How do you create farmers?  How do you recruit members of any occupation these days?  I suppose the quickest answer is that we set up post-secondary programs that specialize in particular skills that are deemed necessary for a certain occupation.  In reality, people are far more flexible than this, so they end up in all manner of jobs, but that is for another show.  Let’s just agree that the post-secondary education option seems rather prominent these days.

My parents both come from large farming families, and while most of their siblings were farmers, only a handful ever made it to High School.  However, occupations have changed, technologies have multiplied, and skills have become catalogued and credentialed.  So, many of their children working in farming (my cousins) went on to get Ag-related degrees or certificates.  It’s the modern model for recruiting workers to an occupation.  Even in farming.

Until just a few years ago, there were no practical post-secondary educational programs in the province that focused on farming - on providing the range of skills that farmers needed.  There were graduate degrees that involved research on farm-related issues, but those are creatures of a different nature.  Some folks went to Nova Scotia for training, or maybe even to Guelph (which likes to think of itself as the Oxford of Canadian Ag education).

But in 2019 that changed, when the College of the North Atlantic started its Agriculture Technician (Co-op) program.  Today we talk to three students who are currently in that program.  Be sure to take notes.  It will be on the mid-term.

It is mid-October and I drop in at the College of the North Atlantic campus in Corner Brook.  I even found a place to park, which is more of an achievement than you may think.  I meet up with three Ag Tech students, Jacey Bennett, Amy Mercer and Stephanie Jeffrey.  I had been in touch with one of their instructors, Sharon Wright, and she found these three willing volunteers for me.  We sit down in one of their classrooms.

They are all eager, passionate, gracious in their answers, and solidly rooted in this province.  Pull up one of those chair-and-desk combinations that were designed by someone with an unusual body shape and join us.  

Season 3 of "Fit to Eat" is supported by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.

Fit To Eat S3E22 CNA Ag Tech Students Jacey Amy & Stephanie

May 12th

Georgian Bay Roots #395 May 12th 2024 (with Kelly)

This is the May 19, 2024 edition of Georgian Bay Roots Radio, hosted by Lloyd Lemon.
In this episode Lloyd presents music about, inspired by, or written and composed by Gordon Lightfoot. Artists featured include: The Guess Who; Jimmy Buffett; Anne Murray; Bruce Cockburn; Raul Malo; Liona Boyd; Billy Joel; Murray McLauchlan; Ron Sexsmith; The Skydiggers; Bluestone; The Good Brothers, Chris Jones & The Night Drivers; Aengus Finnan; and Gordon Lightfoot!
#summerfolk #podcast #georgianbayroots #georgianbayrootsradio #gordonlightfoottributefundraiser #theguesswho #jimmybuffett #annemurray #brucecockburn #raulmalo #lionaboyd #billyjoel #murraymclauchlan #ronsexsmith #theskydiggers #bluestone #thegoodbrothers #chrisjonesandthenightdrivers #aengusfinnan #gordonlightfoot.

Georgian Bay Roots Episode 396 May 19, 2024 (With Lloyd Lemon)

On this episode of Routes & Branches & Beyond (#327) we feature another show of tunes and songs that reference flowers - the joy of this time of year where I live.  When I say that we "reference" flowers, I don't mean that we notice them in passing and file that memory away to go on to more important obsessions like "will the Central Bank decrease the overnight lending rate?"  No.  I mean that we celebrate the uses of floral-related metaphors in celtic and folk music, revelling in how the beauty in our natural world is often reflected in those who travel alongside us in our own halting and imperfect human world.  In other, less convoluted, words - we often refer to our loved ones as the flowers of our life.  Proper thing, too.  You'll hear fiddle-accordion delights, wildflower banjo honey, cello-soaked laments, the flowers of Saskatchewan or of Bermuda or of the Red Mill of of teh Dell (there beside the Farmer), and even a few dried flowers, just for a touch of accent in the room.  From musicians such as Emilyn Stam & Filippo Gambetta, The Wailin’ Jennys, Cathy Fink, Rayna Gellert & Susie Goehring, Skylark, Tommy Sands, Dolores Keane & Vedran Smailovic, Lennie Gallant, David Francey, Poor Angus, Suzy Bogguss, Moving Cloud, Ian Tamblyn, and Anam.  Get your nose out of the flowers and join me.

Routes & Branches & Beyond show # 327 2024 05 23

A heady mix of hot tracks to match the hot weather! Listen in to hear A Tribe Called Red feat. Odario, Haviah Mighty and the Chippewa Travellers, Jesse Landen's latest project Balmy Beach, Sages, formerly of Meaford, now of Hamilton, a classic from Spoons, a soon to be classic from Sandro Perri, Charlie and Josh at their danciest with Platinum Sweat circa 2010, the pride of Eugenia, Alois Halliday laying down some verses about chopped Aerostars and more, Tween and Before the Dark Side alumni Chris covering Air's 'Kelly Watch the Starts', Dave Marshak's County Works Dept. laying it down in the mid 00's, Heathcote's own Debi Harbottle under her stage name Roni Sommers in 1981 and some more Beverley Glenn Copeland (just in case you need saving).

