing and visiting.

Lisa brought the most amazing tart Lemon Tart! She lived in France for two years and learned more than a few tricks while she was there! I must say, the crème fraiche went perfectly wonderful with this tart!

Anita brought some chocolate cups!

New members to meet means new friendships to be had. What a wonderful group of people!

Lots of laughs!

The glasses remained representing the people we missed.

You can see how treacherous our roads must have been the evening before with the snow blustering all over. Certainly, there was no place to park, and there is still barely a trail to get in and out of the neighbourhood on.

Dissecting and Eating the Pig’s Head: Not for the Faint of Heart!

The skin on this little baby was definitely crispy and yummy! Look at Corey’s perfect dissection of the cheek, below. He had apparently been dreaming about it for days and was polite enough to leave the second one for another cheek lover.

Then, Kevin got his fork in the head and started to extract the eyeball. Apparently that is a very delectable part of the head. Below, he has lifted the skin over the eye, and the cartilage, or the shiny fibres, are evident as he pulled the skin up from the side of the face.

Below, a close up view of the fibres in the eye socket.

You can see the fork under the eye socket lifting the eyeball, below.

There it is.

The black lens needed to be removed and usually pops out, but needed a little coaxing on this young fella.

Below is the meat that was in the eye socket upside down. I had a little strand of the meat extracted from the socket and it was the most flavourful unctuous gorgeous part of the pig I could even imagine. There was nothing gross or unappealing or foreign about it. It was meat. But the most delectable part of the pig imaginable.

Below, is a piece of the meat from the temple. That was also delicious. But, look at it. It looks like meat. It is meat. It is just that it is meat from the head that some find off-putting. More and more are recognizing the importance of valuing and using every part of the animal. If you read Kevin Kossowan’s blog, you will see that he has weighed the meat on the average adult pig head and it is considerable. So considerable, he eats all of them now.

This little piggy was so small he didn’t have a lot of head meat, but what he did have was definitely worth taking a knife and fork to. I am not sure who got the other cheek. I forgot to look at how wide Corey’s smile was before he left!

And, as this pig cost $175 plus $50 dollars to roast, I was careful to save some for Vanja. Apparently far too careful. There was a lot left in the table in the garage and I certainly should have been more generous with the care packages home. I regret that!

Any ideas what to do with the bones? I am not a lover of “pork stock”. What else can I make?

Subscribe to A Canadian Foodie so you don’t miss a post! (top right)

There is still one seat left in the Greek Escapes Class January 22

Register for Canadian Food Blog Finalist’s Cheryl Arkinson Pyrogie Class January 29th

Register for Allan Suddaby’s Sausage Making Class February 12th in the evening: a really fun friends or partner’s night out!

Register for: Kevin Kossowan’s Big Game Tasting and Cooking Demonstration Lunch February 26, 2011 at 11am

Register for:Béné Gamier’s French Tart Class: Sweet and Savoury SUNDAY, March 6, 2011 at 8:30 am

Watch for Culinary Tour and Trips in June to Niagara on the Lakes Wine Country and in September to Paris!

Save On Foods sure missed out when they told Hennie Bos at Bles-Wold Dairy that there is no way they could make yogurt in an old barn like this and rejected Bles-Wold’s bid to sell in their stores. One Save On Foods in Sherwood Park took the risk and successfully sells their product, but head office at Save On rejected our famous local Little Engine that Could! Bravo to Hennie and Tinie! I know they would give Save On a second chance, should they come crawling back asking for forgiveness, but this booming little “side” business for this Central Alberta immigrant family is growing like wild fire and has brought such a sense of satisfaction to Tinie Ellers as she radiates joy talking about the birth of her yogurt and sour cream business.

Last Sunday, September 26th, I had organized an Edmonton Slow Food Dairy Farm Fieldtrip for Slow Food Members and friends. It was a drizzly morning, but when I arrived to the bus at 8 am with ample Thermoses of Transcend Coffee brewed to perfection, there were already people in the bus! Moreover, the bus was already there, and I was actually a minute early! I set up my little table, covered it with a cloth and got out the coffee, orange juice and name tags. Just as I was inviting all to come out of the bus for a fresh cup of coffee and some juice, Vanja arrived with the fresh-out-of-the-oven bag breakfast from Duchess Bake Shop: perfect timing.

