Grown In AlbertaSurprising Foods by CARMEN CHENG
About a year ago, I heard whispers about families harvesting and cooking up crawfish from Alberta lakes. This news was surprising and intriguing as crawfish, or “mudbugs”, are generally associated with Southern states such as Texas or Louisiana, not Alberta. As a landlocked province, Alberta is not known for bountiful seafood or produce, so it might come as a surprise that seafood and melons, among other products can grow here. With advancements in agricultural technology and systems such as aquaponics or vertical farms, it is becoming even easier for producers to grow fresh and sustainable product that wouldn’t typically be found in this part of the world. This list of foods that are already grown in Alberta just might change your perception of our province. Cantaloupe and Watermelon - Mans Organics Last Fall, Bar Von Der Fels had a dish on their menu with Fogo Island Crab and Alberta grown cantaloupe! The dish was delicious as the sweetness of the cantaloupe
brought out the sweetness of the crab. Bar Von Der Fel’s chef, Doug King sources the melon from Mans Organics, in Southern Alberta owned by the Mans Family – Henk, Rita, Andrew, and Denise.
retailers across the province including: Community Natural Foods, Blush Lane, SPUD.ca, Busy Beas Market Garden, Freson Bros, and Earth’s General Store just to name a few.
The existence of Alberta-grown melons seems novel with our weather conditions and climate, however Andrew Mans says, “Southern Alberta has good light levels and enough heat that it does work for us. They can be challenging to grow and timing is very important.” In addition to cantaloupe, Mans Organics also grows watermelon.
Barramundi (Asian Sea Bass) - Deepwater Farms Barramundi, or Asian Sea Bass is native to waters near Southeast Asia and Australia, approximately 10,000 km away from landlocked Alberta, yet Paul Schumlich and Kevin Daniels, founders of Deepwater Farms, have figured out how to raise this fish and supply greens from their aquaponics farm in Calgary year-round.
To overcome some of the challenges, Mans’ melons are started in the greenhouse before being transplanted in the field. Even after they are transplanted, melons are given extra care for the first few weeks to ensure they are given proper protection and heat. The harvest time of these melons can vary between three to six weeks, which can present challenges for the sales process. Mans’ melons have been sold at various
Barramundi are raised in warm, oxygen-rich water. Fish waste in the water is filtered out and broken down by micro-organisms, which turn the waste into a nutrient source for plants grown in hydroponics. Deepwater Farms takes pride in offering a clean, pure, well-raised product through the quality of fish feed and municipal water used
Photograph Mans. Alberta's freshest food & beveragecourtesy magazine Andrew - May 2019 15
