July at George Pegg Botanic Garden

It was an eventful July at George Pegg Botanic Garden! Just north of Glenevis, this historic site  maintains the original homestead of the Pegg family and features the botanical work of George Pegg. On July 19th our “New Perennial Design” demonstration bed was planted after nearly three years of careful planning and preparation. Thank you to Maria Beers and Clara Qualizza for designing the bed and to the volunteers and summer staff who grew the plants and helped plant them! 

It was a beautiful day for our 3rd Tea Party in the Garden on July 21st! Visitors enjoyed a variety of teas and desserts, followed by tours of the Garden and the historic log home. 

Admission to the Garden is free during Alberta Open Farm Days on August 13th and 14th. We invite you to join us on Saturday, August 13th for the 4th Annual Rural Roots Farmer Showcase! Enjoy our Local Food Market with a variety of vendors and family-friendly activities, from 10 AM - 4 PM. Following the Market is an exceptional Outdoor Dinner and Concert. Take in music from country-music artist Erin Haley and show-opener Halle May Hobbs while enjoying a delicious meal prepared by chef Lindsay Porter. 

On Sunday, August 14th from 10 AM - 4 PM we are highlighting the bounty of our agricultural community with displays and family activities. From 1:30 PM - 3 PM we are also celebrating The George Pegg Botanic Garden Society’s 30th anniversary. Enjoy a slice of home-baked pie and support local Meals-on-Wheels programs. Bring your favourite pie recipe and take home a cookbook.    

Throughout August we are open every day from 10 AM to 4 PM. Visit our website PeggGarden.org, Facebook, and Instagram for updates. We look forward to seeing you at the Garden!

Emily Fyfe

Garden Supervisor

780 203-0331

Rural Roots Farmers Showcase: Call for Volunteers

Our 4th annual vendor market and Farm to Fork dinner is part of Alberta Open Farm Days on Saturday, August 13. We are seeking volunteers to be a part of this fun, exciting, beautiful event.

Join our team of like-minded community members working to promote our local food producers. The event is hosted at the wonderful George Pegg Botanic Garden in Lac Ste. Anne County, just north of Glenevis, Alberta. This year’s vendor market has a "Country Fair" theme and the evening event includes an elegant picnic dinner with live entertainment.

Any amount of time you can offer is valuable. We suggest volunteers sign up for a three-hour shift in the morning, afternoon, or evening - food and beverages are included. (Yes- dinner volunteers get to taste-test the 5 course meal!) Time slots are flexible - tell us what works for you. Tasks include market set up, guest greeter, floaters, dinner set up, food service, and security.

This is an outdoor event so be prepared for Mother Nature's mood swings. And don't forget about those darn mosquitos!!

For more information about how to volunteer for this unique event, please contact Shelley at shelleylockhart@gmail.com. We look forward to meeting new people in our communities.

Call for Youth Art: George Pegg Botanic Garden’s 8th Annual Art in the Garden

On Sunday, June 19th, 2022, the peaceful beauty of George Pegg Botanic Garden will provide a perfect backdrop for a variety of artwork. After three years, local artists and craftspeople will be back for our 8th Annual Art in the Garden with fine art, pottery, woodwork, jewellery, photography, fibre art, & more available for purchase! From 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM meet our artist vendors, take in art demonstrations and live music and enjoy refreshments. 

In addition to our artist vendors, the Garden would like to feature young artists in our community! The Youth Art Show features Junior and Senior High students and is judged by visitors to the Garden. This is a perfect opportunity for students to share their work with others. Students also have the chance to win cash prizes! The registration form can be found here. We can’t wait to see all the talent of our community's young artists!

We invite you to bring your family and friends for this exciting event as we also celebrate Father’s Day! Children can come and enjoy a fun art activity.

We hope to see you at Art in the Garden! Visit our website, PeggGarden.org for more details and our Facebook and Instagram pages to see our artist vendors profiles!

Emily Fyfe 

Garden Supervisor

peggbotanicgarden@gmail.com

780 203-0331

What’s New at George Pegg Botanic Garden

George Pegg Botanic Garden, just north of Glenevis, Alberta, is open everyday this summer from 10:00 am till 4:00 pm. The Garden contains the original homestead of the Pegg family and the important botanical work completed by George Pegg. New displays featuring historical artifacts from the original homestead are near completion in the Garden’s unique eight-sided granary. These displays were made possible by the help of our generous volunteers.

The Garden has recently received a new water well and food preparation station. The Garden would like to thank Summers Drilling for completing this job for us. These additions come just in time for the third annual Rural Roots Farmer Showcase, happening the weekend of August 14th and 15th, 2021! 