Giselle had planned a savoury and a sweet scone for our early morning trip: cheese with peppers and blueberry with lemon. Both were outstanding. Thank you, Duchess! The coffee was also really welcomed in this drizzly weather, and I do believe I did Transcend justice with my home brewing as I loved it and some came back for seconds!

We are off! What a friendly group of like minded people. Who else would spend a Sunday visiting a couple of Alberta Dairy farms?

As we drove South toward central Alberta, my breath was taken away as it always is this time of year. What beautiful country we live in. For those of you not familiar with Alberta, this is definitely a side road. We have turned off the major highway and are headed out toward Sylvan Lake to Sylvan Star Cheese. There was so much interesting conversation, that it took no time to arrive.

I planned this trip because I wanted to visit everything on the schedule and it seemed like the perfect thing to do. I had wanted to visit this Cheese Manufacturing Farm for a few years. I was really delighted when I saw the building that they have on their website. “We are here!”

All needed a moment to stretch and then we were invited into the Tourist area: a lovely shop and luncheon area just newly built for people like us. There was some initial confusion which I don’t care to dwell on. (We were to visit the Dairy Farm here, too, but the plans were changed and somehow, no one let me know.)

Jan greeted us and had the cheese ready for a tasting almost immediately. Going anywhere the first time is always a great learning experience for a guide. I have taken students to Europe for years, and after the first one or two, they all went like clockwork. Jan and his wife had prepared lovely platters of their award winning cheeses for our group to taste, but they were all on two platters and there were 40 of us. About 10 of us didn’t get any of the cheese. More was put out, but only three kinds. That was disappointing, but the teacher in me would definitely do that differently next time, and it would not happen as it did. No one complained. The group was such a positive group of people. And, the cheese is some of the best in the world. We are so fortunate to have Sylvan Star Cheese in our province.

Just look at that medium Gruyere, below. I never allow myself to be out of it. It is so delicious in sauces and tarts, and to just eat like this. Vanja loved it, too.

Their Aged Grizzley Gouda is another of my all time favourites. It has won a best Gouda in the world award. This family immigrated here, from Holland, and though they didn’t plan to continue making cheese, I am sure glad they are.

Jan took us upstairs and told his story. It is a story of a family immigrating to a new country to Dairy Farm. Alberta offered the perfect place for his dream. Once here, he could not find any good local cheese, and definitely had brought 30 years of cheese making knowledge with him. He really wanted to leave that behind, and do something different. However, the niche was there, unfilled, and he recognized it. The rest is history, but not an easy route. Alberta doesn’t have many artisan cheese makers. The health inspectors don’t have the experience and knowledge they need to monitor this kind of business here. They have it all figured out in Quebec. Why can’t our political leaders and our Food Inspection agency take some lessons from them. Their culture nurtures the artisan cheese farmer; ours intimidates it according to Jan’s stories and his experience with cheese making in Holland compared to here.

We were all nibbling on incredible cheese and thoughtfully paired crackers listening to an intimately personal story of a family creating a new life in a new world.

We moved through a huge empty room that will eventually be used to store and age the Grizzly and then down the stairs to the work and storage area. The first impression was that it was absolutely spotless. Everyone commented on that as we were touring and afterwards. In the past, over the years, Sylvan Star has run out of Grizzly. Thus, the new storage room preparation and the greater inventory. Jan said they will not be running out again!

This is the storage and waxing room. The white rounds in the foreground to the right are not waxed at all, yet.

Jan is explaining the storage of the cheese and the humidity of the room. I am in awe and wiggling with excitement to be in such a room.

I sure hoped Vanja was listening as I was exploring and just lost in the rows and rows and rows of cheese.

The sprinkler above is for misting the room to keep the humidity at the correct level. It is all hand monitored and does not come on automatically.

And here I am, playing and being caught. That’s where my cheese plate went. I lost it enroute and was really sad about that!

We are in the waxing room again, beside the brining tank. The various kinds of cheese are all lined up and, well, irresistible. Two of my favourite local Edmontonians were participating with us, today: Mack and Sharon.

When the Smoked Gouda was passed around for sniffing, noone could resist. Please forgive my shaky photos. I was quivering with lust for this cheese!

Jan demonstrated how the rounds are waxed: all by hand. The wet wax is rubbed into the cheese with a sponge 3 times a day for 4 days (every other day) over an 8 day period. Clearly, a labour intensive project when looking at the vast amount of cheese stored in the building.