Tom Thwaits's Album

Georgian Bay Roots #397 May 26, 2024 (with Tom)

Who was it who said "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet?"  Likely that Billy Shakespeare fellow.  Seems like he copyrighted lots of those nifty sayings in this language we're using at the moment.  But it fits for much of this episode of Routes & Branches & Beyond - where we're featuring songs and tunes that have flowers in their title.  And the music is just as good, whether they are referring to "flower" or "flor" or "fleur" or "flora" or "flores"!  No surprise there, right?!  Some of the most dramatic flowers I've ever seen had a non-English name.  (Here is where Botanists start writing their chiding tirades to me about how it is the Latin names of all flowers that are the most important.  Bring them on, in Latin...).  

So we'll hear about groovy sunflowers, tulipa negras, fleurs de Lavande or de Quebec or de Niee or du bois, lindos flores, gypsy daisies, heavenly tulips, and crazy daisies.  Music from New Mexico, Quebec, Ireland, the Boston States, France, Cape Verde, Andalusia, Louisiana, and Beyond.  From musicians like Don Ross, Antonio Apodaca & Jeanie McLerie & Ken Keppeler & Karl Stainaker, Les Poules à Colin, Solas, Nicolas Pellerin et les grands Hurleurs, Crooked Still, Amina Alaoui, 5 on the floor, Norma Waterson, O.J. Abbott, Loretto Reid & Brian Taheny, Fapy Lafertin Quintet & Tim Kliphouse, Tulipa Negra, and Slavek Hanzlik.  Take off that silly gardening hat and join me.

Routes & Branches & Beyond show #328 2024 05 30

What's that? You said you wanted some new music? Well...buckle yourself up because this week's episode of Georgian Bay Roots Radio has got all kinds of new tracks hot off the press PLUS music from your friends and neighbours, Youth Discoveries 2024 winners, Summerfolk 49 performers and more. It's all here!

Featuring tracks by Lennie Gallant, Terra Lightfoot, The Great Lake Swimmers, Joel Plaskett, Marshall Veroni, Drew McIvor, Meteor Heist, James Keelaghan, Cheryl Wheeler, Garnet Rogers, Bahamas, Siobhan Bodrug and Bran Sanders!

Georgian Bay Roots #398 June 2 2024 (with Kailey)

Have you ever heard of "nominative determinism?"  This is the idea that a name can aid in determining what a person is like.  A young chap called "Ernest" may end up being serious and conscientious.  A young lass called "Pleasance" could become a delightful hostess with nary an unkind word for anyone.  You get the point.  But maybe it works for plants as well.  Take the word "daisy" and the flower of that name.  The word is light, fun, easy to pronounce and brings a smile to the lips.  Likewise, the flower is joyous, lively, easy to behold and brings a smile to gardens everywhere.

Today on Routes & Branches & Beyond we continue with a theme on flowers in celtic and folk music, and about half of the pieces make a direct reference to daisies.  So it is a show of joy, wide-eyed delight and (I hope) easy to listen to music (though not "easy-listening" music).  I have Acadian fiddle, Quebecois trad jazz, Irish bounce, inter-generational pollination, banjophonics for the brave, movie stars who sing, heavy folk from Scotland, Cajun magnolias, hot stringband, and 22 strings from Flanders.  With musicians like Dominique Dupuis, La Bottine Souriante, Bumblebees, Ushers Island, Damien O’Kane & Ron Block,Sandrine Kiberlain, Mick McAuley & Winifred Horan, Bùrach, The Magnolia Sisters, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Snaarmaarwaar, and Nua.  Put that grin back on your face and join me.

Routes & Branches & Beyond show #329 2024 06 06

June 9th

Georgian Bay Roots #399 June 9th 2024 (with Kelly)

If you've ever been backed into a corner at a party by an avid rose grower, you'll know the passion and, yes even obsession, that comes along with roses.  Of all the purveyors of horticultural products, rose growers likely have the highest GPH index.  That stands for "Geeks Per Hundred."  I'm not complaining about this - rather, I find it fascinating that this thorny flower breeds such dedication.

Today, on "Routes & Branches & Beyond," I have the first of a series called "Rose - the noun, not the verb."  I'll have red roses, blarney roses, Virginia roses, belle roses, tattoed roses, roses in a vase, and a dozen bloody roses.  From musicians like Mark Halata & the Brosch Brothers, A Fine Crowd, Gaelic Storm, L’Orchestra Pic-Bois, Le Vent du Nord, Bryan Bowers, Jerry O’Sullivan, Midnight Skyracer, Dust Rhinos, Dentdelion, Evans & Doherty with Jimmy Sweeny, Dropkick Murphys, and Basco.  Put down that vase and join me.

Fit To Eat S3E22 CNA Ag Tech Students Jacey Amy & Stephanie

Ivan Emke

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