the Sustainability Plan for Food

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From Hibernation

Hail Brave Hearts

The sleepy winter fades with the melting snow.  Snug bugs and amphibians stir beneath the thawing soil.  The deep freeze is vanishing as warm winds blow and temperatures rise.  The freeze and thaw of this years winter has kept us alert to weather changes.  Plunging minuses to optimistic pluses have been a earmark of this winters climatic fluctuations.  Snow, thaw, snow, thaw, ice.  On it goes, to April snowstorms and nesting birds, freeze, melt, but they sing anyway and herald in the new spring.

Slowly the ground wakes up and tiny hibernating creatures emerge from the soil.  Ponds start to live again and sap runs in the trees.  Our own stock of gifts from the natural bounty is nearly diminished.  That last spoonful of jam has melted into the toast and the yummy, sugary fruit of last year is now devoured.  Time for something new.

A huff of breath sounds in the wild as an awakening giant opens his eyes.  Spring.  The last of the belly fat, stored for winters long nap, has finally been absorbed.  Thin and hungry and very large, but alive again, the sleepy beast puts a nose out.  Is it cold out there?  Hmmm.  Thinking, thinking, what to do.  How hungry?  But the sun is shining, it feels OK, it will get warmer and there must be bugs somewhere.

The lumbering old beast sniffs the ground, but not far from home.  It’s not time to venture far yet, just enough for a public appearance, a photo shoot, a pose to show off the massive hulk of this animal, an announcement of this years fame and fortune to some.  A feat of his own development, as this aged animal reappears again to fight and bully and dominate his world.  Smiling at us, we smile back at him and dub him  “The Boss”

‘The Al Capone of Banff National Park’: veteran grizzly bear ‘The Boss’ still on top

He vanishes back to his home.  The warm hollow of his den keeps him safe and warm until he’s able to find enough food to keep him warm during nights of minus temperatures.   Then he can wander and show off.

His area is a protected land, but his life is wild and free.  He roams where he will and survives as his species adaptation allows.

Soon the spring meadows will awaken with flowers.  Bees will rise from winters’ sleep to swarm the fields for pollen and nectar.   Honey in the honey pot, from natures garden of different species of wild flowers.  Dandelion, fireweed, wildflower mix, the commonplace clover are sweet and bountiful, providing a source of nutrition for the beasts of the great wild and for us.  We need this too.  The sweet treat of wild honey, the beauty of the spring garden.  The world awakens to new nutritional value for us and the food supply increases with fresh harvest.

Soon we will plant our seeds and find our recipes for jam and pie.  Replenish the larder.  That last spoonful of jam, a decadent delight will soon make way for this years treasures.  Labours of love, the finest that we can eat, from the wild to your table, farm to table or your garden to table.

Spring is in the air, the treats are near

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

April 12.2026

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It’s the Cheese out Here

Hail Brave Hearts

Who were these illustrious, hearty humans who came to conquer all?  Who were the brave hearts of the day who settled and prospered in these great lands?  The land of plenty?  The land to conquer.  The land that claimed so many lives, but eventually was farmed, colonized and a new world began.

From a land of serfs, of peasants who toiled, who carved an existence from hard work, collaboration and ingenuity.  These are the people of the new world.  Those who set themselves apart and braved the cold winters and basked in the radiance of the warm summers.  Hard work, but worthwhile, to till the land, harvest the crops and make room for themselves from the forest.  These industrious, hard working colonialists invented many things, and livestock breeding was one of their successes.  The interbreeding of animals to produce their own hardy, well adapted, heritage breeds, which come from a stunningly beautiful place, now a UNESCO site, the area of Charlevoix Quebec which is home to a cow.

Charlevoix – Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB)

This is not just any cow, this is a beauty!  Canada’s only indigenous breed of cow, the Canadienne.  Small in stature, but mighty in  other areas, this rare bread of cow, is an early invention from farmers in the ‘1600’s in Quebec.  Known for the high quality of it’s milk, it has made cheese production in Charlevoix, and Isle de la Madeleine  superior and sought after.   This cow which was once the most common cow in Quebec, is now on the rare breads list and in need of protection.

The milk is high in butterfat and has it’s own unique flavour.  The cheeses from this cow are unique in taste and texture and the delicious flavour makes  them a specialty of the house.

Canadienne cattle – Wikipedia

So all of this about a cow.  But it is a worthwhile cow.  The richness of the milk produces some of the worlds finest cheese, which is a specialty item  and a souvenir in the tourist industry.

The importance of protecting Canadian livestock and heritage breeds is a responsibility for us.  This breed has nearly become extinct, except for a few places in Canada, one of which is also the tiny islands in the Gulf la of the St Lawrence, the Isles de la Madeleine.

Îles de la Madeleine | Magdalen Islands | Québec maritime

The trip of lifetime, to visit these small islands, full of unique heritage and unique tourism.  A place to sample fine cuisine, sought after specialties and fun filled tourism.  A place of cultural heritage.  All of this, just for a cow, but not just any cow, our own cow.  Dairy for ice cream, dairy for milk and cheese.  The rich goodness of good food, high quality ingredients and it’s ours.  Ours to protect and ours to enjoy.  And lucky for us, that these unique Canadian experiences are in far flung places, which are an adventure to reach and a joy to experience.  Places to put on our destination list, in order to enjoy the fine cheeses and delicious ice cream from a heritage breed who we need to know and save.

written by Dr. Louise E Hayes

February 21, 2026