The cheese sweats as it ages (see the mark on the wood, below, right?), so it needs to be turned over often through the waxing process and once the process is finished, there will be no more “sweating”.

I do tend to prefer everything natural, or plain, but this family really has it going on with their flavourings. The flavoured cheeses are incredibly delicious and possess a perfect balance of creaminess and cheesiness with the spices and herbs and peppers.

I had not seen their Edam. It is the rectangular cheese. I didn’t know they made this until I was on their web site. I guess I didn’t investigate their booth at the City Market as well as I should have this past summer. They also sell locally at Planet Organic and Sunterra Foods.

Below is a close up of an unwaxed Gouda right out of the mold.

The true colour is closer to the photo on the right, above. But the lighting changed the colour in the photos.

The logo is also waxed in under many layers of wax. Here is Cathy and her husband. They didn’t bring their camera and I insisted on taking their picture. Everyone of the few I took was shaky! But, look at that cheese!

Below is the brining tank that the molds of cheese go into. Miss Brûlée Blog was taking notes, so I hope she heard (or someone else, please chime in!) how this tank was used, and at which phase of the process. I did ask again, but didn’t understand the answer.

Katharine was another participant that I was able to get a lovely photo of with steady hands.

Jan took us into another room where he has the cold smoke apparatus. He smoked 20 cheeses at the time and left them in six to eight hours. They have a luscious smokey to-die-for aroma! Their Smokey Gouda is another award winning cheese.

He uses maple wood to smoke the cheese. It comes in these small packages and the machine and process is very easy to maintain, according to Jan.

Below is the room that 8000 litres of milk at a time comes to fresh from the milking barn. It is pasteurised and then put into a huge vat with a culture and stirred until the curds form. At this point, the curds are separated from the whey and placed into molds to cure. Each 8000 litres of milk produces 800 kilograms of cheese, or Jan gets 10% of the volume of his whole milk product in cheese.

Below he is standing over the huge oblong vat to demonstrate how he actually does this work when the pasteurized milk is mixed with the culture and then stirred with the knives. Though he does have this incredible equipment, the work still involves a great degree of manual labour. Throughout this process, he stands over the cheese and monitors the knives and equipment, working it, in a bent 45 degree position. I asked him if it was back breaking work. He said that it is, but that he is fit and that his back is strong and it does not get sore.

The photo below is blurry, but will give you a good idea how big the tank is.

You can see the pipes over the vat, or tank, and the knife blades move into position over the tank. The milk is poured into the tank through the pipes from the pasteurizer.

Here are the molds. I wanted one. I am not sure why. I really did.

This is another vat or tank for a smaller batch of cheese with a different culture. The sinks on the side are clearly for cleaning all supplies.

Below, left is the pasteurizing panel. The milk comes in from the tank truck and is piped right into the pasteurizing pipes which are a labyrinth around the back of this room. To the right are some interesting pieces of equipment that I wished I had asked about, but didn’t notice until the room had cleared.

Another view of the large vat or tank, below, from the door where the truck brings the milk in.

Turning around, here is the truck tank that holds that 8000 litres of milk from two angles.

Time for lunch. Seriously. After learning how to make the cheese, all I wanted to do was eat it, and actually participate in making it. The lunch provided by Sylvan Star was wholesome and delicious. Massive sandwiches with Blackforest ham, Edam cheese, and focaccia bread were served with a hearty tomato based soup.

The soup was so warm and satisfying I forgot to take a pic until it was almost gone. People shopped and then ate, or ate, and then shopped.

There were a lot of culinary treasures to ogle.

The cheeses, fresh eggs, and cultured butter were the stars of this show. Sylvan Star opened just for us on this Sunday, and we are really glad they did. I had no idea they made their own butter, and now I am a fan. That is another peeve of mine: there is no locally made butter available in our city.

Below, right, Sherene in front of the facility. It is so big, I couldn’t get in the entire building.

Back on the bus, and in no time we were a half hour down the road turning into Bles-Word Dairy Farm, our next planned visit.

I was immediately charmed by the picture-perfect farm house and yard, including the white fence and a Canadian Flag! Those are llamas in the corral.

Hennie and Tinie met us so warmly as we were scrambling out of the bus. (Tinnie is the woman to the right with the folded arms.)

We were divided into two groups of 20: one went with Tinie and one with Hennie. I went with Tinie; Vanja went with Hennie.

