The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Who says we canÕt produce some great produce in the North? With most people still snacking on the bumper crop of tomatoes so prevalent in Snow Lake gardens this past season, it seems there are a few other locally grown vegetables that also did well. Chester Rudd says the massive parsnip he recently unearthed in his Crystal Avenue garden is one of the biggest he has ever seen. Most would agree; however, the six-pound root veggie looks more like a witchÕs hand than a side dish, and Chester said it could just be the finishing ÔtouchÕ for someoneÕs Halloween costume. Although the parsnip was planted from seed in the spring of 2007 and has been underground for well over a year, it was still something to behold. While digging it up, Rudd said he was surprised when he hit it with the blade of the shovel and had to move down about a foot in order to pry it out of the garden. He says its main portion would likely be ÒwoodyÓ if eaten, but the bottom shoots may prove quite tasty. Nevertheless, for the time being, Chester plans to keep it around just to marvel at. As a matter of note, parsnips are usually grown in colder climates, since frost is necessary to develop their flavour. A favourite with gardeners in areas with short growing seasons, the parsnip favours sandy, loamy soil. Seeds are planted in early spring, as soon as the ground can be worked and harvesting begins in late fall, after the first frost, and continue through winter until the ground freezes over. Or like Chester, you can leave them over the winter and get some real girth to them! Another Snow Lake gentleman, Brad Pick, told me that gardening took up a lot of his time this past growing season. And to prove it, he displayed a 66-lb. bright orange marvel that he grew from a seed planted in May of this year. I canÕt say that IÕm much of a gardener myself, but IÕve seen a fair bit of produce during my years; both on store shelves and on the neatly tended rows of area gardens. And let me tell you, Brad PickÕs pumpkin is by and far the biggest one I have ever laid eyes on! On the day I went over to take pictures of it, Brad was flanked by son Aaron, daughter Emily, and AaronÕs buddy, Jordon. They were like the kids from ÒPeanutsÓ all gathered around the Great Pumpkin. When asked what would eventually become of the massive gourd, Pick said he hoped it would last long enough to be hollowed out, carved and then become the familyÕs Halloween Jack-oÕ-lantern. However, having said that, he added that heÕd already had to perform a bit of surgery on the pumpkin, removing some rot from one side and replacing it with a second skin of plastic wrap. It seems Pick is not only a fantastic gardener; heÕs also a bit of a veggie healer as well. As for his skills as a gardener, this colossal pumpkin wasnÕt the only giant offering from PickÕs patch. He also grew a 25-lb. cabbage, a 13-foot Sunflower, even some decent-sized watermelon and cantaloupe. See 'Snow' on pg. Continued from pg. He also had a few items that were smaller in stature, but pack some big punch. During our talk, Pick asked if I liked Òhot stuff.Ó I said, ÒOf course, I love it!Ó So he brought out a small orange pepper that heÕd grown, a HabaneroÉ and it was HOT! I have to admit, after eating one whole; I went home and took a good swallow of milk. These things are definitely not for snacking on straight up, but the few he gave me to take home will certainly end up in the next batch of chili we cook up. In other news, the results are of course in for the federal election. Snow Lakers were in sync with the riding, favouring New Democrat Niki Ashton. The total number of votes cast in the community was about 330. The results were: Niki Ashton, NDP - 138; Wally Daudrich, Conservative - 114; Tina Keeper, Liberals - 58; Saara Harvie, Green Party - 19. My Take on Snow Lake runs Fridays.
