16. January 2010 by David.

Newsletter January 15, 2010

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12. August 2009 by David.

Sun! It’s back in full force. You’ll find tomatoes, peppers, beans, zucchini, summer squash, onions, carrots, beats, turnips and more every Thursday and Sunday at the Ottawa Farmer’s Market. Check us out at Lansdowne!

***It’s the end of August and that means the Super Ex is hitting up Lansdowne Park. For the next few weeks, the whole market gang will display our goods in Sylvia Holden Park. It’s just next door, at the end of Holmwood avenue.

Newsletter August 12th, 09

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15. July 2009 by David.

It’s summertime! If you have any time to spare, get out of the city! Quick! Now!

IE Newsletter - Jul 15th, 09

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8. July 2009 by David.

My goodness, it just keeps coming down! We are wet, muddy and cold. Weeds are moving in fast and we just sit tight, dreaming of rototillers, hoes and sunburns…

IE Newsletter - Jul 8th, 09

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1. July 2009 by David.

It’s been hot and humid! After a cool, wet spring, the garden is finally growing. Vegetables (and weeds) are exploding out of the ground, which is rapidly changing from brown to a rainbow of green, red, yellow and everything in between. We’re working hard to get the weeding done before the rain pours so we can keep an upper hand. Let’s hope for the best!

Thank you to all those who helped make our first CSA pickup a success and who helped smooth out the kinks for our second week. Special thanks to our dropoff hosts who so very generously offered their homes and their time so food can be dropped off in three convenient locations. One of our hosts isn’t even a member of the CSA! The enthusiasm and positive energy we are receiving from the community is tremendously gratifying. Thank you!

Newsletter June 30th, 09

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29. March 2009 by David.

  is a small business with the mission of educating Ottawa area residents of all ages about the value, fragility and richness of the region’s natural areas. We feature a nature day camp for children (visit “day camps” on this website) where young people experience awareness games, stories, nature crafts, and interpretation that introduces children to the natural world. As a special offering,  organizes seasonal field trips that illustrate winter tracking, experience the edible wild and help participants to study the stars that blaze in the skies over the rural parts of our amazing locale.

Our founder and our principal educator/interpreter and guide is Martha Webber. Born in New England, Martha majored in Botany-ecology and geology (BS. MS), was staff assistant at the Children’s Nature Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina, (and Worcester Natural History Museum, Worcester, Massachusetts). She taught biology and earth science in the Vermont Public School system before marrying a Canadian and moving North. Two children later she volunteered with Scouts and Guides and did this for a few years before offering a spring botany course for the City of Kanata. That field course, called “Edible Wild” has continued since the 1980’s. Martha’s first business venture partnered her with Madeline Kallio running “Ottawa Valley Field Trips” where they organized field trips on wheels, mostly for seniors, exploring back roads and fun places with good food.

In addition to our core programs, custom field trips can be organized for groups, homeschools, school classes, scouts, etc.

Martha is an amazing resource with an understanding and feel for the natural world that is seldom found in our day and age. She is always looking for opportunities to introduce teachers and groups to the heritage plants (better known as “weeds”) that our ancestors found here or imported over time to be used for foods and medicines. Many of these still offer superior nutrition to commercial vegetables, but can only be used when grown in clean (unsprayed) habitats.

Our website is Dandelion Jam because it derives it’s relationship from the natural world. A much maligned weed, dandelion was once a favorite grown for greens, coffee substitute, wine, beer and now jam. A must in herb gardens of castles and monasteries and now an “alien invasion” on lawns. Just imagine when lawns were once composed of meadow flowers and lawn boys were hired to pull out grass. Kentucky Blue Grass, by the way, is an example of an alien invasion.

The Ottawa Field Naturalist Club selected Martha Webber for the 2007 Mary Stuart Education Award in recognition of  “outstanding work teaching natural history at schools and to the public throughout the Ottawa region with a variety of programs.”

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30. December 2007 by David.

Trying out the blog world! I’m very new to web editing, so bare with me a little. I’m slowly getting the hang of it though, so stop by often to see the progress. Please feel free send suggestions and comments about the site.

Thanks,

David

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