Tinie told us her amazing story of creating this local yogurt company. This couple also immigrated from Holland in the 1990′s. Hennie had a huge dairy business with 250 cows and Tinie was a teacher planning on teaching once settled here. However, she started making yogurt for her diabetic daughter, and that grew into a Farmer’s Market business. The last day of the market in 2000, the manager of the local Co-op Shopping Centre asked her if he could carry her product in his store. Very shortly thereafter, her product found its way into over 200 stores throughout Alberta. But, only one Save-on Foods Store, as you have heard!

Monday the milk comes in, is pasteurized and separated from the sour cream and the culture is added to make the yogurt. Tuesday the yogurt is packaged and Wednesday it is delivered. The same process happens Wednesday through Friday: Wednesday the the milk comes in, is pasteurized and separated from the sour cream and the culture is added to make the yogurt, etc. Tinnie gets the weekends off! Kind of.

Her company is very small compared to her husband’s she said. The entire farm has four staff members and there are three family members that work at the farm, too. The yogurt facility has 5 staff members, including Tinnie and for each litre of milk Tinie gets one litre of yogurt. She does 2800 litres of milk two times a week right now.

Hennie explained the Dairy Farm end of the business. In Alberta, dairy farmers must buy their quota from another dairy farmer who is retiring, or going out of business. There are currently 600 Dairy Farmers in Alberta and most have an average of 125 dairy cows. Hennie has 250. His son in law runs the farm. Hennie is on the federal Milk Board and spends a good deal of his time in Ottawa.

Hennie sells to Saputo (Dairyland), one of the three big Dairy Milk buyers in our province. The other two are  Parmalat and Beatrice. He said he was happy with the arrangement and compensation from this company.  We were talking about the advantages of Supply Management during my session with him and someone asked what the dairy farmers share is of the consumer dollar. Hennie said it was the highest in the Northern world and guessed it was close to 50%. He later sent us this information from a report just out after our tour:

Keystone Agricultural Producers (Manitoba) and Agricultural Producers Association of Sask and Wild Rose Agricultural Producers (AB) released, just recently, their 3rd Annual “The Farmers’ Share Report” prepared by Dr. Alma Kennedy. The study concludes that over the last 3 years the average prairie farmer’s share of the food basket is 27.1 %.  (This is considerably lower than his estimate and my question would be: Is he still happy with his return from Saputo?) This percentage varies greatly depending on the food group. For dairy: The dairy farmer’s share of a 250ml glass of milk at a restaurant, costing $2.25 is 9.4%; of a medium pizza costing $17.70 the dairy farmer receives 67 cents; for a liter pack of store milk the farmers share is slightly higher.

This is the tank (above, right) where the farm fresh milk is poured into and then used in the Yogurt Making, inside the barn facility.

After hearing from Hennie and Tinie, it was raining quite hard, so we scooted over to the building on the left, below.

They had it all set up with milk and juice and cookies and brownies and all varieties of their individual yogurts! Vanja was lapping them up. They truly are delicious. While I prefer plain, it is not sold in the small packaging, yet it is their biggest seller. French Vanilla is their biggest seller in the flavours and their fruit flavours are sourced out of their farm, but still Alberta made. Their sour cream is 18% and Tinie chose this as it was a higher percentage that already available, thus creating a niche market following. This farm family is definitely tour savvy. They had government booklets on milk, recipe booklets, a print out for their yogurt business and a lovely black and white cow motif bag from moreaboutmilk.com and the Alberta Dairy Council.

Inside of this barn, as well as our treats, were the young cows: such a great introduction to the Dairy industry!

The calf, below, right, is trying to nurse another young calf unable to provide any milk, of course. These young calves pull so hard on the teets, that they actually damage them for life.

Thus, the nose ring, that goes on a few young ones with that sucking fetish to ensure that they cannot damage the teets of the future dairy cattle.

These little fellows were about a week old. Vanja was taken by one cutie.

Below, left was a little Holstein calf just born the day before! Oh, Oh! There is that naughty calf sucking again!

Now the tour of the dairy barn. That was a massive education. Have times ever change in this industry since my childhood! There are about 250 cows in this barn. Half of them are milked manually, but this is still done by machine. The other half milk themselves. Yes, it is true. I had to see it. I had no frame of reference for a robotic milker. But wait! What is that red spaceship like looking vessel in the distance, below?

