Reflections on food, farming, and place inspired by Tam Andersen’s keynote at the Taste of Place Summit 2026 Original article posted June 28, 2026, By Dahlia Orcajada Read more from Dahlia at farmcharm.ca What if we feel disconnected from where our food comes from because we’ve forgotten how much variety, flavour, and story exists beyond the grocery store shelf. Most …
A Zone 2–3 Guide to Planting, Pollinators & Resilient Gardens This year has been extraordinary. With rainfall levels breaking records that have stood since 1898, gardens across Alberta’s Zone 2–3 region are facing challenges we rarely see: saturated soils, slow growth, nutrient washout, and stressed pollinators. But wet, cloudy years also bring unexpected gifts, if we gardeners are ready and willing to …
We’re fortunate to have a lot of fresh rhubarb available to us right now! In place of the sour cherries, feel free to swap in haskap berries, saskatoon berries, strawberries or raspberries. In place of the kirsch and almond extract, you can use 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract total. You can make the topping up to one week in advance and refrigerate or …
June is here! The 10:30 pm sunsets are so gorgeous – last night the sky to the north was apricot, orange, and purple at day’s end. “This part of the season represents a turn towards upkeep (weeding) and managing what we worked so hard to start from seed,” Tam Andersen, our Farm Owner, tells us. “For me, it’s a joyous …
Nothing says spring on the Prairies like that first armful of crisp rhubarb. Our Zone 3 plants are waking up beautifully — and we’re excited to share a few tips we’ve learned after 70 seasons of growing in the Edmonton region. Harvest Tip: Don’t Cut — Twist & Pull Cutting leaves part of the stalk behind, which can rot and …
By Farmer Tam Andersen With the mid July sun warm on our shoulders, we are gathering at Prairie Gardens for one of my favourite pastimes: strawberry picking. The kids are excited! It’s the first berries of the season and we can’t wait to sink our teeth into them and to feel the juice dribbling down our chins! We spread out …
Dr. Ieuan Evans I wrote an article for a Horticultural publication in 1990 on the “Evans Cherry” for Prairie Canada. The write-up was “Cherries for the Prairies”. It initiated a deluge of sour cherry growing in all three Prairie provinces as well as in the colder parts of Canada and the northern states. The story began in 1976 when I …
How to Protect Apricots, Plums, Tart Cherries, Apples & Strawberries in the Prairies Canadian Hardiness Zones 2–4 Spring on the Prairies is beautiful—but unpredictable. One warm week can push buds into bloom, and the next night can drop to –7°C or –10°C, putting your entire fruit crop at risk. This week is no exception! Understanding how frost affects developing buds, …
Prairie Gardens Celebrates National Tourism Week as Winner of Alberta’s 2026 Luminary Award for Agritourism Sturgeon County, Alberta April 20, 2026 – Sturgeon County, Alberta Prairie Gardens, one of Alberta’s longest running agritourism destinations, is celebrating its 70th anniversary and National Tourism Week by highlighting the vital role that farm-based tourism plays in rural economic development, food literacy, and community …
Best Grape Varieties, Winter Injury Tips, and How to Succeed in Zones 2–4 By Prairie Gardens’ Horticulturalist, Tam Andersen Growing grapes on the Canadian Prairies in Canadian hardiness Zones 2-4 might sound ambitious, but with the right varieties and a few smart strategies, grapevines can thrive even in our coldest zones. Prairie gardeners have been quietly proving this for decades—just …