Its garlic season again and Inverness County Cares has a plentiful crop of garlic. The hard neck bulbs (saved from last year’s harvest) were planted November 2024 on a sunny well-drained hillside, in soil enriched with compost and last year’s straw tilled into the soil. To insulate against the alternating freezing temperatures and periods of thawing during our Atlantic winters, the bed was covered in an insulating blanket of straw. Over this, spruce branches were laid to keep the straw in place and trap insulating snow. After the removal of the branches in early spring the garlic shoots began to poke through the straw about the same time the tulips and daffodils made their appearance.
Despite the dry summer, the garlic did quite well, owing to the straw which held in moisture and discouraged weeds which would compete for space and nutrients. In July the scapes were picked and made into pesto. Removing the scapes, ensures the bulbs grow to their full potential without having to put out energy to produce the tiny flower/bulbs which develop on the top of the scape.
By the end of July, the bottom half to two thirds of the leaves had yellowed signalling time to pick the garlic. Approximately 750 garlic bulbs were tied together and suspended from the rafters to dry and cure. Now the time has come to tidy the bulbs by cutting off the dry stems and the dry roots.
These garlic, store well into early spring in a cool environment. An alternative way of storing your garlic is to put peeled garlic cloves in a food processor with olive oil. Blend together and freeze on a cookie sheet, then cut into cubes and seal using a vacuum sealer. Store sealed frozen garlic cubes in freezer for garlic ready to pop in your favourite recipe.
These garlic bulbs are an important part of Inverness County Cares’ fundraising plan. This year we will sell by the pound.
½ pound for $15 (negotiable). To purchase garlic, contact us at 902 227 5425, colmac27@gmail.com or invernesscountycares@gmail.com We are located in Judique, NS.
We also want to express our thanks to the many people who donate their refundable bottles and cans to our collection trailers in Mabou at the Fresh Mart and in Port Hood at 209 Main Street. We want to thank Ted and Hermina Van Zutphen, Wayne and Karen Beaton and new Freshmart owners Allan and Lucie MacMaster for providing a space for the trailers.
We are so pleased with how quickly the trailers fill up. Thank you to the team who tidy and stack the trailer contents, Stephen Doiron and Brendan Moloney in Port Hood and Stanley Beaton in Mabou. Thank you to the crew who use their trucks to tow the trailers to the Enviro Depot in Port Hood. Thank you to those who empty the trailers; John MacInnis, Archie MacLeod, John Gillies, John Kommes, Bernie Gillies, Richard MacDonald, Colleen MacLeod. Thank you to Zutphens for the trailers and the help moving them.
The refundable bottles and cans are our top fund-raising venture. With each passing month we are happy to note the intervals between emptying the trailers are getting shorter. Thank you so much for your support.
Thank you also to the newspapers (Oran and Reporter) who give us the opportunity to share our stories with their readers and help bring about an understanding of what we do and a glimpse into the life of the people of Zambia.
Inverness County Cares (ICC) is a local charitable organization, founded in 2012 and based in Inverness County, NS, Canada. ICC works in partnership with Chalice.ca, a Canadian charity, based in Bedford, Nova Scotia. Chalice provides guidance and assistance to help ICC provide a better life for the children at the Kawambwa schools. The Kawambwa Project involves supporting two schools for albino and visually impaired students, in Northern Zambia. Inverness County Cares always welcomes new members. Individuals who wish to donate, can use the donate button on our website https://invernesscountycares.com When using E-transfer, please include your mailing address for CRA tax receipts and a thank you message. E-transfer address: invernesscountycares@gmail.com or send a cheque to Inverness County Cares, 5414 Route 19, Judique, NS, Canada, B0E1P0. Taxation receipts provided.