We are all gawking at it in disbelief. Hennie and Tinie had not prepared us for this. The space ship looking vessel is a robotic “cow-barn sweeper”. As the cows feed, they push the feed away from themselves. This smart little robot moves up and down the barnyard corridor pushing the feed back toward the cows. Incredible!

Most of the cows were friendly. The looked at us and tried to engage us with their eyes or their nodding and welcoming gestures. I was amazed at their curiosity and friendliness. The bull, below, left, was enormous. He had a sore foot, too. He looks too big to even move! Hennie assured the group that this big fella knows what to do when he needs to do it, and he is very good at it, too. (blush) I was taken by R-2 D-2. I was trying to engage in a robotic conversation, but he just whipped right by me focused on sweeping the feed back to the cattle.

Looks like someone needs to get some relief! The robotic milker cleans its lines three times a day whenever it is determined needed and is then out of service for 45 minutes. The cows line up. They like how it feels, and they are also rewarded by feed.

Can you see that? R-2 D-2 has a child! This smaller version of the sweeping robot moves bravely behind the feeding cattle and sweeps up their “messes” ! Isn’t that wild? A robotic toilet cleaner for the barnyard! Brilliant!

On the other side, there was the automatic “cow wash”! Thos big green brushes that scrub over your car as they rotate were twirling here in the barn. Engaged by the cow as she backs into it and gets a good old back scratch. “AH! This is the life!”

Below the cows are lining up for the robotic milker to open.

If a cow is ill, its milk is redirected to a special bin (below, left) and not used. Look at the love one of the cows is giving Cathy. I got a kiss, too: very, very scratchy tongues…. and the feces dripping out of their noses is quite off putting. Otherwise, their little pink snouts are downright nuzzley!

What a beautiful animal. She even knows how to turn on the tap to get a drink. Hennie says the Holstein is almost over bred as a super producer of milk.

More cattle are outback in two other facilities.

When the robotic milkers stopped the self cleaning cycle, Hennie invited us in to see the cows milk themselves from a close-up-and-personal view behind the machines. Each of these machines is about 150 thousand dollars.

I thought I had captured really great photos, but they are almost impossible to understand unless you were there. The cow walks up and stands over the milkers. The laser finds the teet, then washes, brushes and cleans it before latching the milker onto it.

You can see the milk come into the tube below, far right.

The video below explains the process and gives and excellent understanding of this amazing technology. Hennie has two of these machines.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vo4NJU5wTk

Below, left is the room we were viewing the robotic milking from, and the instruments on the right are used on the other side of the barn for the manual milking.

Here is the set up for the manual milking. I am not sure how it is done, but I believe the cows are hooked up to the milking machines a few at a time, and then milked by the machines.

I truly hope that the group that attended will chime in with their special “remembers” and moments of this day. There was too much for me to include everything! The sun is fighting with the clouds, as we wave farewell, and head back North toward Pigeon Lake and our dinner destination: Eco Cafe. Chef Tim is famous in this neck of the woods for his use of local and wild products.

I think I don’t take enough time to commune with nature. The scenery both there and back was heart stopping perfection.

Here we are. It seems like all we have done is eat all day, but we are eager for more!

The appetizer was Smoked Prairie Trout with a cold pressed canola oil mousseline in a corn and sweet pepper crepe accompanied with local organic greens, and candied beets in a yogurt maple dressing. I loved it all. The beets were like candy. I love beets, especially this time of year.

The entrée was Bison Short Rib Ragout served over goat cheese mashed potatoes with oven roasted sweet root vegetables and everyone lapped it up!

Honestly, I found the goat cheese too strong in the potatoes, but I think it was just me.

As we were not including dessert, I baked some cookies: Chocolate Cherry Hazelnut Cookies and Breakfast Cookies. Mack took the photos, and when he sends them to me, I will include them here. Other photos are included in the cookies recipe pages of our travellers!

So, with cookie in hand, tummies full, and spirits completely edified after this day of visiting two amazing farms and meeting two very dedicated and warm farm families, we climbed into our seats on the bus for the last leg of our journey. And, yes, the sun was shining on us now. The day was bursting forth in its full glory.

Ok, just a little photo shop enhancement. The photos remind me of the old Ideal Magazines I used to dream into when I was a child. How I loved them. And today, the country side is golden and heavy with the bounty of the harvest season.