Our Saturday Rural Roots Farmer Showcase event is one-of-a-kind, highlighting local food and the farmers who produce it. Coinciding with Alberta Open Farm Days, this outdoor event pairs a daytime vendor market with an evening picnic-style dinner and concert. Admission to the market is free and tickets for the dinner and concert are available for purchase now. For tickets and more information, please visit www.PeggGarden.org.   

The Rural Roots Farmer Showcase festivities continue into Sunday, August 15th, 2021 with children’s crafts, a scavenger hunt, displays and more!          

We look forward to seeing you at the Garden! Our knowledgeable summer staff are ready to take visitors on a guided tour of the site. Admission is by donation. Please visit our website, Facebook and Instagram for updates.

Emily Fyfe 

Garden Supervisor

peggbotanicgarden@gmail.com

780 203-0331

3rd Annual Rural Roots Farmer Showcase Returns to George Pegg Garden in Celebration of Alberta Open Farm Days

The Rural Roots Farmer Showcase Committee has been hard at work organizing a one-of-a-kind event that highlights local food, the farmers who produce it, and local music as well. On August 14, 2021, George Pegg Garden will be alive with activity offering visitors a unique experience in a charming location. 

Planned to coincide with Alberta Open Farm Days, this year’s outdoor event pairs a daytime vendor market with an evening picnic-style meal and concert. Pegg Garden is just north of Glenevis, in Lac Ste. Anne County. 

“This year we wanted to offer something different than we had in our first couple of years. While connecting consumers with local producers is always our main goal, we also wanted to pair it with uplifting local entertainment for a truly indulgent culinary experience.” Bobby Yeoman, Rural Roots Farmer Showcase committee.

Visit the Pegg Garden website for market and dinner details at www.PeggGarden.org. See the Rural Roots Farmer Showcase Facebook page for interviews with our producer partners, to learn about our exceptional chef Doreen Prei, and find out why we are so excited about our feature musician Martin Kerr! 

 If you are a producer and would like to be involved in the Vendor Market, there is still time! Please contact Lucie Heins at 780-964-1844. 

Submitted by 

Rural Roots Farmer Showcase committee 

Calling All Local Food Producers! Planning the 3rd annual Ag Showcase

It’s no secret that 2020 was an interesting year for everyone. In addition to shifting the way that we normally live our lives, it showcased the indomitable spirit that is present in our communities as we adjusted to pandemic conditions. The Rural Roots Farmer Showcase was no exception. We began 2020 enthusiastically planning for a full vendor market and farm-to-table-dinner and, like many producers, we had to shift our focus to an offering that respected the pandemic restrictions. 

 On August 15, 2020 with the help of dedicated volunteers and fantastic producers, we provided 50 carefully curated picnic boxes full of local food products to our supportive consumers. The response was overwhelmingly positive: 

• “It’s a great concept- a way to introduce us to local/rural producers!”

• “This was a wonderful idea; I love to support local!”

• “We totally enjoyed the whole experience and can’t wait to see what will be in the basket next year!”

• “Was amazed by how many farms/food producers/chefs were involved with one picnic box. It was a great idea and was extremely well done. I was totally impressed!”

Once again in 2021, the Rural Roots Farmer Showcase planning committee is creating an event that will focus on community and local food, while still following provincial pandemic protocols. This event is set to happen in conjunction with Alberta Open Farm Days in mid-August, at the beautiful George Pegg Garden in Lac Ste. Anne County. The day will feature a local vendor market paired with an extraordinary dining experience combining fine food and music.  The committee is actively seeking local producers who would like to participate in both the producer showcase and as supply partners for the culinary event. We are also recruiting volunteers. If you are interested in being a part of this exciting event we invite you to contact us for more information at PeggBotanicGarden@gmail.com or call Lucie 780-964-1844.

 The RRFS committee is a passionate group of producers and like-minded individuals who are dedicated to connecting people with Alberta’s roots and the vast selection of farm fresh food available in our community. By forming a connection with the producers, we hope that people will be encouraged to explore the region and buy locally.

Provincial Archives Presentation & George Pegg Garden Annual Meeting

All interested community members are invited to attend a presentation from the Provincial Archives of Alberta at the George Pegg Botanic Garden, Saturday, August 22.  Join us for refreshments at 12:30, presentation at 1:00 pm, followed by a brief annual meeting.  The Pegg Garden maintains the homestead of the Pegg family as a reminder of what life was like in the early twentieth century.

This gathering will take place in our machine shed to ensure plenty of space to remain physically distant. You are welcome to come early and/or stay afterwards to tour the Garden and see what our summer staff and volunteers have accomplished this season. We are excited to show off our new display of historic photos. During the Annual Meeting we will share news about projects completed and those under way. 

Collections Management Intern, Emily Guthrie-Plouffe will explain the purpose of the Provincial Archives of Alberta and the services it provides. Speaking via Zoom, Emily will provide a brief history of the Archive, discuss the donation process, and explain how records are organized. She will also outline what is sold onsite and online, including materials to work on genealogy and family archives projects at home.

This presentation will lead into discussion about the importance of preserving historic artifacts and the cultural significance of sites such as Pegg Garden. If you have stories about George Pegg we would be pleased to hear from you!

How the George Pegg Botanic Garden will be Operating in Light of Covid-19

We are taking extra care to keep everyone healthy by social distancing, providing hand sanitizer, and cleaning surfaces regularly. Access to some of our buildings will be restricted. visitors are welcome to explore the Garden on your their or on a guided tour with one of our staff.  We encourage visitors to practice Social distancing from other visitors who do not live in the same household as them. Admission to the George Pegg Botanic Garden is by donation. We accept cash, cheques, and e-transfer. Currently we cannot make change.  We ask that large groups to call before coming. The following our tips to enhance your visit:

• Please come prepared with your own drinking water, sunscreen, insect repellent, sturdy footwear, and anything else you might require to enjoy your visit.

• Be careful while walking as the Garden grounds are uneven.

• Dogs are welcome and must be kept on a leash. Please use common courtesy and pick up after your dog. Waste bags to be disposed of in garbage cans.

Plant-A-Row, Share-A-Row Program: Include a Row for the Food Bank

As part of your garden this year, plant and grow an extra row of veggies and donate the harvest to your local food bank.

Work is well underway at George Pegg Botanic Garden preparing for the summer season, including work in our own vegetable garden. The Garden maintains the original homestead of the Pegg family as a reminder of how life was in the early twentieth century. The vegetable garden serves to educate visitors about its importance to homesteaders’ lives. It also  produces delicious vegetables, a portion of which are donated to local food banks, in participation with the “Plant-A-Row, Share-A-Row” program. 

The “Plant-A-Row, Share-A-Row” program began in 1986 in Winnipeg when Ron and Eunice O’Donovan decided to donate their excess potatoes to their local food bank. The program has spread across Canada, and while named differently and directed under various organizations, the goal remains the same across all of the country: help all those in need. 

After a long winter and seemingly even longer time in isolation, what better way to spend time outside with your family than working together in your own vegetable garden? The “Plant-A-Row, Share-A-Row” website has a number of excellent resources to help you in planting a successful garden. Please visit https://www.growarow.org/ for useful information. Food banks recommend growing vegetables that last well without having to be refrigerated, such as potatoes and carrots. Many individuals in our community have lost jobs and are struggling to put food on the table for themselves and their families. By donating the extra vegetables you grow in your garden this year, you also help many individuals in need. 

Watch out for updates on our vegetable garden and other happenings on George Pegg Botanic Garden’s website, Facebook, and Instagram! We look forward to the fall when we donate the produce from our vegetable garden to local food banks in Lac Ste. Anne County. We hope to see you there with your extra vegetables. Wishing you a bountiful garden! 

Emily Fyfe

Garden Supervisor

Get Ready For the second ever Rural Roots Farmer Showcase!

Last year, the first ever Rural Roots Farmer showcase was a smashing success. During the vendor food market portion of the showcase vendors rejoiced at the opportunity to network with attendees. Furthermore, Janice Beaton Cheese Partners and Collette's kitchen were both able to sell out of all the stock they brought. Additionally, last years meat vendors- Aspen Acres Market Garden and Blue Ridge Farms- had steady business throughout the day. Cindy and Brad of the Culina To Go restaurant provided a flavorful meal, using the food products provided to them by the vendors. For example, Denise from Hill and Dale graciously provided the folks at Culina with some farm fresh produce, and Jillian from Blue Ridge Farms provided them with bacon for the meal. Bob Chelmick, the host of the CKUA radio program “On The Road Home”, was the m.c. of the night and was able to create a lovely atmosphere for the evening. Overall, the first ever Rural Roots Farmer showcase was a magical event. Because of its overwhelming success, we are elated to announce that the George Pegg Botanic Garden will be hosting another Rural Roots Farmer showcase in 2020. Right now, the RRFS committee and Pegg Garden are moving forward with planning the 2020 Rural Root Farmer Showcase.